Rising Damp

What Is Rising Damp?

Rising damp is an issue found in brick walls that will cause progressive deterioration and damage if left untreated. This includes blistering of paint and plaster, rotting skirtings, rotting floorboards, musty smells, and mould around the home.

Damp in houses is often the cause of family health conditions such as allergies, asthma, cold and flu, skin conditions, itchy eyes and severe reactions to mould. Please visit this link for the harmful health effects of damp in homes.

Why Does Rising Damp Occur?

There are a few main reasons why rising damp occurs. The issues we see most of are:
No damp course installed in the wall at all. This leads to very severe rising damp, usually seen in garage walls or fences where a builder did not deem a damp course necessary.
Damp course deterioration / failure. This is the typical rising damp seen in terrace houses around Sydney's Inner West, Surry Hills, Redfern & Paddington, where a slate damp course was originally used. Over a period of around 80 years, the slate DPC breaks down and salt and moisture begin to rise up the wall via capillary action. We see the same issue in buildings with a bitumen damp course. These are more often seen in federation homes around the Lower North Shore and older red-brick builds in the Eastern Suburbs.
Incorrect placement. In newer builds, more durable damp-proof courses have been used that do not break down, such as aluminium, plastic and lead. The problem is usually attributed to defects in design or construction, with the damp-proof course placed at the wrong level, or not installed at all. This can lead to 'bridging' the DPC with render, or moisture reaching the internal building finishes from under the damp-proof course.

How to Treat Rising Damp

During our inspection, we will test the walls with an electronic moisture meter to determine the exact extent of the damp. This works by sending an electronic current through the wall, which delivers a moisture content read-out.

All the damp and salt-affected render and plaster is then removed from the wall to expose the brickwork. We then pressure-inject the base of the walls with Westox silicone chemical damp-proof course fluid, which spreads through the injected brick course to create a continuous band of silicone that acts as a barrier to stop moisture rising up through the bricks.
The bricks are then cleaned, any major cracks repaired, and the wall rendered using a salt-resistant render mix. The walls are then finished to match the existing wall finish, be it a render finish, hard plaster finish, or a Gyprock finish. We can match almost anything.

Rising Damp

What Is Rising Damp?

Why Does Rising Damp Occur?

How to Treat Rising Damp

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