Rising Damp Treatment London

Rising damp is the process where underground water surrounding buildings penetrates the porous material of the structure, specifically the building’s walls.

Excess underground water and leakages from other sources can often expose brick and masonry to enough moisture that it wicks its way upwards. This reaction is known as a capillary reaction and is very much like how a cloth touching a pool of liquid will draw up the fluid, even if the cloth is entirely vertical.

Most modern properties built within the last century or so will have a layer built into the walls near the ground to stop this process in its tracks, which we call a damp-proof course (DPC).

The main property issues leading to rising damp are:

• DPC faulty, absent or deteriorated
• Improperly installed DPC
• Adjoining structure higher than DPC
• Water leakage from plumbing issues
• Poor drainage of local land
• Faulty guttering, fascias or downpipes
• Damaged or poorly fitting roofing
• Local flooding