Author: Lisa Kinghorn

Our industry sometimes comes under attack with attempts to discredit many companies selling and installing damp proofing treatments or products. This is understandable because the problem of structural damp has many causes, some of which can be interrelated. This means that the reasons for damp being evident can be easily misdiagnosed and the wrong method of management recommended.

You may have even heard some say that “true rising damp is a myth”. This statement is often attributed to Stephen Boniface, who was a former chairman of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

However, he clarified this statement later in a post made on the Surveying Property website saying;

“Whilst I have often been quoted as stating ‘rising damp is a myth’ the only time I have ever said that phrase (or similar) is once when delivering a paper at a conference and then using the intake of breath as a cue to then develop the argument further and explore the issue of damp. In other words, I used the phrase provocatively (it usually worked).”

In many situations, it is clear that the signs of damp such as rotting skirting boards, stained walls, blistering paper or paintwork, black mould, rotting floor boards or the unpleasant odour are caused by moisture finding its way into your walls. If this water is rising from the ground then rising damp is what you have to deal with.

Damp Proofing Methods

The options you have to consider are:

• Replacement of a physical damp proof course
• Land drainage
• Injection of chemical damp proof course
• Damp-proofing rods
• Electrical-osmotic systems
• Natural evaporative system

The first two options are often impractical or impossible, the second two involve the use of harsh chemicals and usually require lots of disruptive and expensive internal re-plastering and decorating work. Electrical systems have little evidence to support them.

Environmentally-friendly damp control

Natural evaporation is the principal of the Frank Schrijver System and offers the most straightforward installation, entirely fitted from the outside of your home, no fuss or mess inside. No wiring, no chemicals, no plastering, environmentally friendly and guaranteed for life. The system simply facilitates and augments natural evaporation leaving your walls dryer, permanently.

See how it works

No ‘snake oil’ or ‘smoke and mirrors’. The Frank Schrijver System uses a natural evaporative process, for more explanation take a look at how our system works. For further reassurance take look at our scientific test to measure results in Proven Research.

The Damp Specialists

The first step is to have your damp problem assessed by a damp specialist. Your Frank Schrijver Damp Specialist will only recommend the system if it is appropriate, we value our reputation and have installed in over 25,000 properties.

Want to find out more about how Frank Schrijver can help you with your damp problems?

Please call us on 01689 800101 and ask to speak to a Damp Specialist.

Check out our 9.64/10 rating on Checkatrade

Penetrating damp, or rain penetration as it can be referred to happens when water finds its way inside a property from the outside. This might be through walls, windows or doors although roof defects can also be a cause. Penetrating damp is more likely to occur in older properties as well as those by the sea or open to the elements.

It’s important to identify penetrating damp and any defects swiftly as it can lead to bigger problems such as a dry rot infestation. Damp can also cause respiratory problems particularly in the young and the elderly. Here are ten ways to identify if your property has penetrating damp:

• 1. Musty smells with black mould or mildew on walls or skirting boards.
• 2. Damp patches or water drips on walls, ceilings and floors, especially those that worsen in heavy rain. This includes on the upper floors (rising damp only affects lower levels).
• 3. Cold rooms.
• 4. Blistered, disintegrating or stained plaster.
• 5. Rotting floors or skirting boards – a sign of wet rot.
• 6. Faulty joints between windows and walls and badly fitted door frames.
• 7. Defective plumbing issues or burst water pipes.
• 
• 8. Brickwork, render or pointing decay; especially in older properties.
• 
• 9. Broken guttering or leaky rainwater pipes.
• 10. A leaking roof or broken roof tiles.

When you identify penetrating damp in your property and the causes too, you will ensure the problem can be treated effectively and in the right way. Damp issues are normally eliminated, with a barrier between the damp and the wall, although damp specialists Frank Schrijver has a chemical-free eco-friendly solution using natural ventilation – the Schrijver System.

Guaranteed for life, it’s the greener option to traditional methods.

No additional decorating is required as all the work is undertaken outdoors. A series of small, handmade elements are fixed to the outside wall of your property – just above skirting board level. Essentially the system works as dry air flows constantly from the outside into the handmade elements through an opening. This causes moisture from the wall interior to be deposited within the element, therefore, taking it outside. This results in lower humidity levels and continuous protection.

For further information about damp, or a no obligation quote, contact Frank Schrijver on 01689 800101</span.

Certainly, the simplest way to find out whether you’ve got rising damp is to use your hands. Feel the wall. If the wallpaper has a ‘crunching’ sound, this will be the sound of the salts that have seeped up from the ground. If you’re looking at the actual exposed brickwork, check to see if the wall is wet and if any salts are forming there. If rising damp is an issue, it has the potential to have a disastrous effect on your property. Certainly, the longer that you leave rising damp untreated, the costlier it could potentially be both from a financial and building work perspective.

If you’ve noticed a tideline mark on your walls that looks like it’s rising up from the ground level, whether inside or outside, it’s a probable indication that you’ve got a problem with rising damp at your property. It may be however that you’ve spotted a powdery substance on your walls. Another sign could be on your skirting boards. Maybe you’ve noticed that they’re starting to deteriorate. There may be patches of mould growing. All of these could be signs of an issue with moisture that’s getting into your walls from the ground upwards.

So what is rising damp?

In its simplest terms, rising damp is where groundwater manages to seep upwards into the concrete, up into the walls and floors. Bricks and mortar are particularly porous, so basically they draw water up just like a sponge. With the moisture that comes from the groundwater, this also brings salts and other impurities. And certainly, all of these can have a major detrimental effect if not treated.

A traditional solution for rising damp is to fit chemical damp proofing – more as a preventative, proactive approach. This normally involves holes being drilled into walls, with a silicone damp proofing solution injected into the holes, followed by re-plastering and not to mention hacking at the existing plaster work. All with the hope that it will reduce the amount of liquid flowing through to your walls or floors.

An original damp course, or alternatively fitting a horizontal slate damp proof course, can be a preventative option to combatting rising damp. The horizontal slate damp proof course is actually a process that’s been happening since the Roman times. However, it doesn’t have a massively long life span and can struggle when it comes to the wall expanding and contracting due to moisture collection. And certainly, if the course hasn’t been fitted or positioned properly, it’s more liable to fail. Plus, if you don’t have a guarantee in place, you’re likely to have to arrange costly upkeep to maintain the damp course.

Rising Damp Solution

If you’re looking for a tried and tested alternative to create a horizontal barrier that’s great for the environment as well as your home, the Schrijver system allows your brickwork to become ventilated, so that moisture is able to evaporate naturally. By not using any chemical solutions, the Schrijver system is an eco-friendly permanent option that is guaranteed for life. By removing any moisture naturally, it gives you a lot greener and more cost-effective option. And not only that, the installation won’t have any impact on the interior of your home either.?

During the autumn and winter months, hanging your laundry outside isn’t always practical.

It doesn’t get light until later in the morning and the sun goes down much earlier. On the shortest winter’s day the sun rises after 8am and sets before 4pm. That’s less than 8 hours of daylight.

On a working day this means hanging out your washing and retrieving it in the dark. What’s more, autumn and winter days are also much colder and wetter. These aren’t exactly the right conditions for having that shirt ready for work tomorrow.

So, what’s the alternative?

Drying your Clothes Indoors

If you can’t accomplish it outdoors then you’ll have to dry your clothes indoors.

At first it might seem like a good idea. You can’t dry them outside, so dry them inside. It’s drier, it’s warmer and it’s cheaper and more environmentally-friendly than switching on the tumble drier.

But think again.

Wet clothes in the home can increase the damp in your property by around 30%. By increasing the moisture levels in your home you’ll be adding to your damp problem.

You could also be creating the perfect environment for black mould. It is well known that the spores of stachybotrys chartarum can be a serious health hazard, particularly for children, pregnant women and the elderly.

As well as posing a health risk, you’ll have increased condensation in your home. You’ll have damp patches on your walls, condensation on your windows and black mould on your window frames.

And yet, despite all these negatives, over 80% of people in the UK still dry their clothes indoors. A single load of clothes can contain as much as 2 litres of water, so that’s a lot of damp!

Reducing the Moisture in Your Home

If you absolutely must dry your clothes indoors, there are a number of things you can do to mitigate the risks of having condensation.

• Open a window. This is the easiest thing you can do to let out the extra moisture. Open a single window in the room where you are drying your clothes and let the natural ventilation do its job.
• Buy yourself a dehumidifier. These can be relatively cheap compared to a tumble dryer and will draw the water droplets from the air. You will still have to empty the water collector.
• Get a tumble dryer. It will cost you a lot more than simply opening a window and is more expensive than a dehumidifier but at least you’ll be sending all that extra moisture outside. And your clothers will be drier quicker too.
• Install extractor fans. Whilst relatively cheap to buy, an extractor fan kit will need to be fitted by an expert. Usually installed in the kitchen, bathroom or a cloakroom (downstairs toilet), turn on your extractor fan whilst you’re drying your load.

So, with all these potential options, there should be something you can do to avoid drying your clothes at home in a manner that will cause damp in your home.

If you are still having damp problems then it might well be worth giving us a call so that one of our experts can conduct a damp survey.

At Frank Schrijver we are damp experts and the Schrijver system of damp control is a green alternative to chemical-heavy methods of damp proofing.

Give us a call on 01689 800101 or drop us an email at info@damp.co.uk