How to spot a Rising Damp issue in your home
Have you noticed a small patch of damp on your walls or floor or stained or perished wall plaster? Or maybe you can’t remove that damp musty smell in a room? These are signs of a rising damp problem, and if left untreated, it may lead to mould growth and damage timber structures in your home. If you are in doubt about the presence of rising dampness within your property, Preservit Ltd. can help. We will perform a thorough rising damp survey to examine your property and identify the source of rising damp and use a suitable damp proofing solution to remove the problem.
What is Rising Damp?
The term ‘rising damp’ is used to refer to rising dampness that starts at the bottom of the wall and moves upwards. Buildings that are constructed using porous materials, such as bricks and sandstone, are more likely to be affected by a rising damp issue.
What Causes Rising Damp?
This most commonly occurs as a result of ground water entering into walls through pores in brickwork or stonework. Buildings with a damaged damp proof membrane are most likely to be affected.
Typical signs of a rising damp problem include:
- Discoloured or crumbling walls
- Peeling paint or wallpaper
- Decay of timber floors
- Damp musty odour
Contrary to popular belief, rising damp is not as common as contractors would have you believe. This problem typically occurs in foundations that extend beneath the ground water table. Water can rise up through the structure via a process that is referred to as ‘Capillarity’. The factors that effect the amount of moisture absorbed and the height that is impacted can be categorised into three groups.
Capacity
The capacity of the wall material that the rising damp effects.
Water Level
The level of water on the ground.
Evaporation
The volume of moisture that evaporates.
During the process, water rises upwards, through the wall and eventually makes contact with the ‘physical barrier’ … Most modern buildings are designed to include a DPC (damp proof course) which is a layer of Bitumen, plastic or slate that is built into the external walls slightly above the ground level. The damp proof course stops the damp rising within the wall – so if a DPC is not present, the water will continuously seep upwards to an average maximum of 1.5 metres (however, this can sometimes be exceeded).
A typical scenario where rising damp becomes problematic is when the the existing damp proof course ‘bridges’. Damp proof courses have been mandatory for building regulations for well over a century (due to the public health act of 1875) … but unfortunately, that does not mean that every property constructed since this time contains one! Old buildings (such as properties with brick or solid stone external walls) will not necessarily have a damp proof course, these types of structures are obviously at a much higher risk of rising damp. If you suspect that this may be a problem, a full, professional inspection would need to be carried out to determine the cause of the dampness.
How to Treat Rising Damp
To deal with this problem, one must first determine if the building has a damp proof membrane and damp proof course that can keep ground water from soaking into walls. Old buildings that were constructed before 1875 usually lack a damp proof course. If you live in a modern home, you may experience rising damp due to damage to damp proof membrane.
To fix a damp proofing problem, you will have to replace the contaminated plaster, inject a new damp proof course, and re-plaster the internal wall using a material with salt-inhibiting and waterproofing additives to prevent ground water from entering into your walls.
Talk to a Damp Proofing Specialist
This is one of the trickiest types of damp problems to deal with. Therefore, it is important to hire a professional who can conduct a thorough rising damp survey, identify the root cause, and employ suitable damp proofing methods to fix the problem.
At Preservit Ltd., we have been providing specialised rising damp treatment services for more than 40 years. Our team of professionals have the experience, skill, and tools required to treat a rising damp problem in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Unlike other companies, we not only focus on fixing the issue, but also use specialised damp proofing techniques to prevent reoccurrence of the problem.
By choosing Preservit Ltd., you can rest assured that your damp problem will be taken care of in the most professional manner. In addition, with offer a 20-year guarantee on our damp proofing treatment services, so you can have peace of mind knowing that the problem won’t arise again!
Do you suspect that you have a damp issue?
Call us at 01902 742461 to schedule a professional rising damp survey and get your property examined by one of our experts today!
Preservit are damp proofing experts in the West Midlands, Staffordshire and Birmingham area.
