EXPRESS BUILDING & PEST INSPECTIONS
Phone: 02 9580 7300
Mobile: 0417 277 724
Email philexp@optusnet.com.au

SERVICING THE SYDNEY REGION 7 DAYS

Philip Connor JP

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building, home and unit pre-purchase inspections and reports in Sydney 

Rising Damp

The classic signs of rising damp are;

Tide mark visible along the wall approximately 1metre above the ground
Large Blistering salt patches
Flaking Plaster and paint
Skirting boards swelling and becoming loose
Foul smells associated with the rotting timber

Description

Rising damp is the vertical movement of moisture from the ground through porous building materials by capillary action, i.e. masonry-gyprock-timber-render etc. The moisture carries soluble salts from the ground, when evaporation takes place on the surface of the wall the moisture deposits the soluble salts into the surface of the wall.

Cause
The most common cause of rising damp is the presence of excess moisture around the base of the building. This excess moisture is usually the result of;

1. Poor site drainage, where the landscape slopes towards the building or;
2. The downpipes are not connected to a storm water drainage system or;
3. Where the ground levels adjoining the building have rising overtime and may have bridge the damp course or;
4. Paths and driveways have been constructed in such a way that they bridge the damp course or;
5  Concealed broken sewage / water pipes exist
6. The damp course has simply broken down and has passed its service life
 

Cure
In most cases simply addressing the above issues 1- 5  will greatly assist in reducing your rising dampness problem.

1. Paths and ground levels immediately adjacent to the side of the building, should slope away from the building,  at least 50mm in the first 1metre.

2. Ensure that all downpipes are placed into a storm water drain or water retention tank.
3. When reducing ground levels around the building ensure that there is at least 150mm clearance between the soil/ground and the damp course. ( if the damp course is slate try to provide a least 500mm clearance between the ground and the damp course.

4. Paths and driveways should not bridge the damp course

5. Have a plumber smoke test the drains and test the water pipes, shower bases etc, for any leaks.

Conclusion
 
When issues 1-5 have been investigated and remedial action implemented,  allow six months for the drying out process to take effect, if there is little or no improvement, we recommend that you seek our professional expert advice.
Fixing rising damp can be a complicated procedure. Thousands of dollars can be  wasted when the causation and remedy is incorrectly diagnosed and advised. Some firms specializing in dampness often give conflicting advice on how best to fix the dampness problem. When remedial work is carried out based on the incorrect diagnosis, not only will the dampness problem continue but damage to the building may also occur and the whole process may have to be begin again.  

We invite you to contact us and take advantage of our expertise, we can carryout an holistic inspection of the property and quickly diagnose any building or site issues that are causing the rising damp problem. We can also advise on the best 'industry accepted'  methods of fixing the rising dampness or any associated problems to ensure that the building is watertight in the shortest possible time at the least cost to your budget.