Causes of rising damp in homes

About rising damp

Rising damp is often misdiagnosed in houses and buildings. Rising damp can cause many serious problems to destroy the structure of your house if it is not treated well or left untreated. It also harms other resources and impacts the health of people living in the house. The best way to deal with rising damp is that you need to have a proper damp survey conducted.

Rising damp (or "salt-damp" as it is often called) occurs on the bases of walls. Rising damp is caused by moisture rising up through porous building materials like bricks and will cause damp walls, mould and structural damage over time. Rising damp occurs where the ground level around the house has been elevated, perhaps by a new path, flowerbed, patio or driveway. Water from the ground containing soluble salts permeates brick, stone and travels up the walls. When the wall dries out, the salts are left on the surface of the wall causing more moisture and permanent damp.

It is critical to treat the rising damp correctly once it is diagnosed because a bad treat can make the damage worse. Unfortunately, it is not a simple job like using a special paint to cover up the problem and hope that the problem will be solved.

The main causes of rising damp

If you are on the ground floor and you see the damp is at the bottom of the walls, it could be the result of damp proof course (DPC) being bridged resulting in rising damp.

1. Inadequate subfloor ventilation : lack of ventilation in the sub-floor results in a build up of humidity and means only minimal evaporation from the soil and base walls occurs.

2. Obstructions of the subfloor: any debris in the sub-floor can obstruct the flow of ventilation and may contribute to dampness by bridging the damp-course.

3. Poor drainage and/or damaged guttering and pipes : Water may be directed underneath your house if you have poor drainage and built up garden beds and sloping grounds. If storm water pipes, gutters, roofs or down pipes are damaged, this can cause excessive leaking which can also cause dampness problems.

Consequences of rising damp

As mentioned above, if you leave the rising damp untreated, it can cause many serious damages to your house's structure.

It leads to plaster and paint deterioration and damage to the outer appearance of buildings . Homes and other buildings with a timber ground floor may also suffer from problems associated with wood rot, odours and pest infestation . Moreover, moisture entering from sub floor spaces into the building may result in the growth of mould and mildew, posing health risks such as allergies, asthma, respiratory infections and sinus problems to occupants .

What you need to do to reduce and prevent rising damp

1. Detect rising damp: you need to have an expert to inspect your home.

2. Once any problem has been identified, take action as soon as possible and arrange for protection.

3. Improve site drainage and landscaping to deflect rainwater and underground water away from the house, particularly the walls.

4. The subfloor of the house is important, so you also need to improve your subfloor to reduce the increase of moisture.

5. Establish good maintenance and housekeeping. Fix the roof, leaking pipes and drains.

How to tackle rising damp

One way to reduce rising damp is install a well designed subfloor ventilation system because it extracts the moisture from beneath the floor and also prevents the causes which lead to the occurrence of rising damp.

One way to tackle consequences of rising damp is that Fans and ducts are used to extract the damp and musty air that cause the increase of moisture under the floor; thereby preventing the proliferation of mould and mildew. First the system removes the damp air from the underfloor. Then it forces fresh air into the space to replace the damp and musty air. Finally, (the most critical step) the system creates an air circulation pattern that has a drying effect. This is calculated based on air volume so the correct amount of circulation occurs.

To fix the damage caused by rising damp is unfortunately not an easy job. It would be advisable to get an expert to look at your home. Otherwise, You can potentially make the problem worse which can cost you more money in the future.

Doctor Damp underfloor ventilation for rising damp in homes

Doctor Damp has made homes and businesses healthy for more than 10 years working in this field. With the slogan "your damp is our problem", they take responsibility from their customers and help defeat the many symptoms of problems caused by damp. They diagnose, treat, and eliminate problems from damp such as rising damp and penetrating damp to protect homes and buildings and promote health and comfort to people living inside .

With well designed, supplied and installed ventilations systems, ventilation and dehumidification solutions for wardrobes, natural home cooling systems, ducted exhaust fans for bathrooms and much more, they will help you to address any kinds of problems form damp in your house.

Doctor Damp information:

Doctor Damp

Suite 1A Level 2, 802 Pacific Highway Gordon NSW 2082 Australia

Phone: 1300 557 687