Rising Damp

Rising Damp causes and cures

When houses are built, a waterproof barrier is installed near the bottom of the wall; this barrier is known as the damp proof course or DPC. The DPC prevents water from the ground rising up inside the wall, where it can damage internal finishes and cause decay to timber in contact with the damp masonry.

The most common reason for failure is old age but often building works like new patios or extensions can compromise the DPC: This is called bridging because moisture can now reach the unprotected wall. The end result is damaged paint, wallpaper and flaking plasterwork. More serious problems such as DRY and WET ROT can follow.

DampWorks solves the problem by injecting a new damp proof course; our chemical injection process is safe and environmentally friendly and cures within the masonry wall to form an IMPERVIOUS BARRIER TO RISING DAMP.

If the plasterwork is sufficiently contaminated by ground salts, the existing wall plaster will need to be replaced using our advanced rendering system. This is specially designed to provide a salt retardant, waterproof render to combat the effects of the ground salts in the masonry and provide a dry internal finish, and is followed by a top coat skim plaster to provide a smooth final finish.