Penetrating Damp Above an Old Treatment Line on Rutlish Road, Wimbledon SW19
A house on Rutlish Road in Wimbledon had new damp showing in the front room bay window, above a damp treatment done some years before. The survey showed the old treatment was working and the new damp was coming from outside.
Project at a Glance
The Brief
Damp had appeared in the front room bay and the owners wanted to know if the earlier treatment had failed.
The Survey
Readings and staining were higher above the previous treatment line, with the highest reading close to a screw where a wardrobe had been fixed to the wall. That suggested moisture was getting into the external wall and tracking through at the easiest internal point.
Outside, there were open mortar joints, damaged brickwork and redundant fixing holes around the downpipe, light staining below the gutter and decay to the fascia above. The previous low level treatment appeared to be working where visible.
The Solution
A localised repair:
- Have the fitted wardrobe and picture rail removed by the owners contractor.
- Complete the external repairs to the brickwork and rainwater area.
- Apply localised slurry tanking tied into the existing system, then render and set.
The Work
The internal work was completed in August 2026.
The Result
The owners avoided redoing a treatment that was still working, and the repair was aimed at the real source. Read more about penetrating damp or see our page on damp proofing in Wimbledon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has my old damp treatment failed?
Not always. Here the old treatment was working and new damp came from rain getting in higher up.
Can fixings in a wall let damp through?
A screw or plug can give moisture an easy path to the inside face of a wall that is already wet from outside.
What is slurry tanking?
A cement based waterproof coating applied to masonry before render, used to hold back moisture locally.
Damp above an old treatment?
Our CSSW and CSRT trained surveyors find the real cause before recommending any work. Non-invasive survey with a clear written report. No obligation.
Survey carried out by Chris Baxter at Advanced Damp. Project completed in Wimbledon, SW19.
Sam Fitzgerald is the founder of Advanced Damp and a working damp and structural waterproofing surveyor diagnosing and treating moisture problems in residential and commercial properties across London and the South East. He is FODCS certified (a Federation of Damp Certified Surveyor) and a member of the Federation of Damp. His hands-on work covers rising damp, penetrating damp, condensation, basement waterproofing to BS 8102, and thermal imaging surveys, and he has personally completed over 400 damp surveys across properties of every type and age. Everything he writes draws directly from jobs he has carried out. He does not write about treatments, products or causes he has not dealt with first-hand in the field.
