Rising Damp
Rentokil Property Care – Protecting Your Property from Rising Damp
What is Rising Damp?
Rising Damp is the term used to describe when dampness from the ground rises up from the base of the wall.
How To Identify Rising Damp
There are a number of signs to help determine if your property has rising damp.
- Damaged internal decoration – damp, discoloured tidemarks on internal decoration.
- Damaged Plaster - blistering, salting and disintegration
- Rotting skirting boards, floor timbers – wet rot decay
- Localised dampness – dampness on walls rarely exceeds one metre above ground level, but may go much higher in extreme cases
What Causes Rising Damp?
Rising Damp usually occurs when there is a lack of, or a failure in the damp proof course.
Bridging of the damp proof course by internal plaster / external render or by high ground levels can also cause Rising Damp.
Rising Damp Survey by Rentokil
Before Rentokil undertake any work, a Rentokil surveyor will carry out a thorough inspection to establish the need for any work.
Rentokil’s specialist surveyor will:
- eliminate any other causes, such as condensation, that could be mistaken for rising damp.
- assess the extent of the dampness and the need for re-plastering.
- provide the most cost-effective solution to your damp problem.
- check the condition of floor timbers for possible decay.
Treatments for Rising Damp
If you suspect Rising Damp in your property you should get remedial work carried out by a trained specialist.
At Rentokil, our specialist technicians are professionally trained to carry out treatments for Rising Damp, which include:
- Damp Proof course: Dependant on thickness, holes are drilled in the mortar / brick of external and internal walls to a pre-determined depth. These holes are then injected with damp proofing fluid to reduce the movement of water through the capillaries.
- Replastering: This is required to remove all contaminated and any damaged plaster. Visibly unaffected plaster may be left to see if it dries following the treatment.
