I have damp in the lower part of my walls, beneath the windows. Is this rising or penetrating damp?

This will probably be rising damp, that is, moisture that has RISEN upwards from the ground. The most common cause of this is a failed DPC or lack of a damp proof course. If this is a problem with your house, we can cure the damp walls by injecting a special chemical into the mortar joints at various intervals.

This forms a semi permanent breathable barrier against dampness rising up from the ground. This can only be carried out as part of a larger programme of works, for example, having all your doors and windows replaced, and/or, having us install one of our protective external wallcoverings or high performance paints.

When our teams refurbish the exterior of a house that has damp coming in, the first thing we always do is to cure the damp.

No decorating job should start at all if damp is present as it needs to be cured before decorating starts.

Both of our exterior wall coating systems (coloured and the invisible coatings), repel all types of damp, however in the case of rising damp, we have to inject the lower course of bricks or blocks with a chemical DPC to stop the moisture rising upwards.

Why does damp only rise 5ft?

This is due to the “water table”, the natural “level” that the atmosphere and gravity, will allow water to rise. As a quick guide, if you have damp ONLY on the ground floor and only up to about 5 feet, this is RISING DAMP.

If you have damp coming into the wall in, for example, a bedroom upstairs, this is PENETRATING DAMP.

I hope this is of use to you and here is a link to find out how we can cure the damp that is coming into your house.

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