Rising Damp

Rising damp is moisture that rises through the structure of a building due to capillary action.

It can occur for several reasons:

• The building could have been constructed without the installation of a damp proof course (DPC)
• The failure of an existing DPC
• The existing DPC being bridged, perhaps due to the incorrect application of exterior render or bridging by internal plasterwork
• The external ground level or internal floor level may have been raised or laid incorrectly during the original construction
• Brick, stone and mortar are all porous to varying degrees. This porosity can allow moisture to rise from the ground by capillary action bringing with it ground salts such as sulphates, chlorides and nitrates. These salts are hygroscopic and absorb moisture from the atmosphere and can be left trapped in internal plasterwork as water evaporates.

Any one of these signs could mean that you have a rising damp problem:

• Peeling Wallpaper
• Stained Walls
• Rotten Skirting Boards
• Salty Brickwork
• Musty Smells

Often however thick wallpapers, timber cladding and dry linings can hide problems with rising dampness meaning there are no visual symptoms 

The two main methods for controlling rising damp are:

• Chemical Injection (a concentrated thixotropic silane /siloxane ‘cream’)
• Physical replacement - Removal of bricks and insertion of a barrier

In many cases, once the rising damp is being controlled, the affected interior walls will require re-plastering using dry lining systems, traditional plasters with integral water proofers and salt inhibiters, or membrane installation with plaster over.

At Bar Preservation, our surveyors and technicians are familiar with all sources damp and their control.

BAR Preservation personnel are fully trained and have experience in providing bespoke remedial repairs to properties suffering from dampness. We will give accurate descriptions of issues and a breakdown of costs within our initial survey and on completion of the works specified we will issue a long term company guarantee for the treatment of rising damp. For added peace of mind, for an additional ‘one off’ premium a separate Insurance Backed Guarantee (IBG) can be arranged.