Damp Proofing Bicester

Bicester is an old market town that has grown very quickly. The historic core around the Market Square, Sheep Street, Church Street and the Causeway has stone and brick buildings from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries, while most of the town now is modern housing, including large developments at Kingsmere, Elmsbrook and around the edges of the town.

The ground is mostly Jurassic limestone and clay. Bands of limestone such as the Cornbrash drain reasonably well, while the clays hold water close to the surface, and the Bure brook running through the town and Bure Park carries water off the surrounding fields. In wet winters, gardens and lower floors on clay can stay saturated for long periods, and water collects against walls where the ground slopes towards the house.

The older buildings in the centre and in the surrounding villages are often built of local rubble limestone laid in lime mortar, with no damp proof course. These walls rely on being able to breathe. Cement pointing, cement render and modern gypsum plaster trap moisture in the stone and are behind much of the damp we see in older Bicester properties.

Many of these buildings are listed or within the conservation area, so treatments need to suit the fabric. We favour lime based repairs, repointing in lime, improving ground levels and drainage, and only recommend injection where it is genuinely appropriate.

The Victorian and early twentieth century brick houses have solid walls and suspended timber floors. Typical faults are damp proof courses bridged by raised paths and patios, blocked air bricks, damp floor voids leading to wet rot, and penetrating damp from worn pointing and gutters.

Timber needs checking too. Damp left in suspended floor voids, or timber floors and joist ends built into damp stone walls, can lead to wet rot and occasionally dry rot. We check floor voids, joist ends and sub floor ventilation on every survey so rot is caught before it spreads.

The later twentieth century estates mostly have cavity walls and concrete floors. Problems here include cavity wall insulation carrying water across the cavity, failed damp proof membranes, damp at the junction with extensions, and condensation in kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms.

Newer homes are not immune. In well insulated, airtight houses, condensation and mould can appear when ventilation systems are switched off, filters are not maintained or extract fans are undersized. We check how ventilation is working before deciding what is causing the problem.

The villages around Bicester, such as Launton, Ambrosden, Chesterton and Bletchingdon, have a high share of older stone cottages and farm buildings, many with thick rubble walls, solid floors laid directly on the ground and low ceilings, all of which need a careful, breathable approach to damp.

Because the right fix depends on the age and construction of the building, the survey always comes first. Our CSSW and CSRT trained surveyors take moisture readings, use thermal imaging where it helps, and check drainage, pointing, ground levels and ventilation before recommending anything. You get a written report with photos that explains the cause in plain language and sets out the fix, with no obligation.

We cover Bicester and the surrounding OX25, OX26 and OX27 postcodes, including the town centre, Kingsmere, Elmsbrook, Langford Village, Launton and Ambrosden. Surveys are arranged from our office at Unit 78 Basepoint, Lincoln Road, High Wycombe.