Damp appears at skirting level in my rendered house.

Check whether the render runs down past the damp proof course into the ground, which bridges it. Stopping the render clear of ground level with a bell drip is the fix.

The front room smells musty and the floor feels springy.

That points at a poorly ventilated under-floor void and possible decay to joist ends. Clearing or adding airbricks comes first, then an inspection of the timbers.

Which era of Thornaby house gets rising damp?

Mainly the older riverside terraces with original damp proof courses. Interwar and post-war stock rarely does, and their damp is usually condensation or a render defect.

Damp proofing in Thornaby

Damp surveys, damp proof course work, render repairs, condensation control and mould treatment across Thornaby TS17, where a mix of Victorian riverside terraces, interwar semis and post-war estate housing means the right diagnosis changes street by street.

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Three eras in one town

Old Thornaby by the river has Victorian terraces with solid walls and original damp proof courses at the end of their working life. The interwar streets around Mandale and Acklam Road are cavity-built semis. The post-war estates towards Ingleby Road and Village are a mix of traditional and system-built housing, much of it rendered. Each behaves differently, and the same symptom in the three has three different causes and three different prices.

Rendered walls

Render is common across the estate housing, and failed render is one of the biggest single causes of damp locally. Cracks at window corners, hollow bays where the key has gone, and render carried down below ground level so it bridges the damp proof course all let water into the wall and hold it there. Cutting back to sound material and re-rendering with a bell drip stopped clear of the ground is the correct repair; filling the crack is not.

Airbricks and suspended floors

Suspended timber ground floors in the older stock need cross-ventilation under them. Airbricks get blocked by soil, decking, new paths, extensions and, occasionally, by a well-meant attempt to stop draughts. The under-floor void then stays damp, joist ends soften, and a musty smell arrives in the front room. Clearing or adding airbricks and installing periscope vents where levels have risen is inexpensive, and it prevents a much bigger timber repair bill.

Condensation on the estates

As across the rest of the conurbation, the post-war estate housing mainly reports condensation and mould through the winter. Effective extraction, background ventilation and warmth to cold surfaces are the levers, and none of them involve damp proofing.

Prices in Thornaby

Damp proof course with replastering £70 to £120 per linear metre. Render repairs £60 to £120 per square metre. Airbrick clearing and periscope vents £60 to £150 each. Damp surveys £150 to £350. Mould treatment £300 to £900 per room.