Damp Proofing Shoreditch

Shoreditch is one of the densest and most mixed parts of London. Victorian commercial buildings, printworks and furniture warehouses sit alongside Georgian terraces, railway arches, postwar estates and some of the city's newest office and apartment towers. Many of the older buildings have been converted several times, from industrial use to studios, offices, bars and homes, and each conversion has left its mark on how the building handles moisture.

Below ground is where much of our Shoreditch work is concentrated. A large number of buildings around Great Eastern Street, Curtain Road, Rivington Street and Old Street have basements and vaults that were built for storage and never intended to be dry. Turning them into bars, restaurants, offices, gyms or living space needs a properly specified waterproofing system to BS 8102. In most cases that means a cavity drain membrane with a sump and pump, designed around the grade of protection the space needs and the way it will be used.

Above ground, the old warehouses and commercial buildings are prone to penetrating damp. Thick brick walls, failed pointing, parapet walls with cracked copings, flat roofs with tired upstands and steel or timber windows set into deep reveals all give water a way in. Inside, modern finishes such as gypsum plaster, plasterboard and impermeable paint can trap that moisture against the brickwork, so damp patches and salt staining appear long after the original leak.

Railway arches deserve a special mention. Converted arches are popular for businesses in Shoreditch, but they are effectively below ground spaces exposed to water from the track above and the ground around them. A drained membrane lining is usually the only reliable way to keep them dry.

In the new build flats and the converted apartments, condensation is the most common complaint. Open plan living, small bathrooms, drying laundry indoors and sealed windows all push humidity up, and mould follows on the coldest surfaces.

The Georgian and early Victorian terraces that survive around Shoreditch, especially towards Spitalfields and the streets off Shoreditch High Street, need a different approach. Their solid brick walls and lime mortars must be allowed to breathe, so we favour lime based plasters and careful masonry repairs over cement renders and chemical treatments. Rising damp, salt contaminated plaster and decay in timber floors and lintels are the usual issues, and many of these buildings are listed or in conservation areas, so the right materials matter as much as the right diagnosis.

Because so many Shoreditch properties are commercial, we are used to working around tenants, trading hours and building management requirements. We can survey and install outside business hours where needed, and our reports are written so that landlords, tenants and agents can all see clearly what the cause is and who is responsible for putting it right.

Every job starts with a survey using moisture readings, salt analysis and thermal imaging. That lets us tell the difference between groundwater, rain penetration, plumbing leaks and condensation, and recommend the right fix rather than a generic treatment. Our London office on Fitzroy Street is close by, so surveys in EC2 and E1 can usually be arranged within a few working days.

We also carry out pre-purchase and pre-lease surveys, which are particularly useful before signing for a basement or arch unit, so that any waterproofing costs are understood before commitments are made.