What is penetrating damp and how do I get rid of it in my walls?

What is damp?

Damp is generally defined as unwanted water or at least, moisture, in quantities that are unsightly or likely to cause deterioration in the fabric or furnishings of a building. If your home has penetrating damp, this could be for a variety of reasons, however one thing I can assure you of: It must be sorted quickly and professionally, or the problem will get worse, and usually, more expensive!

Penetrating damp can also make your house smell musty, and can also cause health problems, especially with people such as asthmatics, or people with other breathing conditions. It can also make the house feel much colder than it really is, and can make your heating bills more expensive!

Sources of damp in the home:

There are generally four different kinds of damp:

* Penetrating Water penetration leaking in from rain and snow

* Rising Water coming in from ground moisture and causing damp in the home

* Plumbing defects and water leaks from plumbing defects can also cause damp issues in the house.

* Condensation Water coming from moisture in the air, for example from a shower or drying washing, can also cause damp and especially, condensation

The causes of penetrating damp

The typical causes of penetrating damp around the home commonly include the following:

* cracks and unsealed joints, cracked and damaged rendering, brickwork in need of pointing, missing or damaged roof tiles or slates, missing flashings and badly fitted windows. These are typical of things that can happen both INSIDE and OUTSIDE THE HOME.

* Snow and melted water can get behind lead 'flashings' and create a temporary leak when the flashing has become worn or damaged, or more importantly, if it was not installed correctly. Flashing is the lead strip that provides protection (when its not damaged of course!) when a structure abuts to or joins directly onto an existing structure. A good example of this would be a lean-to conservatory or extension to an existing house. Another reason, maybe not one that immediately springs to mind, is theft of lead flashings and metal fixings on roofs and suchlike. As the price of metal has sky rocketed (Reported September 2008 when we updated this article), more and more people are reporting thefts of lead flashing, especially larger amounts from churches and such like.

* Another cause of damp in the home, and often problems with external walls too (like green mould patches), is often faulty rainwater gutters or missing down pipes. SEE IMAGE ABOVE RIGHT Instead of the rainwater flowing out the pipes and into the drains or a water butt, they water could be collecting at a certain place and causing dampness in the wall, usually indicated by a "tide mark" or stain, or else it could be leaking into windows, doors and of course, cracks!

Another major issue that this raises is the instance of all that water running down your wall, possibly even soaking into the wall as it does so. This then freezes within the wall and expands, causing cracks in walls.

This can start of a major chain reaction, including, allowing damp into your home, which eventually, will eat away at your house, so its in your best interest to protect it and get someone in, like never paint again, to cure the damp!

* Another reason that we can find dampness and condensation in the home, is continuously running overflow from tanks and toilet cisterns. When this problem is not fixed, this can result in the overflowing water soaking your external house walls and causing water penetration, and ultimately dampness. Its also worth noting that in these frugal times, that a heck of a waste of water when there people in the world who would die for a drink, literally, so lets remember not to waste water here and think of others.

* Also, un-swept and blocked chimneys with inadequate or broken chimney pots and cowls could allow rain water to enter and eventually seep through the chimney breast internally and produce damp. Various sealers are available for this, however they must be applied OUTSIDE the house, not internally, and if like most people, your chimney is very high up, DO NOT DO IT YOURSELF, but get a builder in to do it for you.

* Another common form of dampness in the home can be cavity wall tie failure, which can allow water penetration through both inadequate mortar joints (pointing) and also allow water to travel across the corroded wall tie through the internal skin of the brickwork.

To stop penetrating damp, the source of the moisture needs to be tackled and this usually involves repair work to your house of some kind.

What can I do about rising damp in my house?

Rising damp comes from water slowly rising UPWARDS into the building fabric from the ground or from any other source such as walkways and deck access and paths that run around your house, but are directly next to the walls

This is important to note the difference. Also one strange fact is that in most houses, damp will rise in what's called "capillary action" and will usually rise about 4 or 5 feet and then stop. So if you have damp in UPSTAIRS rooms its probably penetrating damp and NOT rising damp.

The damp proof course may be missing altogether or may have failed or have been bridged or bypassed in some way. The damp does not rise quickly and does not normally reach higher than 1 metre up the wall. It leaves characteristic tide marks and sometimes salt deposits on this edge. The marks will look the same for long periods and are not normally affected by changes in climatic conditions.

This damp is usually seen on external and party walls above the skirting boards.

Rising damp can be treated by installing an adequate damp proof course as a barrier.

This can be either slate, bitumen or plastic or a structure can be drilled and injected with a water repellent substance.

Plumbing defects

This type of damp can be caused by:

* serious leaks or small leaks over a period of time from pipes or pipe joints.

* burst or fractured pipes following a freeze and thaw.

* unsealed gaps between wash hand basins, sinks and baths and showers and walls.

* corroded and faulty tanks and cylinders, including worn out valve washers producing continuous overflow.

* automatic washer connections and faulty drain and waste pipes under sinks.

* leaking radiator valves and central heating pipe work.

* broken and cracked toilets and soil pipe connections behind a WC.

* Plumbing defects are typically solved by:

* investigating and repairing leaking pipe work.

* sealing joints correctly between baths, sinks and walls.

* replacing valve washers to tanks and cylinders.

Condensation dampness

Condensation is caused when moisture produced by everyday activities such as cooking and bathing meets a cold surface and condenses forming water droplets. Mould growth will quickly appear and spread all over the cold surface such as a wall or window frame. The amount of moisture deposited is dependant on how warm the air is, how much moisture the air is carrying and how cold the surface is.

The signs of common condensation are:

* misting of window panes.

* water droplets on window panes.

* pools of water on window sills
damp patches on walls around windows.

* black or green mould growth in corners of rooms that are crescent shaped.

* mould growth around windows and isolated areas on walls (cold spots/cold bridging).

* mould inside cupboards and behind furniture.

Condensation control is a complex issue and is a balance between:

**** adequate affordable heating. ****

**** improved insulation.****

**** the reduction of moisture production. ****

**** controlled ventilation. ****

SO, now I have read all the above and I know WHY i have damp, what can I do about it?

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Most of the things above need to be done by a professional such as a builder or an exterior wall specialist. But where does one fine such a company?! Well, You already have done!

Never Paint Again International can cure all kinds of damp, cold and moisture in the home! Click here for more info on not only how to PERMANENTLY cure damp, but also how you could make your ENTIRE exterior, completely free of maintenance!