Rising Damp

Rising damp is an issue that has the potential to affect any building. It is a particular problem in older houses where the original rising damp treatment (or damp proof course) has become damaged or where the ground level around a property has been raised with the addition of a new path or drive way.

 

Over time, water from the ground works its ways through the brick work, stone work or through the softer mortar that holds the brick work together.  This ground water often contains soluble salts which are deposited on the surfaces of the walls as they dry out.  In turn, these salts draw moisture from the atmosphere giving a permanent damp feeling to the wall and producing one of the key indicators to help identify rising damp.

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Causes Of Rising Damp

Rising damp is caused by ground water moving up through a wall. Most walls allow some water in, but it’s usually stopped from causing damage by a barrier called a damp-proof course. This is usually a horizontal plastic or slate strip in the wall. If this is missing or ineffectual, your wall may suffer from rising damp. This type of damp can also happen when the level of the ground outside your home is higher than your damp-proof course, allowing water to get above it.

Controlling And Treating

We offer convenient and cost effective solutions for treating rising damp:

  • FREE SURVEYS to diagnose specific causes of the rising damp.
  • Tailored solutions to control the rising damp.

Common Signs Of Damp

If you have rising damp you may notice damaged skirting boards and floorboards, crumbling or salt stained plaster and peeling paint and wallpaper. There may also be a tide mark along the wall.

Practically all buildings are surrounded by natural moisture that is trying to get into the dry structure of the building. Materials such as stone and brick are naturally porous and will soak up moisture like a sponge without the aid of a damp proof membrane.

When a building is constructed, a preventative course of rising damp treatment is generally installed in the form of a damp proof course into the walls to prevent rising damp appearing however, when this treatment does not exist or becomes damaged the most common result is rising damp.