Rising Damp East Lothian
Tidemarks appearing on your walls can be one of the clearest early signs that you are suffering from rising damp. The other two most obvious symptoms of a rising damp problem are flaking decoration and your wallpaper no longer being able to stick to the walls. If you suspect you have a rising damp problem, specialists from our East Lothian branch can provide you with advice or can visit your property to evaluate the issue and help you to begin to overcome the problem. Misdiagnosis of your damp problem can seriously impact the time taken to remove the problem from your property.
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What Causes Rising Damp?
Bricks and mortar are very porous which provides water with the perfect opportunity to travel upwards through very narrow spaces and pore structure. This means that moisture is able to spread upwards from the ground through the wall due to liquids damaging ability to move against gravity. Bricks and mortar absorbing this moisture is what causes rising damp to occur in walls. Your wall is absorbing the groundwater which is damaging the wall itself.
Every single new built property will have a damp-proof course installed in it. This course aims to stop moisture from gaining access to a property’s walls at ground level. The most commonly used materials in a damp-proof course are plastic or bitumen waterproofing membranes and slate, as these will automatically stop water rising from the ground. A poorly installed or deteriorated damp-proof course provides water with the opportunity to access the walls and present your home with a rising damp problem. Failure to have a damp-proof course installed in your home is inexcusable as it is a very basic precaution which can secure thermal and structural qualities of your property.
How To Identify Rising Damp
Rising Damp Signs:
- High moisture content in lower section of walls
- Tidemark looking stains
- Wrinkled or crumbling plaster
- Plaster and decoration discolouration
- Dark damp patches on walls
- Must damp smells
- Colder surface temperature at the bottom half of the wall
- Noticeable rotting of floor and wall timbers
How To Identify Rising Damp
The ground surrounding your property can provide moisture which is able to be pulled up your walls causing rising damp. As a result of this, rising damp only occurs on the ground floor of properties. If you think the problem you have identified exists on any other floor level other than the ground floor it is likely you are suffering from a penetrating damp or condensation issue.
Rising damp’s most obvious symptoms can be difficult to familiarise yourself with. However, our rising damp FAQ page is there to help. This page will help you to better understand what to look out for with rising damp. If you are still struggling to familiarise yourself with the key signs don’t hesitate to reach out to our East Lothian branch where our specialists can provide you with advice.
Rising Damp Treatment & Repairs
There is a danger that attempting to administer self-treatment can seriously impact the time taken for your property to resolve the rising damp problem. Without receiving an accurate diagnosis from a specialist from our East Lothian branch of the source of your problem you may provide an incorrect specification. Our specialists can provide you with a thorough evaluation of your damaged walls and will provide the most appropriate solution.
What our East Lothian specialist will do:
- Thoroughly evaluate the area which damp rising is affecting
- Find the source of the water getting into your walls
- Evaluate your predicament before informing you of the necessary steps in order to eradicate damp in walls.
- Provide you with an easily understandable survey report and specification
- Administer the most efficient solution
Rising Damp Treatment & Repairs
After your damp problem has been sufficiently surveyed, our specialists will then carry out the necessary work to rectify your rising damp issue. After analysis of the state of the properties construction our specialists will either fix the current damp course which is installed or install an entirely new one for your home. Another reliable technique which can be used to deal with rising damp is through a chemical damp-proof course. The system acts as a constant layer of a waterproof barrier which is designed to stop dampness from rising through the wall from the ground.
For more developed rising damp problems, typical solutions involve drilling numerous holes in the affected walls and inserting waterproofing paste into these holes. Plasterwork which is damp will be removed in order to ensure that any salt contaminated areas will be replaced with a cavity wall membrane system before being re-plastered. You may initially appear slightly daunted at the prospect of this happening to your home, but please don’t panic. Our specialists will select the most appropriate and cost-effective solution for your home and guide you through each step of the process.
Property Survey
Our East Lothian rising damp specialist will closely investigate the affected area and measure the scale of the problem. At Richardson and Starling, we only supply experienced surveyors who are highly trained in all types of rot and damp problems that could affect your property. This means that our surveyor will be able to complete the survey and give the appropriate remedial recommendations no matter what problem is identified.
30 Year Guarantee
Free automatic transfer to the new property owner if sold.
After eight decades of successful property surveys and repairs, we’re confident to offer you a 30 Year Guarantee that transfers with the Property.
Richardson & Starling are long-standing members of the Property Care Association (PCA) and the Guarantee Protection Insurance scheme (GPI). This demonstrates our ability to meet technical and financial requirements to offer an insurance back-up to our own long term guarantees if you would like this.