WHAT IS RISING DAMP?

Rising damp is the upward movement of moisture through permeable structure of a building through capillary action. The severity of rising damp is determined by the level of underground water, the porosity of the materials used to build the structure and the rate at which the moisture evaporates.

 This type of damp is found at the bottom sections of the walls and floors. If not done properly, floors can also be affected by rising damp and in some instances can lead to the lifting of floor tiles. 

Rising damp can occur because: 

a)     The damp proofing course (DPC) was erroneously omitted during the building process

b)     The DPC was damaged during the building process

c)     The DPC was wrongly installed

d)     DPCs such as melthoid deteriorate with age and therefore will reach at a stage when it is no longer working.

Although in most instances rising damp does not exceed a height of 1.2 meters from the floor due to force of gravity, there are rare

cases when it can exceed that height.

 Rising damp can be characterised by: 

a)     A yellowish mark that can stretch at the bottom of the walls.

b)     Rotten skirtings, rusting nails and metal door and window frames.

c)     Hygroscopic salts forming on the grout on a tiled wall or floor.

RISING DAMP TREATMENT

Rising damp is treated by removing the contaminated plaster exposing the bricks, drilling and injecting dryzone cream to stop moisture from further rising up the walls. It is an effective way of replacing the damp proofing course.

Waterproofing slurry will be used onto the exposed bricks to stop the existing moisture from coming through again.

WHAT IS PENETRATING DAMP?

This is also a common form of damp and there are many factors which can contribute to its presence. Penetrating damp can be found on any part of the walls and ceilings as long as there is ingress from the outside, the top and the reverse side of the walls. Penetrating damp is mainly characterised by dark patches which appear during or after raining. It can affect the entire wall from top to bottom.

The common causes of penetrating damp are:

a)     Water ingress from cracks on the outside walls.

b)     Water ingress from windows and doors which are not sealed at all, poorly sealed or the frames themselves letting in water.

c)     Expansion joints which may not be sealed or not properly sealed letting in water.

d)     Unplastered outside walls with porous bricks.

e)     Areas on the outside such as leaking balconies, decks, chimneys, flashings and parapets, valleys, roof ridges, broken tiles, metal roof sheets which are rusted through, gutters, in some instances weep hole and air vents.

This is not an exhaustive list of areas through which water can leak into the property.  Leaking showers, water pipes and drain pipes.

PENETRATING DAMP TREATMENT

Penetrating damp can be treated by chipping off the affected plaster to expose the bricks and applying waterproofing slurry and

replastering the walls. The source of the damp will need to be fixed in order to stop water ingress

WATERPROOFING

We do waterproofing of shower, balconies, decks, skylights, parapets and flashings, chimneys and valleys. We also do the

replacement of old roof sheets.

WATERPROOFING BALCONIES & DECKS

We do the waterproofing of new and old balconies and decks. Leaking balconies and decks can cause serious damage to properties. In most cases, they leak on the edges. All new balconies need to be waterproofed. Once a deck or balcony starts to leak, they may require la different approach depending on the assessment made. Fixing leaking balconies can be very

expensive and therefore it is very important to waterproof them correctly the first time..

SHOWERS

Showers can also cause damp problems when leaking. Before

tiling new showers, there is need to waterproof the shower walls and floor. There is also need to use waterproof grout on the walls and floor. Showers mostly leak on the shower trap, shower mixer, where the shower head attaches. Cracked tiles, porous grout and tiles can also lead to the leaking of a shower.

TILING & PAINTING

We also do tiling work whether it is a new project or there is remedial work that needs to be done. After the damp treatment process, we complete the project by offering painting services giving the areas a new fresh look.