How To Treat Rising Damp

Rising damp can be a problem in a lot of households and there are not very many ways to treat this problem and if not treated right it will just return. Cleaning the walls to remove the marks that are left by rising damp is not a solution, but is the route that most people take as having the problem treated can be a major expense. Rising damp is caused by the moisture in the earth underneath a house’s foundation. The moisture is absorbed by the brick and mortar. In most cases houses have damp proof material within the walls as well as underneath the walls to prevent the bricks from absorbing the moisture.

In cases where moisture is absorbed and starts being visible inside the house and outside there is a good chance that the damp proof material has either worn out from age or has been damaged by renovations to the house or it could just be that inferior material were used when the damp proof material was put in place. Although it is possible to fix the problem once and for all it can be a costly exercise as all damaged flooring, skirting and plaster will have to be removed.  Sand and stone are removed from the base of the wall on the outside where the rising damp has occurred. Holes are drilled into the base of the wall and this is usually done about 150 meters above the original damp proofing.

A chemical damp proofing is then injected into the walling as to create a new damp proofing and prevent further absorption of moisture. The plaster and cement are also then removed and new cement and plaster are applied that also contain a damp proofing chemical. This is how the treatment of damp proofing is usually done and should you want to do it yourself you can go online and find further instructions on how to locate drilling patterns.

Rising damp can become a major problem if not treated and it does not mean because you cannot see it that it is not happening already.

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