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Damp proof Issues in Old houses
 
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Brief notes on damp proof Treatment of old houses
Hector Chapa Sikazwe
Keywords
Damp proof, water table, testing, BS 6576, re plastering
1.0 Introduction
Any masonry structure, unprotected by a properly installed damp proof course, is susceptibleto natural rising damp. Rising damp can arise for various reasons - the failure of an existingdpc, bridging due to the raising of external ground or internal floor levels, or in olderbuildings, the complete absence of a dpc. Most building materials are porous allowing dampfrom the ground to rise by capillary action. Brick, stone and mortar are particularlysusceptible to this form of absorption although levels of porosity vary. This phenomenon alsohas the characteristic of carrying with it ground salts including chlorides and nitrates. Thesesalts are hygroscopic and have the ability to absorb moisture from the atmosphere leading towall dampness in conditions of high relative humidity. In addition their cyclical nature of crystallisation and rewetting ruins decorations and breaks down internal plaster.
1.1 Damp issues
Rising damp in buildings may be defined as the vertical flow of water up through apermeable wall structure, the water being derived from ground water. The water rises throughthe pores (capillaries) in the masonry by a process loosely termed "capillarity." In otherwords the masonry acts like a wick. The common causes are deterioration due to age andbridging of a damp course with internal concrete floors, renders or external paths and earthlevels (a damp course is specifically designed to avoid the possibility of rising damp)Moisture will rise by capillary action (a suction phenomenon arising at the boundary betweenmoisture and a small tube, crack or other tiny, enclosed passageway known as a capillary)through the pores of the masonry, seeking a means of evaporation. The moisture willcontinue to rise until it reaches a height where, unless no evaporation is possible, gravitytakes over and pulls it down again. This height is seldom more than 1.20m, although deposits
 
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of ‘salts’ may be found higher in the wall, often driven there by the use of non-breathingplasters, renders, ‘tanking’, paints or vinyl wall papers.There are obvious indicators when there is a rising damp in a house. If a house does indeedhave rising damp (something we will discuss later) then it can cause the following problems:
For inside walls
- Paint does not adhere to the wall.- Wall paper lifts and stains appear on the walls.- Plaster flakes away, feels soft and spongy, bubbles and white powder or crystals appear.- Skirting boards and floor boards rot.
For outside walls
-Mortar frets and falls out between bricks and stonework.-Stains or white powder appear on walls.These problems are mainly aesthetic problems only, however it is conceivable that structuraldamage could result from extensive rising damp, and of course a damp mouldy environmentcould pose a health risk to people.
Tip on experts
In summary if signs of damp can visibly be seen on the walls with obvious signs of damagedue to water or salty tide marks then there may be a problem with rising damp, and there maybe need to engage or need to try to find a reliable expert to come in and look at the problem.However caution is given here that clients ought to be very, very wary of any 'expert' who hasbeen employed to do a general survey of the house, or indeed comes around offering a freecheck up of the structure. If the “expert” pulls out one of these 'moisture' meters, jab it intothe wall a few times and declare that you have a major problem, and then it is entirelypossible that they are a commission based salesperson trying to extract money from you.The generally principle with rising damp is simple: if the walls look dry, then there is nodamp rise. If the wall look like there is damp, mouldy or has tide marks on it, then there is anobvious problem with moisture, condensation, or rising damp in the structure.The most direct solution to rising damp is the provision of a damp proof course at the time of construction or can be later added in an extremely complex manner not subject to this paper.Damp proofing at ground level is the provision of a barrier across the whole width and length
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