Rising Damp

Rising Damp treatments from the damp proofing experts: Timberwise

Timberwise are experts in damp, rising damp and damp proofing. With over 4 decades experience in damp proofing you can trust Timberwise to correctly identify your damp problem and recommend the correct damp proofing treatments for your property

Rising Damp – The Problem

Rising Damp usually occurs when unprotected porous materials (e.g. bricks and stone) come into contact with damp earth. There are many symptoms associated with damp:

Rising Damp is unsightly and causes damage to decoration, manifesting itself often as wavy lines along walls, peaking at corners.
Damp often leads to timber decay, particularly in older properties with unprotected timbers.
Damage is caused to plaster and rendering as a result of hygroscopic salt contamination.
The moisture present often increases the conductivity of the walls, resulting in increased heat loss from the property.
The health of those around you can be put at risk due to the increase in fungal and mould growth spores.
Rising Damp can affect all unprotected walls (contrary to the belief of many!) whether internal or external.

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.

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.

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Rising Damp – The Solution

Methods of rising damp treatment vary because there are four main sources of dampness:

Rising Damp
Penetrating Damp
The Weather
Dampness caused by plumbing

Our fully trained and experienced surveyors will correctly diagnose the nature of the problem and recommend the most effective damp proofing treatment for your particular problem and property. You will also have the peace of mind of an insured long term guarantee for the work carried out

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Rising Damp is cured by:

Timberwise DriWise

A unique product to Timberwise, this water based product is injected into the walls and comes complete with a 20 year guarantee giving complete peace of mind.

Injection Mortar

This grouting type of material is ideal for many applications, particularly where a good sized bed-joint is in evidence. The damp proofing agent is carried into the porous mortar beds and rubble by the rising damp, where it crystallises to form an impermeable barrier to control subsequent water rise.

Pressure Injection

Water based fluids are pressure injected into the walls to combat the damp. Pressure injection works best in a sound wall of fairly uniform porosity.

Timberwise EOS (Electro Osmosis System)

This active system introduces a very small electric current into the wall just above the ground level. The current repels rising moisture back down the wall. As long as the charge is maintained the walls will remain dry and free of damp.

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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 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 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.

Summary

Rising Damp

The age old problem of rising damp is no problem for Timberwise. From seeing the initial trademark damp patches and stains that appear on the walls to the salts forming on the brickwork outside, homeowners know there is only one name they need to know to solve their rising damp problems, Timberwise. With over 40 years experience in the installation of damp proof courses and 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.