Rising Damp Specialists · Grange
Salt tide-marks, peeling paint and that musty smell along the skirting boards? We diagnose and permanently treat rising damp in Grange's older Queenslanders and brick homes — with a proper diagnosis and a permanent fix, not a paint-over.
Tell us what you're seeing — or what your building report said — and we'll arrange a no-obligation on-site inspection and written quote.
We connect you with QBCC-licensed damp specialists servicing inner Brisbane. No obligation. The specialist's assessment fee is $450 plus GST. That includes up to two hours on site diagnosis, that may include camera inspection of the stormwater drains.
Why Grange homes are prone to damp: Grange is a suburb of classic timber Queenslanders with a real split — the Pinnacle hill sits high and dry, while the northern streets fall to the low Kedron Brook flats. Those flats were hit in the record February 2022 Kedron Brook flood. Century-old Queenslanders with low-set subfloors on that alluvial, high-water-table ground are the classic rising-damp and subfloor-moisture candidates.
Know the signs
Rising damp only affects ground-floor walls, because the moisture comes from the soil. If you're seeing these signs low on the wall, it's worth a proper look before it damages the timber and brickwork.
SIGN 01
A horizontal stain about a metre up the wall, where the rising moisture peaks and evaporates.
SIGN 02
Efflorescence — ground salts crystallising on the brick or plaster surface.
SIGN 03
Finishes lifting and crumbling near the base of the wall.
SIGN 04
Soft, damp or warped skirting boards, architraves and floor timbers.
SIGN 05
A persistent damp, earthy odour, often strongest in closed rooms and low cupboards.
SIGN 06
In bad cases, the face of the brick crumbles away as the salts destroy the mortar.
Local knowledge
Grange (4051) is characterised by classic timber Queenslanders from the late 1800s and early 1900s — deep verandahs, VJ walls, high ceilings — from the 1903 Grange Estate and the 1928 tram. The suburb has a strong topographic split: the western hill, 'The Pinnacle', rises to about 57 metres of high, dry, city-view ground, while the land falls away north to the low Kedron Brook flats.
Those brook-side flats are the exposed ground. Grange sits on the southern side of Kedron Brook, and the catchment was severely hit in the record February 2022 flood — far bigger than 2011 — with the low-lying land near the brook (the Grange Forest Park side) the flood zone. Council's 2025 flood-map update reclassified a number of Kedron Brook properties, so it's worth checking your address on Brisbane City Council's Flood Awareness Map.
The result is a split damp risk: the Pinnacle and upper-slope homes drain well, while century-old Queenslanders with low-set subfloors on the alluvial brook flats sit on high-water-table ground and carry the real rising-damp and subfloor-moisture risk. We diagnose the cause at the assessment — usually subfloor ventilation with a chemical DPC on the low ground.
Nearby suburbs
How we fix it
Rising damp is often misdiagnosed as condensation or a leak, which need completely different fixes. We diagnose the actual cause first, then treat the source — not just the stain. It’s the same rising damp treatment in Brisbane we bring to every inner-suburb Queenslander.
We inspect with moisture meters, confirm it's genuinely rising damp, and rule out condensation or lateral damp.
We inject a new DPC into the mortar course — a water-repellent barrier that stops moisture rising, without removing bricks.
We strip salt-damaged plaster and apply a salt-retarding render so the damage doesn't return through the new surface.
We make good the wall and back the work with a 2-year warranty. If it's needed, we'll advise on subfloor ventilation too.
Our services
A new damp-proof course injected into the wall to permanently stop rising damp.
Learn more →Fans and vents to dry out the subfloor of Queenslanders on brick piers.
Learn more →Removing hygroscopic salts and re-rendering so the damage doesn't creep back.
Learn more →Fixing damp bridging from garden beds, paths and retaining walls.
Learn more →Transparent pricing
Rising damp treatment is usually priced by the linear metre of affected wall, so the size of the problem drives the cost. As a 2026 guide across Australia: a specialist damp assessment typically runs $500–$1,500 (ours is free), a chemical damp-proof course from a few thousand dollars up to around $15,000 on larger double-brick homes, subfloor ventilation about $1,500–$5,000, and re-rendering salt-damaged plaster roughly $3,000–$10,000 per wall.
Most single-room Grange jobs land in the low-to-mid thousands
Your home may need only one of these or a combination — the only way to know for your home is a free call.
Indicative figures only — wall length, damp height and salt damage all change the price. We quote fixed, in writing, after the assessment.Common questions
Rising damp only affects ground-floor walls and peaks at a fairly even height — about a metre up — often with a salt tide-mark. Condensation usually shows higher and in corners or on cold surfaces; a leak is more localised. We confirm which one it is with moisture meters on site, because the three need completely different fixes.
That's one of the most common reasons Grange owners call us. A building inspector flags the problem but doesn't fix it. We come out, confirm the extent, and give you a written quote you can use to negotiate on the purchase or plan the repair. Send us a photo of the report finding and we'll talk you through it.
If it's treated properly — a correctly installed chemical DPC plus salt-retarding render — it shouldn't. The 2-year warranty covers the workmanship. Paint-overs and quick fixes are what come back, because they don't stop the moisture at the source.
Yes — that's the bulk of the work in Grange. Older Queenslanders often have no damp-proof course and poor subfloor airflow, so we frequently pair the DPC treatment with subfloor ventilation to keep the underfloor space dry.
Most residential jobs take one to a few days depending on wall length and how much plaster needs replacing. In most cases you can stay in the home; if a room needs to be closed off during treatment we'll let you know in advance.
Mostly the flats. The Pinnacle and upper-slope homes drain well, but the northern streets on the low Kedron Brook flats sit on alluvial, high-water-table ground that was hit in the record February 2022 flood. Century-old Queenslanders with low-set subfloors there carry the real rising-damp and subfloor-moisture risk. Check your address on Council's Flood Awareness Map.
Yes — the classic timber Queenslanders on the Kedron Brook flats, with aged brick pier and stump footings and low-set enclosed subfloors, are prime rising-damp candidates. We usually pair subfloor ventilation with a chemical DPC to dry the under-house space and stop the moisture rising.
Yes — the work is carried out by QBCC-licensed damp and waterproofing specialists, fully insured, to Australian standards.
Tell us what you're seeing — or what your building report said — and we'll arrange a no-obligation on-site inspection and written quote.
We connect you with QBCC-licensed damp specialists servicing Grange. No obligation. The specialist's assessment fee is $450 plus GST. That includes up to two hours on site diagnosis, that may include camera inspection of the stormwater drains.
Nearby areas
Rising Damp