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Rising damp and structural water damage
Rising damp is the term used to describe water ingress that enters a building from ground level and travels upwards into the building, through porous building materials. Cellars and basements are key target areas.
In over 30 years of experience in dealing with rising damp issues, Forensic Plumbing has found the two most common problems which causes rising damp being:
- non-existent, inadequate or blocked stormwater drainage around your property
- building faults and defects which can also be due to the normal deterioration of building materials over time and the effects of the weather.
Water proofing is included in most new builds but this was not always the case with older ones. Water proofing breaks down over several years and eventually needs replacing. Properties over 10-20 years old are particularly at risk of rising damp. As water proofing fails overtime, damage occurs to lower wall areas of your building.
Generally rising damp is first noticed by the damage it causes to the internal walls of a building. Plaster and paint can deteriorate and any wallpaper tends to loosen. A visible stain often appears on the wall in the form of a tide mark at the point where the ground water has reached.
Is there white calcification evident on your brick work?
Rising Damp is a lot more common then you think. If left unaddressed, rising damp can compromise the structural integrity of your property, as well as your health. Not only can it cause steel to rust and fungi to attack wood, the growth of mould and mildew can aggravate or cause respiratory problems such as asthma.
As brick and stone are naturally porous, the moisture will inevitably soak into the porous materials over a period of time. The process comes when heat draws up moisture that then carries soluble salts. When rising damp is left untreated, a high quantity of salt will naturally develop within a building’s structure which will then form a salt band. How high the subsequent dampness rises will depend on several factors that include how porous the brick or stone is and the rate of evaporation.
Locating rising damp
The problem with spotting rising damp is that you often can’t until they have a presence in your homes. Signs of rising damp can be subtle such as changes in the colour of wood or water tide marks on walls. But if the leak is somewhere out of sight, such as under floorboards, it can be tricky. All fungi needs high moisture levels, with wet rot needing more than dry rot. Wet rot effects timbers and can lead to structural damage to wood, whilst dry rot is far more serious and can spread to other areas of the building, very quickly causing serious damage.
If you think your home has rising damp, it is very important to get one of Forensic Plumbing's expert water specialists to diagnose the problem as quickly as possible. We will find if any problems are present and provide a solution for how to eradicate them.
If you think your home has rising damp, it is very important to get one of Forensic Plumbing's expert water specialists to diagnose the problem as quickly as possible. We will find if any problems are present and provide a solution for how to eradicate them.
