RISING DAMP

[sophski]

Hello, so i moved into my 1990's semi detached house in november 2012. No notice of any damp. In late summer noticed rising damp in the hall way and wall separating living room from hall way/kicthen(kitchen off hall way). only thing we have changed sinced moved is the flooring in the hall way, original tiles before and we put laminate over the top. we have an old coal fire in the kitchen(not used) which is on the wall separting kitchen/hall from living room. the chimney has no pepper pot etc on top. dranage old but no major leaks that can see.
I have had a few damp companys out in the hope i my find the caurse but all they seem to want to do is give me a quote to repare the damp walls. This is a lot of money and feel it will just be covering the caurse! they say the dpc had failed in the walls and they would inject more and replater etc. Im keen to find out whats is caursing this rising damp!? as dont want it to happen again/elsewhere!
Is it the rain coming down the chimney where the old fire is? the laminate flooring ? dranage? please help!!

 

[pinenot]

Can you check with your neighbor and see if they have had similar problems?...pinenot

 

[Johnmelad]

http://www.askjeff.co.uk/rising-damp/

http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/...a-myth-says-former-rics-chief/5204095.article

http://www.heritage-house.org/pages/the-fraud-of-rising-damp.html

 

[nickjb]

I'd agree with the links above. Rising damp is a bit if a myth. Look for another cause. Leaking chimney sounds like a good start.

 

[joe-90]

I have had a few damp companys out in the hope i my find the caurse but all they seem to want to do is give me a quote to repare the damp walls.

So you expect people to come and give you free advice for nothing? Try that one with your solicitor.

 

[Perry525]

Rising damp is caused by:
Earth being placed against a wall and touching the wall above the damp proof course.
The damp proof course being damaged, cracked or badly installed.

Just because someone writes they have never seen rising damp, that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

You can also have a situation where the ground outside is only a few inches below the damp proof course and heavy rain is bouncing and making the wall wet above the damp proof course. A gutter is leaking and the water is soaking into the wall and drops down and sits on top of the damp proof course. The wall is wet due to heavy driving rain, or the wall is rendered and the render is cracked.

There are lots of firms that make a living out of repairing rising damp, some times there is rising damp, sometimes its down to a leaking roof elsewhere, some times a leaking pipe.

Take a careful look outside, check the roof, flashing, gutters, (and next door it may be blowing off next doors roof/gutter) down pipes, render, cracks, height of the ground outside, it must be more than 6 inches below the damp proof course.

Note: Even when you have discovered the cause of the damp and have sorted the problem, it will take some months for the wall to dry. Walls dry at the rate of one mm per 24 hours with an indoor temperature of 20C. A dehumidifier will help dry the wall.

 

[Johnmelad]

There are lots of firms that make a living out of repairing rising damp,

Trouble is, majority of them a little short of con artists.

Visited a property recently that was said (surveyor) to have rising damp in a bedroom on upper floor!

 

[sophski]

Next door have lived there for many years and have had no problem.

They are old coal mining houses the coal fire was built in them all,my neighbour no longer has his im the only one left with it. May be the previous owners used the fire which meant the chimney was dry? And months of it not being used and the rain coming down may be why im seeing the leak or damp now i've moved in?

As for the drainage, how do i go about checking? what should i be looking for?(sorry im clueless)

would there be a possibility of a waste pipe causing this?. As there is a waste pipe built inside the house, the cubord it is in can sometimes smell bad-crack in the waste pipe?

There is so many possibilities! i have a new born baby and just have no time to explore at the moment, but know this needs attention. As far as the damp companys yes i guess they are just doing what they do. Is there a professional i can call out who will find the cause?

Thank you all for you posts

 

[sophski]

cupboard *

 

[Phil189345985]

Next door have lived there for many years and have had no problem.

They are old coal mining houses the coal fire was built in them all,my neighbour no longer has his im the only one left with it. May be the previous owners used the fire which meant the chimney was dry? And months of it not being used and the rain coming down may be why im seeing the leak or damp now i've moved in?

As for the drainage, how do i go about checking? what should i be looking for?(sorry im clueless)

would there be a possibility of a waste pipe causing this?. As there is a waste pipe built inside the house, the cubord it is in can sometimes smell bad-crack in the waste pipe?

There is so many possibilities! i have a new born baby and just have no time to explore at the moment, but know this needs attention. As far as the damp companys yes i guess they are just doing what they do. Is there a professional i can call out who will find the cause?

Thank you all for you posts

Go outside when it is raining and see what is happening to all the water (you shouldn't have to wait long!). Especially check gutters are not overflowing and running down the wall, joins from gutters to downpipes are not gushing etc etc.
Waste pipe- put some food dye down the waste and see if your 'damp' changes colour!

Phil.

 

[tony1851]

Why are so many people jumping on the 'rising-damp-is a- myth' bandwagon?

It most certainly does exist because most building materials are porous and will absorb moisture by capillary attraction. The moisture will rise up and reach a point where it is balanced by gravity.

Why else is it mandatory that for well over a century builders have been required to consider and prevent rising damp?

In the absence of open coal fires and draughty doors and windows, it is now more important than ever to have new homes built with dpcs.

Sure, there are many rogue firms out there injecting dpcs all over the place, but that doesn't mean that rising damp doesn't exist.

 

[Johnmelad]

Why are so many people jumping on the 'rising-damp-is a- myth' bandwagon?

It most certainly does exist because most building materials are porous and will absorb moisture by capillary attraction. The moisture will rise up and reach a point where it is balanced by gravity.

Why else is it mandatory that for well over a century builders have been required to consider and prevent rising damp?

In the absence of open coal fires and draughty doors and windows, it is now more important than ever to have new homes built with dpcs.

Sure, there are many rogue firms out there injecting dpcs all over the place, but that doesn't mean that rising damp doesn't exist.

Been to many dozens of properties with damp problems, never once found rising damp, always caused by other problems.

Jeff Howell : "Are you aware that your bricklayers have forgotten to lay a DPC?"

Dutch Architect : "I have never specified DPC's in my buildings."

Jeff Howell : "But what about rising damp?"

Dutch Architect : "I have never come across a building in Amsterdam that's troubled by rising damp."

(Do bear in mind that Amsterdam and many other bits of the Netherlands are below sea level, and saturated to ground level.)

 

[joe-90]

It's a bit like denying climate change - it's the trendy thing to do. It's just the feeble minded at work.

 

[Perry525]

When mortar is mixed, air is also mixed into the sand and cement. Water is able to rise by capillary action though the air bubbles to a height of 4 feet above contact with the ground.

 

[pinenot]

I'd fix the drainage pipe in that cupboard, some pipe repair tape available either online or from any builders or plumbers merchants. Quick simple and with a new baby in the house, essential I would think...pinenot