Areas covered
Damp proofing in Cheddar
Cheddar and the villages around it are mostly older stone housing on the edge of the Mendips and the Levels, a combination of solid walls that must breathe and ground water that never really goes away.
Solid stone walls, and why materials matter
The traditional cottages here are built of limestone rubble with lime mortar, designed to absorb some moisture and release it again. Twentieth-century “repairs” in hard cement render, gypsum plaster and plastic paint stop that happening, so moisture gets trapped and rises higher or spreads sideways. A lot of the “rising damp” we’re called to in Cheddar is really a breathability problem created by the wrong materials.
Ground water and the hillside
Cheddar sits where the Mendip limestone meets the Levels, and springs and a high water table are a fact of life. Cottages at the lower end of the village, and those built against rising ground, get lateral damp through walls that are effectively retaining walls. A survey works out how much water is involved before we specify the right membrane system.
Barn and outbuilding conversions
Conversions of former agricultural buildings are common around Cheddar and Wedmore. These often have no original damp-proof course at all and solid floors laid straight onto the ground, so rising damp and floor dampness need designing out properly. Old roof and floor timbers in these buildings are also prime candidates for woodworm and rot.
What we treat in Cheddar
Damp proofing
Diagnosis and treatment of rising damp, penetrating damp and water ingress. Root cause first, then the right fix.
Rising damp treatment
Chemical damp-proof course injection and waterproof replastering, only where rising damp is actually confirmed.
Penetrating damp
Finding and fixing water getting in through walls, roofs and around openings, including high-level defects via drone survey.
Timber treatment & rot
Dry rot eradication, wet rot repair and structural timber treatment, with the damp source dealt with too.
Woodworm treatment
Identifying active woodworm and treating every accessible timber with Biokil Crown approved products.
Damp & timber surveys
Independent surveys using calibrated moisture meters, FLIR thermal imaging and drone roof inspection.
Nearby places we also cover
Not listed? See all areas covered, or ask us. We often travel a little further.
Common questions about damp proofing in Cheddar
Our stone cottage has damp on the wall built into the hillside, why?
Properties built into the slope below the Gorge often have a retaining wall taking ground water pressure from behind. That’s lateral penetrating damp, and it needs a cavity drain membrane on the inside face, not a damp-proof course.
Should our cottage be replastered in cement or lime?
Almost always lime. Cheddar’s older cottages have solid limestone-rubble walls that need to breathe; sealing them with dense cement render or gypsum traps moisture and pushes it elsewhere. We use breathable lime systems on these buildings, see damp proofing.
Do you cover the villages around Cheddar?
Yes: Axbridge, Wedmore, Draycott, Rodney Stoke and the surrounding Levels-edge villages, which have very similar older stone housing and ground-water conditions.
Damp or timber problem in Cheddar?
Call or request a callback and we'll arrange a proper look at the problem.