The Damp Proof Course And How It Stops The Damp From Rising

Life on Earth would be impossible without the presence of water, but it can also be destructive, especially when it enters uninvited into your home! The first thing that you may have thought of was that your roof leaks, but all too often, the unwanted water doesn’t come down from the sky, but up from the ground! When your walls are growing wet, it’s best to have an independent damp surveyor visit to discover the cause, which is most likely going to be a phenomenon called rising damp.

Rising damp happens when the walls of a building are not properly sealed from the wet ground beneath them, which allows the water to be drawn upwards into the walls by capillary action, much like a sponge sucks up water from a puddle. You may be surprised to find that most solid appearing building materials are more porous than they look. Wood, plaster, cement, and even brick and mortar all have tiny fissures running all through them that can suck up water like a straw and cause untold damage to your home.

There is something that can be done to prevent the damp from rising, your independent damp surveyor may recommend the installation of a “damp proof course” that forms a physical barrier between the walls and the ground. The barrier is waterproof, so it stops the rising damp from permeating porous materials to travel upwards into your home. The damp-proof course is inserted between the walls, and is now required to be built into all modern construction.

Having a damp proof course in place means that your home’s internal walls will never have to suffer the terrible damage that rising damp carries with it. Invasive moisture can deteriorate paint and plaster, causing it to bubble and peel, causes wood to rot, and create the perfect environment for harmful black spot mould to grow. If rising damp is left untreated, it’s not just unsightly; it can ruin a property, along with bringing terrible health risks to the people who live there.

Most properties on the market today are equipped in advance with a damp proof course installed during construction, but over the years, the materials it’s made from have the possibility of failing. It can be difficult to replace a damp proof course because it is built directly into the walls! If that should happen, your PCA independent damp surveyor will recommend you install a chemical-based damp proof course, a waterproof substance injected directly into porous building materials which fills up the tiny cracks that make the damp rise up.

At London Damp Specialists, our experienced surveyors utilise cutting-edge technology to diagnose damp issues, so our inspections are always performed to the highest standard. If you have a rising damp problem, just call London Damp Specialists on 020 7523 5882 and we will dispatch an independent damp surveyor near you to help ascertain your damp problem. We are here to serve the London community.