Can I install dryzone rods in to fresh, wet mortar?

Question

In short: Can dpc cream or rods be inserted in to fresh, wet mortar.

In length: I have rising damp on a connecting wall, not an exterior one. Under the house is a small crawl space. I used dry zone rods, and cream on 2 different areas, to see what's best to use. When I did it, I found the mortar was like mud. It smelt, felt and looked exactly like mud. I've found this regularly on my house. Anyway, I wanted to remove the motor and replace it with a fresh mortar line (3ft in length at most) in order to give the dryzone rods a proper surface to be in. My understanding is that because dpc cream can be inserted in a wet environment, I should be able to install it directly into the new mortar line without waiting for the mortar to cure. Is this worth it, or should I wait for the mortar to cure first?

Nick · Accepted Answer

Hey Kevin! 👋

No, I wouldn't put those DryZone rods or cream into fresh mortar even though the old stuff is really wet and muddy. The new mortar needs time to set properly first, just like waiting for paint to dry before adding another coat.

I get why you're thinking about putting it straight in especially since you're dealing with that wet muddy mortar right now. But  the new mortar needs to harden up first. The DPC stuff needs something solid to work with, not fresh squishy mortar!

Best plan would be to:
Replace that muddy mortar like you're planning, Give it a few weeks to properly set up and Then go in with your DryZone rods or cream

Let me know if you want to chat more about this happy to help! 😊

Karl · Answer

First things first do you know how old the house is. When you scraped out the old morter was there any white dots in the mix 
What type of ground is you property standing on 
Is the wall load bearing 
Can you dig down beside it to see if it has a foundation

Jon · Answer

Dryrods and cream are both the same product and are both just as good as the other if done to b.s6576. How ever they will not dry out the plaster if it’s contaminated by rising damp

Doug · Answer

I don’t believe that to be the case 
I would do the repointing where required let it dry then insert the dryzone rods later 
You could use a water proofer in the mortar mix to aid in the damp proofing 
Rods are better than cream in my view for this situation

Can I install dryzone rods in to fresh, wet mortar?

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