DampTech Damp Cure Expert

How To Fix Rising Damp

Rising damp can significantly affect the integrity and value of a property and superficial treatments such as repainting, coating, or cleaning the surface won't make it go away.

Rising damp is caused by capillary suction of the fine pores or voids that occur in all masonry materials. The capillaries draw water from the soils beneath a building against the force of gravity, leading to damp zones at the base of walls. Rising damp may show as a high tide like stain on wallpaper and other interior finishes. More severe evidence can be seen, as blistering of paint and loss of plaster or render. Externally, a damp zone may be evident at the base of walls with associated fretting and crumbling of masonry as well as salt deposits.

It’s vitally important that rising damp is treated soon after it is detected. By allowing rising damp to continue, the likelihood of irreversible damage increases and more of the structure is affected as the damp continues to rise, spread, and deposit further salts. Rising damp can cause a number of problems for both commercial and residential buildings that are made from masonry materials. It can significantly affect the integrity and value of a property – and repainting, coating, or cleaning the surface won’t make rising damp go away.

Identify + Cure

The first part of the rising damp treatment is to identify the problem. The presence of rising damp is not always obvious as it begins below the floor level.The only way to cure rising damp is to create a new damp-proofing course to prevent moisture movement through the masonry wall.

Signs to look out for that signify you may have an issue with rising damp include:

• Damp patches above skirting boards.

• A ‘tide line’ on the walls left by rising water.

• White salt marks or salt deposits.

• Paint blotching.

• Wallpaper peeling, bubbling or crackling.

• Decay in skirting boards.

• Rotting smell - rising damp will rot

  timber structures.