Damp Proofing Tower Hill

Tower Hill sits on the eastern edge of the City of London, where the historic core meets Aldgate, Whitechapel and the riverside at St Katharine Docks. In a small area you find listed buildings and churches, Victorian and Edwardian commercial blocks, warehouse conversions, large modern offices and hotels, and residential developments around the docks and towards Wapping. Almost all of them share one thing: they are close to the Thames, and groundwater is never far away.

That makes below ground waterproofing the core of our work in EC3. Basements, vaults, plant rooms, car parks, storage areas and lower ground floor offices are all exposed to water pressure from the surrounding ground. Older vaults were often built from brick with no waterproofing at all, while later basements may have tanking that has cracked or failed as the structure has moved. In most cases the reliable solution is a cavity drain membrane system with a sump and pump, designed to BS 8102 with the right grade of protection for how the space is used.

Because so many buildings around Tower Hill are commercial or mixed use, waterproofing has to be planned around the people using them. We regularly work with facilities managers, building owners and managing agents, and we can phase works, work outside business hours and coordinate with other trades on refurbishment projects.

Above ground, the older buildings suffer from penetrating damp through solid masonry, defective parapets and copings, failed flashings and blocked or leaking rainwater goods, many of which are concealed inside walls in commercial buildings. Water from these sources can travel some distance before appearing as staining, so tracing the entry point is essential before any repair is specified.

Listed and historic buildings need particular care. Lime mortars, soft brick and stone must be allowed to breathe, and inappropriate cement repairs or impermeable coatings can make damp worse. We favour breathable repairs on historic fabric and can provide reports to support consent applications where needed.

The residential developments around St Katharine Docks and the modern blocks nearby are more likely to suffer from condensation, leaks from neighbouring flats and water ingress at balconies, roof terraces and window junctions. Thermal imaging is especially useful here, because it shows where moisture and cold bridging are concentrated without opening up finished walls.

Timber decay is a further risk in older buildings around Tower Hill. Where floor joists, beam ends and lintels are built into damp masonry, wet rot can develop unseen, and in poorly ventilated voids we occasionally find dry rot. Because these timbers are often structural, early diagnosis and a clear repair specification are essential, and we always deal with the moisture source as well as the decayed timber.

Every survey we carry out in EC3 combines moisture readings, salt analysis and thermal imaging with a careful look at the building's construction and history. The result is a clear written report that identifies the cause, sets out a specification for the work and, for commercial clients, makes it straightforward to brief landlords, tenants and insurers. Our London office on Fitzroy Street is a short journey away, so surveys can usually be arranged within a few working days.

We also carry out pre-lease and pre-purchase surveys on basements and lower ground floor space, so the condition of the waterproofing is understood before any commitment is made.