No one wants a damp problem in their property, damp can cause a number of issues to do with the occupier’s health, as well as the structure of the building. Damp can be costly and time-consuming to fix but shouldn’t be overlooked as when it’s left untreated only becomes worse. Here is everything you need to know about rising damp including signs, causes and treatment for rising damp.

Signs of Rising Damp

Some of the most common signs of rising damp include;

• Salty tide marks
• Dark patches on walls that may be damp to the touch
• Attaining of wall coverings, peeling wallpaper and blistering paint
• Damp and musty smell
• Discolouration and fragmenting plastic
• Decaying timber (skirting boards, floorboards, floor joists)

Rising damp is often characterised by tide marks above the skirting boards, as the name suggests, rising damp starts from the floor and rises up through the wall.

If you notice any signs of rising damp, you may need to get treatment for rising damp.

Causes of Rising Damp

Most properties are made with some sort of protective barrier around the bottom of the property. This is to help prevent water seeping in and rising up through the property. This form of damp proofing can be achieved with the use of slate, bitumen and plastic. Which material a building has will depend on when the property was built and some older properties damp proofing may erode over time, some older properties may not even have these measure put in place to begin with.

Treatment for Rising Damp

When it comes to treatment for rising damp it is recommended to not try and deal with it yourself. With damp, it can be difficult to understand the full extent of the problem before it is tackled head-on. Not only can the extent of rising damp be a lot worse than you thought, there could also be harmful bacteria in the damp that may require specialist equipment to deal with safely.

Painting or wallpapering over rising damp will not help the problem but can, in fact, make it worse. Damp isn’t simply moisture on a wall, this moisture must come from somewhere, so getting a professional to determine the cause of the problem is essential for effectively dealing with the situation. If the route of the problem is not treated successfully the problem will just keep coming back, costing you more time and money.

Preventative Measures

After treatment for rising damp has been carried out, the affected area should then be damp proof. There are different types of ways of preventing damp, including;

Water Repellent Chemicals

These come in the form of either creams, gels or pastes that need to be injected into the wall cavity.

Pore Blocking Salt Mixture

This is a cement based mortar, which also needs to be injected into the wall cavity.

Osmotic Water Repellence

This can be passive or active and is done via embedded wires.