What is rising damp and how to tackle it?

Rising damp overview

Rising damp or salt damp as it is often called is very common. However, this issue is often misdiagnosed. The house will get serious damage if it is not treated well or left untreated. This can also cause damage to other resources and people living within 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. It moves upwards vertically through the walls and materials that contact with the ground. 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 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.

When rising damp is diagnosed, it is vital to treat correctly; failure to do so can make the damage more severe. It is insufficient to simply cover up the problem with paint and hope that the problem will be solved.

Causes

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. The degradation of subfloor: normally, once the subfloor is not vented well results in a build up of moisture causing the chance for rising damp 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 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.

The negative effects 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 can destroy your plaster and paint and causes damage to the building's structure and appearance. 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. After rising damp has been identified, you need to fix the damage as soon as possible.

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

4. Improve under-floor ventilation, if possible. This will reduce the moisture reaching the walls.

5. Some other things you also need to do are fixing the roof, fixing the drains or fixing the pipes if they are leaking.

How to tackle rising damp

A well designed and installed subfloor ventilation system can reduce rising damp from underfloor spaces 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 deal with rising damp is that 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 . Basically, the system first removes the damp and musty air from the under floor, then blows fresh air to replace the extracted 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