Damp Proofing East London

East London runs from the edge of the City through Shoreditch, Hoxton and Whitechapel out to Hackney, Bethnal Green, Bow and the riverside at Wapping, Limehouse and Canary Wharf. It has some of the oldest houses in London alongside converted warehouses, Victorian terraces, post war estates and brand new towers. Each of these behaves differently when it comes to damp.

Close to the Thames, Wapping, Limehouse and the Isle of Dogs sit on low ground that was once marsh and docks. River gravels and alluvium carry a water table that moves with the tide and the seasons. Basements, cellars and lower ground floors here often take on water, and older riverside buildings show more rising damp than streets on higher ground.

Further north, most of East London sits on London Clay, with patches of gravel left by the ancient Thames and the River Lea. The Regent's Canal crosses Hoxton, Haggerston and Mile End, and the Lea valley runs along the eastern edge of Hackney and Bow. Streets close to these waterways can have wetter ground than neighbouring areas.

East London has some of the capital's oldest homes. The Georgian houses of Spitalfields and parts of Hackney were built with soft bricks and lime mortar, and they need to breathe. Cement renders, plastic paints and the wrong kind of damp treatment applied in the past can trap moisture in these walls. We use breathable lime based treatments where they suit the building and flag anything that may need listed building consent.

The Victorian terraces of Hackney, Bethnal Green, Bow and Stoke Newington are where we see the most rising damp. Original slate or bitumen damp proof courses crack and are bridged by raised paths, patios and rendered plinths. Penetrating damp from bay roofs, parapets, valley gutters and chimneys is just as common. We trace every source with moisture readings and thermal imaging.

Shoreditch, Clerkenwell, Wapping and Limehouse have many warehouse and factory conversions. Old industrial walls are often very thick and mixed in construction, with no damp proof course at all, and lower floors can sit close to the water table. These buildings need treatments chosen for how they were built rather than a standard house specification.

High streets such as Mare Street, Kingsland Road, Roman Road and Commercial Road are lined with shops that have cellars below and flats above. The cellars take on water from the clay and from pavement vaults, while the flats suffer from leaking roofs, parapets and rear extensions. We survey both, and our reports make clear which repairs fall to the shop, the flat owner or the freeholder.

Condensation and black mould are the most common problems in East London flats, from Victorian conversions to post war estates and new build blocks around Canary Wharf and Stratford. Newer flats are very airtight, so moisture from cooking, bathing and drying washing has nowhere to go unless the ventilation is working properly. We check extraction and airflow as well as measuring the walls.

Landlords and managing agents make up a large share of our East London work. Damp and mould in rented homes have to be investigated promptly, and a written survey report gives a clear record of the cause and the fix. We arrange access around tenants and can survey several flats in one block on the same visit.

East London covers the boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Hackney and parts of the City and Islington, with many conservation areas. Internal damp treatments rarely need planning permission. Every survey is carried out by a CSSW and CSRT trained specialist, and you receive a written report with photos, the cause and the recommended fix.