Go Dutch to be home and dry

The Schrijver System removes damp from walls naturally, without using chemicals

DO YOU have damp in your property? Our typically British weather often means that our homes suffer from rotting woodwork, nasty smells and peeling paintwork – all signs of a serious problem. Yet there are countless homes with smaller damp issues that are unsightly and potentially harmful to the fabric of the building and its occupants.

The Dutch know a lot about damp, which is hardly surprising really when you consider that almost a third of the Netherlands lies below sea level.

The expense and disruption of traditional damp treatments often deter people from solving the problem. Yet a system pioneered by Schrijver, a Dutch company, has the answer. Its solution is based on a very simple principle: remove the moisture and you get rid of the problems caused by damp. There are no injected chemicals, no holes drilled in internal walls and it doesn’t involve extensive replastering and redecoration. The Schrijver System removes damp from walls naturally, without using chemicals or producing any fumes.

The innovative damp control system has been used everywhere from castles to churches and apartments to wave- lashed lighthouses with the same result: a healthy, dry environment. Frank Schrijver UK Ltd is a small family business run by Frank Schrijver – the son of the inventor of the Schrijver System.

“Although we’re not a large company, we are a powerful force against damp across the whole of the UK,” he says. The Schrijver System works by installing a series of handmade elements in the external face of the damp wall. Moisture is drawn out of the wall into these elements and carried into the air outside by natural ventilation.

There’s no mess and no chemicals, just a permanent solution to the problems caused by damp.

Frank brought this system to the UK in 1997 and it won the Chamber of Commerce Best British Enterprise Award in 2002.

His father Henk Schrijver was inspired to invent the system when he was renovating his family’s listed farmhouse in Holland which sat between two rivers and below sea level.

Extreme damp blighted the building’s thick original brick walls and newer brick walls.

Henk Schrijver’s previous experience building chimneys and fireplaces meant he understood air flow, cold spots and ventilation and this led to his natural solution – the Schrijver Damp Control System.

He installed the system for family and friends in Holland where about one- third of all properties lie below the water table. Word spread, he launched his company and more than 30,000 properties throughout Europe now have a Schrijver Damp Control System.

Solid

It can be used in any type of building including brick, stone, cob and breeze- block walls as well as solid brick and cavity walls.

It is suitable for both new build and period properties. In most cases the system takes no more than two days to install and there’s a lifetime guarantee too.

“We offer a no mess, no fuss method that removes excess moisture once and for all,” says Frank.

Schrijver Systems specialists install the system in the outside walls at about 35cm above ground level and using this intensive method of natural ventilation damp will be constantly withdrawn from the property through the exterior walls.

As Frank says, the Schrijver System is the clean, green solution that really works. So when it comes to damp... be a clever clogs and go Dutch.

To find out how the Schrijver System could solve your damp problem call 01689 800101 or visit damp.co.uk