Rising damp
Rising damp is often misdiagnosed in houses and buildings. It can cause serious damage to your house's structure if it is left untreated. It also harms other resources and impacts the health of people living in the house. If your house has rising damp, you need to have a proper damp survey conducted.
Usually, bases of walls are places where rising damp or salt-damp occurs. 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 might occur when you elevate the ground level around the house , perhaps by a new path, flowerbed, patio or driveway. Water from the ground permeates brick, stone, mortar and travels up the walls. The ground water contains soluble salts which are deposited on the surfaces of the wall as they dry out, attracting more moisture which makes the walls feel permanently 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.
Causes
1. The degradation of subfloor: 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. Sub-floor obstructions: 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 : 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
Rising damp can cause serious structural problems to your property if left untreated.
It can destroy your plaster and paint and causes damage to the building's structure and appearance. For homes with timber ground floors, it causes wood rot, odours and pest infestation. Furthermore, moisture infiltrating from subfloor spaces and entering into the house can lead to the increase of mould and mildew which are harmful to the health of people living within the house such as allergies, asthma, respiratory infections and sinus problems.
Two steps you can do to minimise rising damp to your home
1. Have an expert come to inspect your wall moisture levels using a moisture meter. This will detect rising damp.
2. After rising damp has been identified, you need to fix the damage as soon as possible.
How is rising damp treated?
A well designed and installed subfloor ventilation system can reduce rising damp from underfloor spaces because excess moisture is extracted from the subfloor spaces and out of the home reducing the chance of rising damp occurring .
By using fans and ducts to extract damp air, the amount of moisture accumulating under the floor will be reduced preventing the build up of mould and unwanted odours . 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.
It is unfortunately not simple to fix the damage causing by rising damp . It would be advisable to get an expert to look at your home. Otherwise, you just temporarily fix the problem and it will cost you more money to fix it again and again in the future .
Doctor Damp Ventilation
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. By diagnosing, treating and eliminating the problems arising from damp such as rising damp and penetrating damp, they help to protect many homes and buildings as well as promote health and comfort to people living inside.
They design, supply and install subfloor and underfloor ventilation systems, ducted exhaust fans for bathrooms, clothes dryer exhaust vents for laundries, ventilation and dehumidification solutions for wardrobes, natural home cooling systems and much more. So they can help you to tackle any problems causing from any kinds of damp in your house .
Doctor Damp information:
Doctor Damp
Suite 1A Level 2, 802 Pacific Highway Gordon NSW 2082 Australia
Phone: 1300 557 687
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