Damp and Condensation in a Porch and Rear Rooms on Camp Road, St Albans AL1
A house on Camp Road in St Albans had high moisture readings in its front porch and around the rear of the dining room and kitchen. The porch had two causes working together.
Project at a Glance
The Brief
The owners wanted to know why the porch walls stayed damp and how to stop it.
The Survey
High readings were recorded on the internal porch walls, which the surveyor described as multifactorial. Outside, the render on the porch walls was damaged and deteriorated, letting moisture in. Vegetation had previously grown against the wall and would have held moisture there, although it had since been removed.
Readings across the porch walls were also consistent with condensation. The walls are solid and uninsulated, so in cold weather their surface temperature drops below the dew point. Elevated readings were also found around the rear of the dining room and kitchen.
The Solution
Tackle both the water and the cold surfaces:
- Hack off and grid out the external defects, then re render and repoint.
- Line the cold internal walls with Isotherm insulation and skim.
The Work
The work was completed over three days in July 2026.
The Result
Warmer internal surfaces and sound external render deal with both causes. See our page on damp proofing in St Albans.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do porches get damp?
Porches often have thin, solid, uninsulated walls that get very cold, so condensation forms, and they take the weather on several sides.
What is Isotherm?
It is a thin thermal lining applied to internal walls to raise the surface temperature and reduce condensation.
Can damp have more than one cause?
Yes. Here rain through damaged render and condensation on cold walls were both at work.
Damp in a porch or extension?
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 Matt Jewell at Advanced Damp. Project completed in St Albans, AL1.
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.
