Rising damp is a serious problem that can cause costly damage to a property if left untreated. Luckily, it’s not a problem that homeowners have to deal with often, but it’s still important to ensure that your home is protected against the most common causes of rising damp.
Rising damp can affect both internal and external walls, with internal walls being particularly prone to damage. In this article, the experts at Danford, Brewer & Ives explain how to stop rising damp on internal walls.
What Is Rising Damp?
Rising damp is a flow of vertical water that rapidly spreads from ground level, upwards. It’s one of the three common forms of damp that can affect a property (the other two being penetrating damp and condensation).
Water can work its way through brick walls and masonry, before spreading through a property’s internal walls. Learning how to stop rising damp on internal walls is important, as it can rapidly move through a home using capillary action.
If you notice any of the following signs on your internal walls, you could have a rising damp problem:
- Tide marks on internal walls
- Damp patches on internal walls
- Peeling wallpaper or paint
- Rotting skirting boards, door frames or window frames
- Mould or other fungal growths
- Musty smells
- Corroded bricks
- Discoloured external walls
If you are worried about rising damp on internal walls, it’s a good idea to have a damp specialist carry out a survey. They’ll be able to identify the type of damp and its cause, before recommending a solution.
How to Stop Rising Damp on Internal Walls
There are several ways to stop rising damp, and the exact treatment recommended by a specialist will depend on a number of factors. These include the extent of the rising damp problem, the amount of damage already caused, and where exactly in the home the rising damp problem is.
Treatments for rising damp focus on removing the current source of the damp, such as damp floorboards or rotten timbers, and adding protection to stop rising damp occurring again.
The four most effective ways to stop rising damp on internal walls include:
- Removing the source of the damp, including any damaged plasterwork or skirting boards.
- Removing and replacing rotten floorboards or damp sections of walls affected by the rising damp.
- Injecting a chemical damp proof course into the walls, thereby creating a waterproof barrier to stop rising damp from occurring in the future.
- Removing soil from around the base of an external wall to bring it below any existing damp proof course.
Contact Danford, Brewer & Ives to Find Out More About Stopping Rising Damp
For more information and advice on rising damp on internal walls, please contact our friendly team on 01765 804050 or fill in our online contact form.
Our experienced specialists will be on hand and ready to offer expert advice tailored to resolve your problem.