Introduction
Rising damp in a civil structure is because of the existence of moisture that is not required to be there. At times it could be there result of condensation that takes place from within the structure due to the water that lies under the ground. Groundwater seeps through the different holes and the cracks on walls and floors, and as a result the walls suffer from rising damp, cracks and also fissures.
Penetration of fluids from under the ground through capillaries is often the cause of damp encroaching into your building. And this is called rising damp. This goes on increasing if there is high atmospheric humidity.
The water that rises from the ground has salts that when stuck to the walls leave stain marks making it easy to identify and diagnose as rising damp. The water can easily travel up because of the porosity of the material that it is travelling through.
Most often the damp goes unnoticed until it damages the walls inside the building. Plaster, paint, or wallpaper gets spoilt due to the action of water. That is when rising damp has started taking its toll on the building. The worst has happened when the plaster on the wall peels off and is falling down. In older and dilapidated buildings, the range of damp is large and heightened, and hence this affects the overall structural part of a building in a negative way.
Reasons For Rising Damp
Generally, buildings have a shield that is made at the lowest level of the wall. This is constructed to stop the water from rising. Damp can get down to the core, and also affect the basic structure of the board or building. And the material of the DPC depends on the time in which your building is constructed. There are basically two types of damp systems that might affect the overall growth of any building. One is the cream-damp course, and another is the fluid-damp course.
Either the absence of the DPC or the failure of it to protect the building paves the way for rising damp. There are times when there is a DPC and it is in perfect condition, but it gets cut off by the presence of waste material there, renders, ground-level rising, improper insulating materials, floors that are solid and intersection in masonry.
Signs That Rising Damp Is Present
Rising damp is rare and hard to treat if not diagnosed properly. It takes a professional to understand that it is rising damp that is causing your structure to rot. But there are certain signs to look out for. They are:
- Salt marks
- Patchwork on walls that feel damp when touched
- Wall stains
- The moulded and damp smell emanating
- Changing colour and crumbling plaster
- Decay in the skirting or the floor
Factors On Which Rising Damp Depends
Rising damp depends on certain factors which are:
- The groundwater level
- The porosity of the masonry materials
- Evaporation rate away from the wall surface
It can be treated to get it cured fully.
Effects Of Rising Damp
Rising damp can spoil the beauty of your walls and structures. They peel off making it look ugly. It eats away at the building binder materials.
Conclusion
Rising damp can be prevented if the room is exposed to a lot of sunlight. But sometimes the position of the room does not allow the penetration of sunlight. So, in such situations, if you are living in a colder climate, it would do the room some good if it is artificially heated. Apart from this, when you hire the best experts for Rising damp, then they will also tell you about the post wall treatment that can keep your house safe all throughout the year.