Rising Damp Cheshire

Rising damp in Cheshire (see also penetrating damp, condensation & dry/wet rot) is a problem that can potentially affect any building, old or new. But what is rising damp, and what does it do?

Unfortunately (in the case of damp) most buildings are constructed from some form of stone or concrete and these porous materials naturally soak up water just like a sponge would do. Rising damp is caused when, over a period of time water from the surrounding area gradually soaks into the brick work, concrete, stonework or through the cement used in the building process.

Water naturally contains soluble salts and its these minerals that you can see on the surfaces of the walls, deposited as the water dries out. In turn, these deposits extract moisture from the air and give rise to a permanent damp feeling to the wall and leave behind the tell-tale signs of a rising damp issue.

In Cheshire the traditional building construction methods in have changed little over the years. Generally when a building is at the early stages the builder would install a preventative damp course and normally this is a form of damp proof course or membrane within the walls to stop rising damp occuring. However, in older properties this is not always the case and this is why, even in new builds,rising damp problems can occur.

Contact us now and find out how we can help people in Cheshire by treating and removing your rising and penetrating damp as well as other water related issues. Eurodamp UK is part of the Eurodamp UK Group of companies.

How to identify Rising Damp

Just by using your senses you can spot the typical signs of rising damp in your property.

• Tide marks on the walls up to 1 metre caused by evaporation and salts from the ground.
• Damp patches and staining about 1 metre up a wall from the ground
• Wall paper coming off or peeling from the wall
• Decayed skirting boards
• Running your hands around the suspected rising damp area. If you have wallpaper on your walls, you may hear a ‘crunching’ sound of the salts that have been drawn from the ground
• If possible, look at the exposed surface of the brick or stone work. Check to see if there are salts forming, that the brick is actually wet (not just the wallpaper or paint)
  
  

Note: It is also important to note that rising damp only occurs on ground floor levels as it is moisture from the soil that is being drawn up the walls and thus causing the rising damp problem. If it is the case that your damp problem is on the first floor or above, it may be that you have a condensation problem or a penetrating damp issue. View our damp proofing web page to help you identify and solve your damp problem or contact your local Wise Property Care branch for help in identifying your property problem.

The one thing to remember when trying to identify rising damp is that there are many forms of damp that can affect a property and different forms of damp proofing to help treat the particular damp problem. Certainly, if you do identify rising damp, it is advised to consider rising damp treatment as early as possible. As with most damp problems, the longer you leave rising damp, the more expensive it can become.