Damp Proofing Fulham

Fulham sits inside a wide loop of the Thames, with the river on its western and southern edges and the old line of Counter's Creek running down its eastern side towards Chelsea Harbour. Much of the area is built on river gravels and alluvium laid down by the Thames, and the water table close to the river rises and falls with the seasons. That ground shapes almost every damp problem we see in SW6.

Most of Fulham's housing went up between the 1870s and the early 1900s, when the railways and the District line turned market gardens into streets of terraced houses. The Peterborough Estate, Parsons Green, Munster Village and the streets around Bishop's Park are lined with two storey bay fronted terraces built with solid brick walls and no cavity. Those walls rely on sound brickwork, good pointing and working gutters to stay dry.

Rising damp is common in these terraces because the original damp proof course, often a layer of slate or engineering brick, has cracked or been bridged over the years. Front gardens paved up to the level of the hallway floor, rendered plinths and raised rear patios all let ground moisture past the old course. The result is tide marks, salt staining and blown plaster along the bottom of ground floor walls.

Penetrating damp is the other big problem. Many Fulham fronts have been painted or rendered, and once that coating cracks, rain gets behind it and cannot dry out. Parapet walls, bay roofs and the valley gutters between terraces are frequent sources of leaks into front bedrooms and back extensions. We trace the water to its source with moisture readings and thermal imaging before recommending any work.

Under the floors, most Fulham terraces have suspended timber ground floors that rely on air bricks to keep the void dry. Over time those air bricks get blocked by raised paths, rendered plinths or rear extensions built across them. Without airflow, moisture builds up under the boards, and we regularly find wet rot in joists and floorboards that started years before anyone noticed a soft spot or a musty smell.

Fulham has also seen a large number of basement extensions and cellar conversions, especially in the streets between Fulham Road and the river. In ground with a high water table these spaces need a properly designed waterproofing system, and older conversions with failed tanking are a regular source of call outs. Our dedicated Fulham basement waterproofing page covers that work in detail.

Inside, condensation and black mould are common in converted flats, where kitchens and bathrooms were squeezed into small rooms with little ventilation. Lower ground floor flats in converted houses suffer most, because they combine cold solid walls, poor airflow and moisture from the ground. Good extraction and ventilation usually solve these problems without any chemical treatment.

Fulham is in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and large parts of it are conservation areas. External changes such as replacing render, altering front walls or adding lightwells may need consent, so we flag anything that affects the outside of the house in our report. Internal damp treatments rarely need planning permission.

Every Fulham job starts with a survey by a CSSW and CSRT trained specialist. We identify whether the damp is rising, penetrating or condensation before anything is recommended, because the wrong treatment costs more and fails sooner. You receive a clear written report with photos, the cause, the recommended fix and the next steps.