Todays picture shows one of the most common complaints in properties – dampness and in particular rising damp. To the right of the picture salts can be seen appearing as a result of damp rising up the wall. The dampness in this property has led to other property care issues forming as well. The skirting board is showing signs of cuboidal cracking which is a sign of dry rot forming and black spot mould (normally associated with condensation)  has also appeared on the wall as a result of moisture and very little air movement on the cool external wall.

What is rising damp?

Rising damp is caused by water from the ground spreading through the brickwork by means of capillary action. This means the water travels upwards through the small cracks in the masonry.  No matter how well constructed a property is rising damp could still be a problem. If the damp protection (damp proof course)  in place is bridged in some way (for example a raised flowerbed) then rising damp could raise its ugly head. As can be seen above rising damp initially causes damp patches and staining to the affected wall but only up to a height of approximately 1 meter. It can also, if left untreated, be the cause of other property care issues such as dry rot.

The solution for rising damp and dampness

Timberwise are experts in damp proofing with over 4 decades experience in providing specialist damp proofing solutions to home owners. If you suspect you have a rising damp problem in your property Timberwise have a variety of damp proofing solutions to solve your damp issues for good. Firstly it is important to clarify the type of dampness in the property (it could be rising damp, penetrating damp or condensation). Only after correctly determining the type of dampness can the correct damp proofing solution be determined. For rising damp our solutions range from DriWise damp proofing injection through to electro osmotic damp proofing systems.  Solutions to condensation vary from our range of ventilation products (positive pressure units and a range of kitchen and bathroom fans) through to dehumidifier units. To learn more about rising damp and dampness our “Damp Expert” has written an article that looks at damp in detail and is packed with interesting damp information. Why not also check out our rising damp video to learn more about our range of damp solutions.

Arranging for a damp survey of your property from Timberwise couldn’t be easier – simply click here and complete our on line damp survey request form and we’ll contact you to arrange a convenient time for our damp surveyor to inspect your damp problem and provide you with the perfect damp solution for your home.

For solving your damp problems there is only one name you need to know – Timberwise – the experts in damp control.

Mark Edwards, Chief Executive of Timberwise, comments: ” The bitterly cold weather is causing major headaches for home owners. Burst water pipes caused by the prolonged freezing temperatures can cause serious water damage which can lead to future problems.”

” By taking a few simple precautions homeowners can greatly reduce the risk of pipes freezing. Nobody wants to come back home from a Winter break to a cold, damp surprise!”

Top 10 tips to stop burst pipes and damp problems

The following tips will all keep your home free of burst pipes and damp problems:

• Insulate pipes that are most exposed to the freezing temperatures – not forgetting the corners and elbows of pipework – these tend to be exposed more than other parts. Supplies of insulation can be found at most DIY stores.

• In very cold weather, check all your taps from time to time. If little or no water flows there may be frozen water in the pipes.

• Do you know where your stopcock is? 1 in 3 home owners don’t! The stopcock is used to cut off the flow of water so make sure you know where yours is.

• Ask a friend or neighbour to check on your home if you are going away for any time. This will ensure that any burst pipes are spotted early and damage minimised.

• Turn off any indoor valves on pipes that lead to taps outside your home. Then open the outside tap and leave it in the open position to allow any water in the pipe to drain. This will make sure that there is no water in the pipe to freeze.

• Have your central heating checked and serviced regularly. A leaking radiator valve can cause water and damp problems.

• Insulate your loft, pipes and the sides of your water tank.

• Open the loft trap door on cold days to let heat in

• Re-washer dripping taps because if they freeze they’ll block the pipe. This will also it will save up to a litre of water a day and your money if it’s a hot tap.

• In very cold weather the heating will need to be on low, or set to come on a couple of times a day, especially if you’re going away. Most modern boilers have a frost protection thermostat, which turns on automatically if the temperature drops to a level that will cause your pipes to freeze.

If you discover you do have a burst pipe the advice is simple:

1. Turn off the water

2. Turn off the water heating systems

3. Turn off the electrics

4. Call a professional to repair any damage

Click here for more detailed advice on what to do if you discover a burst pipe.

Further help with damp problems

Timberwise are experts in all forms of dampness in buildings. For more information about damp and damp problems in homes visit our damp proofing web page. Here you will also find our damp proofing video designed to give you helpful advice on a variety of damp proofing problems.

Timberwise were recently called to look at a bin store at a block of flats in Windermere. The bin store area is housed at the bottom of the flats and is partially underground. There was evidence of dampness and water ingress on appearing on one of the walls as a result of an inadequate damp proofing course. The brief to Timberwise was simple – provide an effective damp proofing solution for the walls and prevent dampness coming through again.

Timberwise have a wealth of experience in damp proofing, and as such, were able to specify the correct damp proofing specification for  the job from the many damp proofing solutions we have available.

Timberwise specified the Whitewall system combined with a perimeter drainage channel. The drainage channel was used to take away any moisture to a convenient drain off point whilst the  Whitewall acts in the same way as a cavity drainage membrane, controlling the the flow of any moisture that may be present. Whitewall, which is a heavy duty waterproof hygienic cladding, was fitted using special adhesive and brackets to all the walls of the room. The Whitewall provided a perfect damp proofing solution as it provided the store area with an impact resistant, dry finish that could not be achieved using other damp proofing methods.

  For more information on the range of damp proofing solutions available from Timberwise visit our damp proofing pages.

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White Lodge is the home of the Royal Ballet School. Housed within a spectacular Georgian property in Richmond Park. Formerly White Lodge was formerly a royal residence and was built as a hunting lodge for George II in 1727.  Famously Lord Nelson stayed at the Lodge prior to the Battle of Trafalgar. It is said that Nelson plotted the  campaigns for Cadiz and Trafalgar  on the dining room table using the fruit and silver for ships and writing on the table cloth with a finger dipped in port! More information on the Royal Ballet and White Lodge can be found in the video below:

It was apparent that dampness was present in a section of the accommodation part of the Lodge. The dampness was causing potential health risks with salts coming through the plasterwork .  A sympathetic repair was needed to the damp problem. By using a cavity drain membrane fixed to the damp wall we were able to dry line and plaster the wall to ensure that the dampness would not reoccur.

Timberwise, with over 40 years experience in damp proofing and the installation of damp proof courses. Having eradicated rising damp problems in thousands of homes you can trust Timberwise to remove your rising damp problem for good by advising the most appropriate rising damp treatment for your property. Utilising the most upto date methods in damp proofing Timberwise offer a long term guarantee to give you complete peace of mind that your rising damp problem is a thing of the past.

To arrange a survey for rising damp lease call 0800 288 8660 or click here to arrange a survey.

At Timberwise we are finding more and more misdiagnosis of dampness with  problems being attributed to rising damp rather than to condensation. Of course, after such misdiagnosis , the installation of a damp-proof course and replastering has no effect and the problems the householder is experiencing remain. Therefore, it is essential that dampness problems are correctly diagnosed in the first instance. Incorrect diagnosis can therefore prove to be an inconvenient and costly mistake. 

At Timberwise you can be confident that your property is in the hands of the property care experts.

Calling on over 40 years of experience you can place your trust in our team of  surveyors. Our surveyors are experts in their field and can advise on rising damp and condensation issues along with other aspects of property care.

Time and time again Timberwise are recommended as a result of our hard earned reputation for providing good solid advice and cost effective solutions to property care issues. Timberwise are also members of the Property Care Association giving you even greater peace of mind that your property is in the hands of the professionals.

Don’t just take our word for it though! Each and every client of Timberwise has the opportunity to express their views on the service they recieve. To read some of the feedback from our clients visit our Client Care page.

To arrange for a survey from Timberwise call 0800 288 8660 or click here to arrange a survey on-line.

For more damp proofing advice read our informative damp proofing article written by our damp proofing expert.

Should you have a damp problem you need advice with do not hesitate to contact our damp experts on 0800 288 8660 or request a survey from one of our team of qualified surveyors.

Click to listen to the rising damp podcast

The rising damp expert from Timberwise

Meet “The Expert” This man of mystery is an experienced surveyor with a wealth of knowledge to share. ”The Expert” now turns his attention to Rising Damp and looks in detail at how rising damp occurs and how modern damp proofing methods can control it.

Does rising damp exist?
Reading certain articles in a number of newspapers one would think not – it is a myth! Unfortunately the journalists have failed to appreciate the extensive research over many years into rising damp by the Building Research Establishment, the recognised testing and research authority, and other such authorities which clearly show rising damp does exist, and there are easily applicable diagnostic techniques to identify this particular form of dampness.

So what is rising damp?
It is the rise of water up through walls, the water originating from ground water: basically the wall acts like a wick.

How does it occur?
Simply think of ‘suction’ – if the suction of the wall is greater than the suction of the ground then water will rise to a greater or lesser extent. If the suction of the ground, however, is greater than the wall then water will not rise, whether a damp proof course is present or not. Once rising damp occurs, depending on the ‘suction’, it can rise to above 2 metres. However, one more commonly expects around 1200 mm and less.
 

For rising damp advice contact damp specialists Timberwise

What problems does rising damp cause?

Rising water causes problems of decorative spoiling and especially rot in skirtings, floor joists, floorboards and wall plates where present. Significantly, ground water salts will be deposited within the masonry and the surfaces especially plasters and decorative finishes. Most ground water only contains very small quantities of salts at levels which are generally at an acceptable level. However, as the water rises within the wall these salts are carried up into the wall and left behind as the water evaporates. Over, say, periods in excess of 50 years the continual water rise and evaporation cause these salts to build up to quite significant quantities. And here is where a further problem with long term rising damp occurs. A proportion of the salts are hygroscopic. This means that they can absorb water from the air. In some cases these salts are concentrated to such levels that sufficient water is absorbed from the air to cause contaminated finishes to appear damp. This will cause future problems in that if the rising damp is stopped, materials may still remain damp solely due to the hygroscopic nature of the contaminated material. Any decorative finish applied to such contaminated substrates would almost certainly spoil with time.

Have a damp problem? call damp specialists Timberwise

How is rising damp controlled?

To effect a dry, non-spoiling decorative surface free from water and salt contamination the control of rising damp has to be a two-part process. There is no other way!

Part 1- The injection of a damp proof course to control the rising water. A number of systems are available for this purpose, most being chemical injection systems. Most control the rising water by forming a water repellent barrier at the base of the wall thereby controlling the rise of water: some provide a pore blocking action to control rise. Chemical injection systems, and their installation are covered in British standard 6576:2005 ‘Code of practice for diagnosis of rising damp in walls of buildings and installation of chemical damp-proof courses’ ‘.

Part 2 - the removal and replacement of potentially salt contaminated plasters and finishes. This is undertaken to form a long-uncontaminated surface, and prevent any residual moisture/salts causing future spoiling. The importance of the removal of the old plaster and the reinstatement with new plaster cannot be understated.

Diagnosing dampness in buildings
Prior to introducing any water control methods it is vital to correctly diagnose the actual source of dampness. Is it rising damp, condensation, penetrating damp, or simple floor/wall junction bridging? Get the diagnosis wrong and remediation is likely to be wrongly specified. Dampness will then persist, and costs incurred in treating the ‘wrong’ dampness will be totally wasted.

It is therefore essential that the specialist damp surveyor has the knowledge, experience and appropriate instrumentation to clearly identify the different causes of dampness. We at Timberwise have that expertise and decades of experience. Our surveyors are trained in the nationally recognised qualifications, the Certificated Surveyor in Remedial Treatment. Whatever the cause of dampness, our damp surveyors will recommend the most cost effective action. We give our clients, large or small, full confidence in both the diagnosis and solution of the damp proofing problem.

For more advice on rising damp please contact the damp specialists Timberwise on  o800 288 8660 or visit our rising damp pages. We offer a range of damp proofing solutions from electro osmotic systems through to the latest in injection waterproofing.

The property is a grade 2 listed building that was built in the early 1800′s as the village bakery. The building (a two storey semi detached structure) needed complete modernization.

The Survey

The property is constructed in a combination of 450mm stonework and solid brick walls. The property also included the original bake house ovens which provided a glimpse in to the buildings past. There was no visual evidence of an existing damp proof course.

The inspection to the main roof void, front and rear, revealed evidence of an active infestation by Common Furniture Beetle (anobium punctatum). It was also noted that water was entering the roof void to the rear and front valleys above the bake house extension. The water ingress had caused attack by Wet Rot fungus (Coniophora puteana) to several valley beams. The second and first floor floors were found to be of reed and lime motar construction. Our inspection also revealed attack by the Common Furniture Beetle, this appeared however to be of some age with no evidence of recent activity. One first floor area had evidence of attack by Wet Rot fungus to a number of joists. The decay had resulted in some considerable deflection in the floor.

Following our visual inspection and moisture profiling it was noted that a problem of rising damp existed to all ground floor walls. All ground floor wall plaster upto 1000 mm above the internal floor was showing signs of deterioration and salt contamination.

The Solution

We carried out a full woodworm eradication programme to the roof voids as well as providing a full damp proofing system to the retaing walls using our exclusive Driwise system. The groundfloor walls, having been damp proofed were then re-plastered using a high quality cement based renovating plaster.

The end result of our work and our clients renovations is a sympathetically restored Grade 2 listed property that is free of any damp issues and woodboring insect infestations.

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