Dryrod Damp Proofing Rods (50 Pack x 5) - BBA-Approved Rising Damp Treatment, Stronger Than DPC Injection Creams. Coverage 30m

I had a problem with rising damp in a rendered concrete and brick foundation to an external concrete and steel stairs. The damp was causing the steel reinforcement inside the stairs to rust, cracking the concrete with the long-term risk of structural failure. I decided to try Dryrods, even though they designed for inserting into mortar lines. I contacted Safeguard via their website for advice and found them amazingly helpful. They gave excellent support from their technical department, sent product samples to test and followed up by email afterwards. The Dryrods are packed in sealed foil containers in a package displaying excellent instructions showing the easy installation.The base of my stairs is about 1.5 metres square; I could only access three sides so I calculated I needed about 30 rods. The holes at the corners didn’t need to be at the recommended 120mm centres because they extend into the base 210mm, so reducing the number required.I first drilled 8mm x 210mm holes into the concrete then opened them to 12mm. Keeping the drill running I removed and reinserted it several times to clear the holes of debris, so I didn’t need the hole clearing tool. The rods pushed in easily in most cases, but they bent easily if a hole was a bit a tight and it jammed. Once bent it was difficult to insert without enlarging the hole slightly.In some places I couldn’t drill to the full depth, so I cut the rods with a Stanley knife. The off-cuts weren’t wasted because I used them in the other holes. When finished I just filled the holes and painted over.You’ll need rubber gloves when handling the rods. Also the rods have an expiry date so don’t be tempted to buy extra for future use.The job was really easy with no mess. You don’t need any special tools, just a hammer drill with a long 12mm drill (and an 8mm starter drill if you’re drilling into concrete).This has stopped the rising damp! We have had heavy rain since and no sign of any damp. An amazing product from a very customer-orientated company. Thoroughly recommended

Easy to use

So far so good, seems to have stopped any paint peeling above. Great that can done behind skirting. Of course removing skirting and drilling low down was a pain but not the products fault. Get the correct drill bit and more than enough depth, otherwise rods wont go in completely and cutting them to fit seems messy and annoying.

Easy to use and do a fantastic job. Highly recommend.

Easy to install

During a long term renovation of a Victorian house I had previously used the 600ml 'sausages' of DPC cream from the same company and found them to be really effective at creating a good damp proof course and drying out walls, but they had two disadvantages - they need a special applicator gun (which varies in price significantly depending on the supplier from £25 up to over £60) and it is also rather messy. These rods solve both these problems, needing no special tools (just a 12mm masonry drill) and being cut to size with a knife.The rods, in packs of 10, are designed to be long enough to use one in every hole you drill at 120mm centres in 9" brickwork, but can be easily cut to shorter lengths for 4 1/2" brickwork which makes them economical to use, with one pack being enough for an 8' (2.4m) length of wall in 4 1/2" brick.There are a couple of bits of advice in use -1. Check the use by dates on the foil packets when you receive them. The one I was sent only had four months life listed; no problem if using straight away, but if you are not then consider only buying the quantity you need in the short term.2. Cut the rods to length after putting them in the drilled holes. Even drilling carefully there will always be some variation in depth but more importantly how clear the hole is left. Just putting the rod in and sniping off flush with the wall with a sharp Stanley knife gives the cleanest finish and least waste.Finally it is also worth noting that as well as the 600ml sausages of DPC cream and these rods the company also make a standard mastic size tube of cream in the same material. This is more expensive by volume, but if you only have a small area to do could be a good solution.Thoroughly recommended.

The system is simple and in theory will be successful in treating rising damp. But the overall effectiveness will depand on the quality of ther original brickwork and finding a good plasterer who can finish the work properly (best of luck finding the plasterer).

This product arrived timeously and intact. I purchased this product on the recommendation of my builder who is resolving rising damp issues which have occurred at my home property. He has used this product many times before on other properties and likes it very much. I have never used these damp proofing rods myself. My builder advised me to buy this product via Amazon but I could have bought them cheaper via another company. These rods have yet to be fitted into my house wall as other rising damp issues are being dealt with first. The real proof will be the eventual eradication of the rising damp issues at my home. We will just have to wait and see !