07576 573615tom@cbsdamp.co.uk Mon–Fri 8am–8pm · Sat 8am–1pm · Sun closed About Services Areas Our work Contact 07576 573615Request Free Survey HomeAreas coveredChelsea Damp proofing in Chelsea # Damp proofingin Chelseafor stucco terraces and basements Chelsea's Georgian and Victorian stucco terraces, garden squares, lower-ground floors and vaults under the pavement each bring a particular set of damp risks. Free diagnosis, a written fixed price, and ten-year guarantees on damp treatment. Request your free survey 07576 573615 Free survey across Chelsea · Sovereign & Wykamol approved contractor · 10-year QANW insurance-backed guarantee 10 years Company workmanship guarantee on damp treatment 10 years QANW insurance-backed guarantee £0 Survey, diagnosis and fixed-price quotation in Chelsea £2m Public liability insurance held Local coverage ## Chelsea's stucco terraces and basements need a careful diagnosis Chelsea's streets and garden squares are lined with Georgian and Victorian terraces, many finished in painted stucco to the ground and first floors, with a lower-ground floor set below street level behind iron railings. Beneath the pavement itself, a great many of these houses have a vault, an extended cellar space originally used for coal storage, that now often forms part of the basement accommodation. These lower-ground floors and pavement vaults sit hard against the surrounding earth and, for the vaults, the underside of the public pavement, and they take on water differently from an ordinary ground-floor room. Basement conversions have become common across Chelsea as owners look to add living space, and that has made structural waterproofing, or tanking, one of the most frequent pieces of work we are asked to look at in the area. Almost all of Chelsea sits within conservation areas, and the stucco render, sash windows, iron railings and painted brick that define the streetscape are protected, so repairs need to match the original finish rather than take a generic approach. The garden squares themselves, with their mature planted centres, mean tree root activity is a live consideration for some of the surrounding terraces, particularly where clay subsoil and seasonal ground movement affect the wall directly. We survey free of charge across Chelsea, including Chelsea Green, Cadogan, the Sloane Square fringe, World's End, the Royal Hospital area, the garden squares, Chelsea Embankment and King's Road, with calls taken Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 8am to 1pm. ### Areas we cover within Chelsea - Chelsea Green - Cadogan - Sloane Square fringe - World's End - Royal Hospital area - Chelsea garden squares - Chelsea Embankment - King's Road ### Property types we work on Georgian and Victorian stucco terraces around the garden squares, lower-ground floor flats and vaults under the pavement, and larger houses converted into multiple flats. ### Common Chelsea requests Basement and vault tanking beneath lower-ground floors, rising damp diagnosis in solid-wall terraces, and stucco or render defects letting water into the wall behind a painted finish. ### Working within conservation areas Chelsea's terraces sit within conservation areas, and we specify repairs and finishes, including render colour and detailing, that match the surrounding street. ### When you can reach us - Monday8am – 8pm - Tuesday8am – 8pm - Wednesday8am – 8pm - Thursday8am – 8pm - Friday8am – 8pm - Saturday8am – 1pm - SundayClosed Services in Chelsea ## Every service available across Chelsea ### Rising damp treatment A failed damp proof course is diagnosed, treated with an accredited Sovereign or Wykamol system and replastered to a decoration-ready finish, priced as a fixed sum before any work starts, and guaranteed for ten years. Rising damp treatment in Chelsea ### Penetrating damp treatment Damp that worsens after rain is coming in from somewhere. We find the route: pointing, render, sills, gutters or roof detail; correct it, then repair the wall inside. Free survey, fixed price, no guesswork. Penetrating damp treatment in Chelsea ### Damp surveys & diagnosis Find out exactly what is causing the damp, what it takes to fix it, and what it costs, in writing, at a fixed price, with no charge for the visit and no obligation to proceed. Damp surveys & diagnosis in Chelsea ### Structural waterproofing & tanking Below-ground rooms need a waterproofing system, not a coat of damp-seal paint. Membrane and cementitious tanking specified to suit the structure, installed as an approved Sovereign and Wykamol contractor, with a free survey and a fixed price. Structural waterproofing & tanking in Chelsea ### Plastering The replaster is half of any damp repair. We remove contaminated plaster, apply the specified salt-retardant system and leave a flat, decoration-ready finish, as part of a fixed price, by the same contractor that treated the wall. Plastering in Chelsea ### Rendering Cracked, hollow or blown render holds water against your masonry. We identify why it failed, repair or renew it with a system suited to the substrate, and fix the damp it was causing inside. Rendering in Chelsea ### Brickworks & repointing Open joints and spalled brick faces are the most common route for penetrating damp. We cut out properly, repoint in a mortar matched to your brick, and replace masonry that has broken down. Brickworks & repointing in Chelsea ### Brick stitching Helical stainless bars bonded into the bed joints tie cracked brickwork back into one structure, a repair carried out from the outside, without rebuilding the wall, and finished so the crack disappears. Brick stitching in Chelsea ### General building Damp repairs rarely stop at the damp. We carry out the associated building work: masonry, render, plaster, joinery repairs and making good, so the job finishes with one contractor accountable for all of it. General building in Chelsea ### Small refurbishment & remedial works Treatment stops the damp; remedial work makes the room liveable again. Plaster, joinery, floors, decoration preparation and making good, completed by the contractor that did the specialist work, at a fixed price. Small refurbishment & remedial works in Chelsea Why choose us ## Why Chelsea homeowners use Charge Building Services ### We understand stucco terraces and vaults Chelsea's rendered Georgian and Victorian terraces, with their lower-ground floors and pavement vaults, need a different approach from ordinary brick-faced housing, and the survey reflects that. ### Basement and pavement vault experience Structural waterproofing for lower-ground rooms and vaults under pressure, designed and detailed properly at the junctions where it usually fails. ### Two ten-year guarantees A 10-year company workmanship guarantee plus a separate 10-year QANW insurance-backed guarantee on damp treatment. ### Approved Sovereign & Wykamol contractor Accredited products and systems installed to the manufacturer's specification. ### One contractor for damp and fabric repairs Render repair matched to the existing stucco finish, repointing, replastering and making good, all handled in-house. ### Free survey and fixed price Free survey, diagnosis and written fixed-price quotation. 50% deposit, 50% on completion by bank transfer. £2,000,000 public liability insurance. Local damp problems ## Why Chelsea properties get damp Chelsea's terraces were built solid, faced in stucco render, with lower-ground floors and pavement vaults that sit below street level and are exposed to ground and surface water in a way an upper floor never is. Basement conversions that turn a vault or lower-ground room into everyday living space add further pressure that the original construction was never designed to resist. Above ground, the painted render finish that gives Chelsea's streets their character can itself become the source of a damp problem once it cracks or is applied over a damp wall without the right preparation. ### Cracked or failed stucco render Painted stucco render that has cracked, or was applied without allowing the wall behind it to breathe properly, lets water track behind the render and shows as damp patches once it reaches the inside face. ### Vaults under the pavement Pavement vaults sit directly beneath public paving, exposed to surface water and pedestrian loading, and their waterproofing needs to cope with both without disturbing the pavement above. ### Basement conversions and hydrostatic pressure Lower-ground floors and vaults brought into daily use as living space take on water under hydrostatic pressure once converted, which surface treatments and paint cannot resist. ### Failed or absent damp proof courses Chelsea's Georgian and early Victorian terraces predate reliable damp proof courses, and any later slate DPC has usually failed after well over a century in the wall. ### Tree root activity near the garden squares Mature planting in Chelsea's garden squares can draw moisture from clay subsoil beneath nearby terraces, contributing to seasonal ground movement that stresses walls and existing waterproofing. ### Converted flats and shared responsibility Where a terrace has been split into several flats, defects in the roof, render or external wall are frequently a freeholder or managing agent's responsibility rather than a single leaseholder's. Our process ## The same five steps on every job in Chelsea 01 ### Free survey and diagnosis We inspect the property, identify the actual cause of the damp and explain it in plain terms. No charge, no obligation. 02 ### Fixed-price written quotation A clear fixed price for the specified works, built around your property, never a day rate. 03 ### Works carried out Accredited Sovereign and Wykamol systems installed, walls replastered and the area made good. 50% deposit, 50% on completion by bank transfer. 04 ### Verification and making good Treatment checked for continuity, plaster left flat and decoration-ready, and the area cleaned down. 05 ### Guarantees issued A 10-year company workmanship guarantee plus a 10-year QANW insurance-backed guarantee on damp treatment. In detail ## Damp proofing across Chelsea in detail ### Basement and vault waterproofing under Chelsea's lower-ground floors A great deal of the work we carry out in Chelsea involves waterproofing a lower-ground floor or a vault that runs out under the pavement. These spaces sit below external ground level and take water under hydrostatic pressure, so the solution generally means cementitious tanking bonded to sound masonry, or a cavity drain membrane system with perimeter drainage and a pumped discharge, chosen according to how water is actually reaching the space. The detailing at floor-to-wall junctions, around service penetrations and at the join between a vault and the main basement is where these systems most often fail if rushed, so we specify and detail those points properly as part of an accredited installation, coordinating around the pavement above where the vault runs beneath it. ### Stucco render and rising damp in Georgian and Victorian terraces Chelsea's painted stucco terraces can develop damp for two quite different reasons that a survey needs to tell apart: genuine rising damp through a failed or absent damp proof course, and moisture getting in behind cracked or poorly detailed render higher up the wall. Where rising damp is confirmed, we inject a chemical damp proof course using an accredited Sovereign or Wykamol system, followed by salt-retardant replastering once contaminated plaster has been stripped back. Where the render itself is at fault, repair needs to match the existing stucco finish and profile so the terrace's appearance is unaffected once redecorated, consistent with conservation area requirements. ### Conservation area repairs on Chelsea's terraces Almost the whole of Chelsea sits within a conservation area, and render colour, sash window detailing, iron railings and brick finish are all part of what gives the garden squares their character. Repairs to render, repointing or brickwork are specified to match the existing finish rather than take a generic modern approach. Where a defect affects the shared external fabric of a terrace split into flats, we identify that clearly at survey and put it in writing for the freeholder or managing agent, so a leaseholder is not left arguing over the diagnosis. ### Tree roots and the garden squares The mature trees planted in Chelsea's garden squares are part of what makes the area distinctive, but their root systems can draw significant moisture from clay subsoil close to the surrounding terraces, especially during dry periods, contributing to seasonal ground movement that puts stress on walls and any existing basement waterproofing. Where tree root activity is a factor, the survey takes it into account alongside the wall construction and any basement tanking already in place, rather than treating the damp in isolation. ### Converted terraces and shared responsibility Many of Chelsea's larger terraces have been divided into several flats over the decades, often with the lower-ground floor and any pavement vault treated as a separate unit from the upper floors. Establishing who is responsible for the roof, the render and the vault waterproofing before work starts avoids delay once a defect has been identified. We put the diagnosis in writing, distinguishing clearly between what sits within a single flat's demise and what is a shared, external repair. Questions ## Damp proofing in Chelsea, common questions Which parts of Chelsea do you cover?Chelsea Green, Cadogan, the Sloane Square fringe, World's End, the Royal Hospital area, the garden squares, Chelsea Embankment and King's Road, plus the surrounding streets. Do you waterproof vaults under the pavement?Yes. We design and install structural waterproofing for pavement vaults and lower-ground floors, choosing cementitious tanking or a cavity drain membrane system depending on how water is reaching the space. My stucco render has cracked and I now have damp, is that connected?Very possibly. Cracked or poorly applied stucco render can let water track behind it and appear as damp patches on the inside, distinct from rising damp through the wall base. I own a lower-ground floor flat, will you deal with the freeholder?We will identify whether the defect is within your flat or a shared external repair and put the diagnosis in writing so you can take it to the freeholder or managing agent. How much does damp proofing cost in Chelsea?It depends on the wall construction, whether a vault or basement is involved, and the render or replastering required. The survey and written fixed-price quotation are free. Will repairs match the existing render and finish?Yes. Chelsea sits largely within conservation areas, and render, repointing and brick repairs are specified to match the existing finish. Can tree roots from the garden squares cause damp?They can contribute to seasonal ground movement in clay subsoil, which puts stress on walls and existing waterproofing, and the survey takes this into account where relevant. Is my damp likely to be rising damp or something else?In Chelsea it could be a failed DPC, water tracking behind cracked render, or hydrostatic pressure on a basement or vault. The survey identifies which before any treatment is proposed. Is your work guaranteed?Damp treatment carries a 10-year company workmanship guarantee plus a separate 10-year QANW insurance-backed guarantee. Building works carry a 6-month workmanship guarantee. Is the survey free?Yes, along with the diagnosis and the written fixed-price quotation, with no obligation to proceed. Free survey ## Free damp survey anywhere in Chelsea Send the postcode and a short description of the problem, including whether there is a lower-ground floor or vault, and we will arrange a survey and a written fixed price. - Free survey, diagnosis and written fixed-price quotation in Chelsea - 10-year company workmanship guarantee on damp treatment - 10-year QANW insurance-backed guarantee - Sovereign & Wykamol approved contractor - £2,000,000 public liability insurance Call 07576 573615 Nearby areas ## We also cover ### Damp proofing in Chiswick From the ornate Victorian terraces of Bedford Park to the riverside cottages of Strand-on-the-Green, Chiswick's housing stock sits close to the Thames and its high water table. Free diagnosis, a written fixed price, and ten-year guarantees on damp treatment. View area ### Damp proofing in London London's solid-wall terraces, converted flats and cellared townhouses generate most of the damp we treat. Free survey, honest diagnosis, fixed price, and ten-year guarantees on the treatment. View area ### Damp proofing in West London West London's Victorian terraces, Edwardian conversions and interwar semis are the properties we work on most. Free survey and diagnosis, a written fixed price, and ten-year guarantees on damp treatment. View area ### Damp proofing in Ealing Solid-brick Victorian and Edwardian villas, cellars, converted flats and parapet-fronted terraces: Ealing's housing stock rewards a careful survey. Free diagnosis, a written fixed price, and ten-year guarantees on damp treatment. View area All areas coveredAll servicesHomeContact Damp proofing, structural waterproofing and remedial building works across London and the surrounding counties. Tom Charge, Owner. ### Contact - 07576 573615 - tom@cbsdamp.co.uk - C/O MG Tax, 166 College Road, Harrow, England HA1 1BH ### Hours - Monday8am – 8pm - Tuesday8am – 8pm - Wednesday8am – 8pm - Thursday8am – 8pm - Friday8am – 8pm - Saturday8am – 1pm - SundayClosed ### Guarantees - 10-year company workmanship guarantee - 10-year QANW insurance-backed guarantee - 6-month guarantee on building work - Sovereign & Wykamol approved contractor - £2,000,000 public liability insuranceAboutServicesAreasOur workContact ### Damp proofing & building services - Rising damp treatment - Penetrating damp treatment - Damp surveys & diagnosis - Structural waterproofing & tanking - Plastering - Rendering - Brickworks & repointing - Brick stitching - General building - Small refurbishment & remedial works ### Areas we cover - Harrow - Pinner - Stanmore - Edgware - Ealing - Chiswick - Isleworth - Chelsea - Middlesex - Brent - London - West London - Watford - Slough - Buckinghamshire - High Wycombe - Surrey © 2026 Charge Building Services Ltd. 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