Is rising damp a big problem?
Rising damp can be a serious problem, as if left untreated it can lead to structural issues. The damage it can cause to your plaster, flooring and decorative finishes as well as the smell also makes it very unpleasant to live with.
Once the brickwork has been exposed, rising damp itself can be treated. By using Dryzone Damp-Proof Injection Cream or Dryrod Damp-Proofing Rods, a remedial DPC can be injected directly into the masonry to ensure a targeted treatment of the problem.
If left untreated, rising damp can cause extreme damage to the structure of your property. The cost of damp-proofing will be small in comparison to repairing your home interior and exterior fabric that you may have to replace. Rising damp can destroy decoration, plaster and can cause rot to the timber within your home.
The damage caused by timber decay as a result of rising damp can be extensive and expensive. Both rising damp and timber decay are progressive problems, meaning that they may get worse over time.
Is rising damp covered by house insurance? The answer is most likely to be 'no'. It's not usual for buildings, contents, and landlord insurance policies to cover gradual deterioration, which is the category that damp problems generally fall into.
Rising damp treatment is the most expensive among others. The cost of damp proofing depends upon the size of your property plus the severity of the problem, but it can run into thousands. The process of replacing a DPC is difficult and involves structural work.
Damp Doesn't Disappear in the Summer – Why You Might Need a Survey. Damp is often associated with wet and cold weather which can cause all manner of issues in homes with poor ventilation.
Rising damp is a common damp issue within older properties which is rarely seen in newer builds. Usually, when a property displays symptoms, it is because the Damp Proof Course (DPC) has been impaired, but that may not always necessarily be the case depending on the location and environment of the building.
Rising damp affected walls can take up to 6 months to dry out for a 150mm thick wall and will even take longer for thicker walls. The general rule is that it will take one month for each 25mm thickness of wall to dry after the rising damp has been stopped.
If left unchecked, damp can cause serious structural damage to a building, including wood rot, plaster crumbling, and masonry weakening. This can lead to cracks in walls and floors, sagging ceilings, and even building collapse.
Can you ignore rising damp?
If rising dampness is left untreated, it can cause serious damage to a building. The moisture that seeps into the walls can rot wood, blister paint and wallpaper, and crumbling plaster. Moreover, rising dampness can also promote the growth of mould and mildew, which may have adverse effects on one's health.
Yes, if you have damp and mould in your home you're more likely to have respiratory problems, respiratory infections, allergies or asthma. Damp and mould can also affect the immune system.
The main reason that condensation is worse in winter and the colder months of the year is because the amount of heat and moisture present within a home is often far greater than it is during summer, as well as the fact that the temperature outside your property is much cooler.
Rising damp can occur up to 1.5 metres and even higher in some very rare instances. The water from the ground often contains salts that are then deposited on the wall when the water evaporates. These salts can cause the paint to bubble and a white fluffy deposit to be left on the surface.
Regularly opening windows to allow air to circulate. Using de-humidifiers in small rooms with limited ventilation. Keeping furniture away from radiators. Ensuring extractor fans are installed in the kitchen/bathroom to remove excess moisture and steam in the air.
Damp is usually treatable and, in many cases, not too serious. Provided there aren't any major structural issues or mould/rot infestations, it shouldn't even be too expensive to treat. If you want, you could reduce your offer, although this isn't always necessary.
Penetrating damp is caused by defective roofing, guttering, rendering/brickwork, or doors/windows, whereas rising damp is caused by a defective, bridged, or absent DPC, or a lack of basem*nt tanking.
Building faults which allow rain and water to enter the building's substrate are the most common causes of penetrating damp. Issues such as holes in the roof, missing roof tiles, cracks in the walls or poorly maintained pointing and incorrectly installed windows and doors are major factors.
Rising damp occurs when moisture from the ground rises through walls and floors, often due to a lack of a damp-proof course or membrane. While a dehumidifier cannot directly address the underlying cause of rising damp, it can help reduce the moisture levels in the air and prevent mould growth on affected surfaces.
Rising damp is caused by the rising of groundwater through the capillary action. If your property does not have a damp proof course (DPC) in place, then the building is vulnerable to rising damp occurring. This type of damp mainly occurs in older buildings pre the 1950s.
How warm should a house be to stop damp?
The World Health Organisation guidelines suggest 21 degrees in a living room and 18 degrees in the bedrooms, falling lower at night and when you are out. You don't need to keep your home at these temperatures all the time, but you should aim to bring it up to these temperatures at least some of the day.
The problem of damp in old houses is not a new one. Designed and built using different methods to those we use now, old properties have a tendency to experience issues with damp and condensation. With over 4 million properties in the UK from the Victorian and Edwardian period alone, it is also a fairly common problem.
Tidemarks & Damp Patches on Walls
Perhaps the most typical sign of rising damp is evidence of a tide mark effect where dampness stains appear above the skirting boards on ground floor walls up to a potential height of 1 metre. As you would expect, this would leave affected areas of the wall damp to the touch.
A tide line of yellow or brown stains or plaster on ground floor walls. Symptoms may be visible on skirting boards, where nails or screws show signs of rust. Skirting boards or plaster within the property may be damaged or rotting. Moisture can often lead to paint and wallpaper peeling off.
So, if your neighbours property has rising damp, then you can bet that over time the amount of moisture in their walls will increase, the damp will spread and eventually you could find that the damp is now in your walls. The same goes for penetrating damp.
Rising damp is caused by water from the ground travelling upwards through brickwork by capillary action. The water will contain a number of contaminants found in the ground, such as salts, that also travel up the bricks causing further damage to the wall.
Using your heating to keep a property warm is essential and can help to slow down the spread of damp. Condensation dampness is caused by water from the air soaking into cold walls, so maintaining heat in the property will reduce the amount of condensation that will form.
It's relatively common for older properties or homes which need to be renovated to have signs of rising damp. “Most mortgage lenders don't retain mortgages in the event of dampness and mould, unless the problem is severe, to the extent that it makes the property uninhabitable.
A great deal of structural problems are the result of damp and rot. Eventually, damp will cause door and window frames to rot, it will weaken the rafters in the roof as well as causing potential to damage the floor joists.
Poor ventilation is one of the commonest causes of damp. Buildings need to "breathe" and rely on constant air circulation. Anything that impedes the flow of air through your home prevents moisture from escaping or evaporating and leads to damp.
How do you find out where damp is coming from?
Look out for signs such as steamed up windows, peeling wallpaper, black spotty mildew and water running down the walls. Condensing damp can also be found in less obvious places, such as blocked in fireplaces without vents and underneath laminated flooring with no air circulation.
A Musty smell is one of the main signs of rising dampness. This smell is extremely unpleasant to live with and can be dangerous to your health. It also can worsen the conditions of those who have respiratory issues. Even if you cannot see the visible signs of the damp, you will still be able to smell it.
Exposure to damp and moldy environments may cause a variety of health effects, or none at all. Some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, exposure to molds can lead to symptoms such as stuffy nose, wheezing, and red or itchy eyes, or skin.
Every wall is likely to retain some water but usually it is stopped by a protective barrier called a damp-proof course. If this is missing or ineffective from your building then the walls may start to suffer from rising damp and you should seek assistance from a damp proofing surveyor.
Damp homes are harder to heat, as well as being uncomfortable and unhealthy to live in. Follow our tips and guides to keep your home free of damp, saving you money on your bills and reducing your carbon footprint.
Damp and cold homes can be really hard to deal with especially during the winter months. It is not unusual for properties to show signs of damp, condensation and mould. This is made even worse as the weather gets colder.
Open Your Window
This might seem obvious, but it's effective. Opening your windows will release the humid air outside, and therefore, will prevent the humidity from collecting onto your windows. So, if it's not too cold out and you're suffering from condensation, open a window.
Rising damp affected walls can take up to 6 months to dry out for a 150mm thick wall and will even take longer for thicker walls. The general rule is that it will take one month for each 25mm thickness of wall to dry after the rising damp has been stopped.
Luckily, damp can often be treated and prevented without calling in the professionals. There are also easy signs to keep an eye out for that might indicate a problem, and simple things you can try to stop it from appearing.
The most effective and economical way to treat rising damp is with a damp proofing injection cream. You can choose between complete kits or individual cartridges of cream from leading brands such as Kiesol C and Aida. The cream is injected or hand-pumped into specially-positioned holes in the mortar course.
Do all old houses have rising damp?
The problem of damp in old houses is not a new one. Designed and built using different methods to those we use now, old properties have a tendency to experience issues with damp and condensation. With over 4 million properties in the UK from the Victorian and Edwardian period alone, it is also a fairly common problem.
A dehumidifier will extract moisture from the air, a bit like a tumble dryer extracts moisture from clothing. This will help your home dry out much faster. If you're damp problem was caused by condensation in the first place, then a dehumidifier will solve the problem without you having to get the landlord involved.
Following Treatments during the anticipated drying out period, walls treated for rising dampness may experience the sudden or gradual re appearance of damp patches which will then dry out.
With increased rainfall and lower average temperatures, rising damp is also a common occurrence in winter. Rising damp is caused by water held in the ground being drawn into a property by capillary action.
Condensation is the most common cause of damp in many houses, in particular in bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens. It occurs when warm moist air comes into contact with cold surfaces causing water to be deposited on the surface.
