Our cold and wet British climate offers ideal conditions for rising damp, and if this gets hold of your property, serious repair bills are just around the corner. It is perfectly natural for moisture in the ground to creep up a building, and damp proofing layers in all the right places will prevent this.
Signs of Rising Damp
Older properties are most at risk, as the damp proofing would be in line with what was popular when the house was built. A thick bitumen layer was used for many years, and this can gradually decay, which will then allow dampness to continue its journey upwards. Here are some things to watch out for:
- Wet patches – Stains or tide marks on the walls and ceilings.
- Flaking Timber – Once moisture gets into timber window and door frames, it will eat away at the wood, causing it to flake, and painted timber reacts by rejecting the paint.
- Crumbling Mortar – Mainly affecting the exterior brickwork, with the cement crumbling due to the dampness.
- Signs of Rust – Hinges and other metal fixings will gradually rust, and should this be apparent, rising damp is likely to be present.
Basements
Of course, anything below ground level is susceptible to damp, and with basement waterproofing in Chelsea that will eliminate the problem, and take action to avoid a repeat experience. Basements of old listed buildings require thorough damp proofing, and the experts use a variety of methods to combat rising damp in the basement.
If you have noticed any of the above signs in your home, call in your local damp proofing specialist who can put a stop to it before it causes too much damage.