Rising Damp

With structural damp, there are three main types:

  1. Condensation
  2. Penetrating damp
  3. Rising damp

Condensation usually occurs when the moisture in the property, e.g. the humidity and vapour from hot showers & baths or drying your washing, is coupled with a lack of ventilation i.e. you are not opening windows, there is a lack of an extractor fan etc.

Penetrating damp may be due to a leaking roof, missing roof tiles, poorly maintained or damaged plumbing or some other structural defect where water soaks into the structure.

Causes of Rising Damp

Rising damp, however, is caused by a building’s structure soaking up groundwater in a capillary action. Porous building materials draw the moisture upwards and into the walls, thus the term rising damp. Whether the fabric of the building is brick, block or stone, rising damp can be present in all these types of build.

Excess groundwater can be caused by leaks, poor drainage or a broken, damaged or inadequately installed damp proof course (DPC) or membrane.

To guard against such water ingress, the first steps for remedial treatment should be to ensure that there is adequate drainage of the offending groundwater source.

Once this has been rectified then the next course of defence is the DPC. This is where a non-porous material is present in the structure, preventing water from ingressing further. Usually, this is a slate layer in older properties or an “engineering brick” or synthetic layer about 6 inches above the ground level course.

Where the DPC is either not present or not working then the rising damp can reach over a meter into your structure, damaging the outside of your walls and even causing issues on the inside of your home or property.

The signs of rising damp are often damp and damaged skirting boards, black mould, peeling wallpaper, bubbled plasterwork, a musty smell and all of this emanating from the floor of your property. The damage is not just unsightly and unhealthy but can be costly too.

Rising Damp Solutions

If all the methods of remediation have been tried to prevent rising damp and the problem persists, then there is a solution. Chemical injection treatments are not environmentally-friendly but the Frank Schrijver System of Damp Control uses an innovative method to naturally draw moisture out of your walls.

For further information, read more about Schrijver’s rising damp solutions and treatment.