Causes, Effects and Treatment Method of Rising Damp

Rising damp causes devaluation to the property as well as hampers the health. So, the ideal rising damp solution treatment is damp-proofing or damp-coursing.

In no time can any area in your newly bought home bring you a shock. After appointing the building and pest inspection services, when the shock is finally revealed that rising damp is present, then waste no time in hiring the professionals to treat as the solution.

When moisture from under the house starts to get into the internal walls, then it is an instance of rising damp. But on entering a home, if you get a musty odour, then it is a tell-tale sign of rising damp. Rising damp affects older buildings in high proportion to a certain degree. The newer buildings, unfortunately, undergo the same and need quick rising damp solutions, since they are improperly constructed.

Brick houses and older homes with poor underfloor ventilation are the main preys of rising damp. In these buildings, it is easier for moisture to find a way from the soil to the home's structure and create damp conditions which allow the thriving of the moulds. Drawing up salt from the ground, moisture crystallizes the salt in the bricks thereby causing plaster flaking and paints to blister.

In several cases, it is called efflorescence. Rising damp can erode the masonry and damage it significantly if left unchecked.

What Are the Causes of Rising Damp?

The houses were built with a damp-proof course in between the walls and the foundations to prevent moisture absorption. Alternatively, the damp-proof course in the older homes is often damaged, and in some homes, there are no installation signs at all. This is how the groundwater is encouraged to rise up through the building’s brick and mortar through the capillary action process.

Now how high will the water rise be determined by the factors like original damp-proof course efficiency, water supply volume, humidity and evaporative conditions over the wall surface.

How Do the Rising Damp Affect the Buildings?

Due to rising damp, the building starts to develop problems with aesthetics, structure and also health.

i. Aesthetic Problems

Causing the musty smell, peeling, cracking and ripping apart of paint and plasters, the rising damp creates watermarks showing where the water rose along the walls. Also, it leaves white salt deposits or efflorescence that look unsightly on the floors, ceilings, and walls.

ii. Structural Problems

Entering the timber structures and striking boards, rising damp cause rotting. Even rising water deposits salt in the building structures causing corrosion and integrity deterioration through the salt attack phenomenon. Repainting, coating or cleaning the surface will not cause the corrosion to fade. The rising damp evidence will be turning the potential buyers down, thus devaluing the property.

iii. Health Problems

Mould, mildew, and related microorganisms thriving in wet and damp environments are harmful to the health of the occupants. Rising damp aggravates asthma and allergies. But if it is left untreated, then the property owners will be exposed to legal action.

As per some federal and local building regulations, the buildings should receive regular checkups and inspections for their safety and ensure the location is secured for working and living in. Non-compliance is sure to lead to hefty fines and more legal issues.

What is the Treatment For Rising Damp?

A house with unwanted moisture is subjected to a lot of problems. A little spot if allowed to stay for a longer time, then it will grow bigger and become a concern. Damp-proofing or damp coursing is the treatment solution for the rising damp, where the plaster damping the walls are stripped off and a line of holes is drilled along the wall at the base level where a silicone solution is injected into the wall that penetrates for creating a permanent barrier in the wall. Next, the walls are re-plastered by using a salt retardant render.

Diagnosing the damp source and scale and its related problems is much tricky and so securing a quote is not that easier. As assessed by the damp proofing professionals, they check the entire home from the terrace top to the foundation. The cost is based on the degree of inspection and the amount of damp to be treated.