Rising Damp

Rising dampness is moisture that is soaking up a wall or floor from below the ground.

Moisture will travel upwards against gravity through porous material via a process called ‘capillary’.

Capillary penetration of moisture from the ground up through concrete, floor or masonry is known as "rising damp" and is determined by the shape and porosity of the construction materials through which this penetration takes place.

Rising damp will spread upwards and laterally.

Left unprotected, rising damp will rarely reach a height of more than 1.20m.

Most Common Cases

Bridging of existing damp proof course ( ex: patio installed over damp proof course)
No damp proof course in the property.
Water leak under floor.
Problems can arise when houses originally built with a damp proof course have been modified. This could be a raised patio has been installed and therefore breaching the damp proof course or the floor ventilation has been reduced or blocked.

How does rising damp affect the building

The destruction process typically starts with the paint
stains, tide mark, salt deposits, flaking, blistering, peeling,

Then if left untreated will start destroying the plaster
Initially sandy on the surface, then starts crumbling, becoming powdery),

In the final stage will damage the brick- or stonework

Resulting in broken or cracked bricks, soft bricks, missing stones etc.

Rising damp can also result in the decaying of skirting boards / timber flooring.

Two lines of defence to prevent rising damp are

Effective damp proof course installation
Adequately ventilated timber suspended ground floors

For more information on rising damp in buildings visit the Property Care Association website: www.property-care.org

Thanet Timber and Damp Ltd is a member of the Property Care Association (PCA).

Our surveyor is qualified C.S.R.T and will identify the cause of dampness; our survey report will contain recommendations for remedial treatment.

Our qualified team will be able to carry out:

Damp proofing treatment:

Installation of new chemical damp proof course.
Installation of damp proofing membrane / render / cementitious compound.

Dry / wet rot treatment:

To remedy cases of Dry Rot, we identify the underlying cause, carry out all necessary repair work.
Remove affected timber
Carry out specialised treatments
Re-instatement work

Woodboring beetle treatment:

Identification of the type of infestation
Treatment of all infected timber
Repair or replace any badly-damaged timber

We provide spray treatments to eradicate all wood-boring beetles. Mainly loft spaces - rafters, joists and purloins - and floor joists and floorboards.

We offer a 20 years company guarantee on Damp and Timber Treatment.

Call us on 01843 280812 or email us at enquiries@ttdamp.com to book a survey.

Rising Damp

Most Common Cases

How does rising damp affect the building

Two lines of defence to prevent rising damp are

Areas We Cover