15 Facts About Rising damp

The competence and experience of the person undertaking the Rising damp investigations is often of greater importance than the kit he or she carries.

Several methods of treating rising damp are possible, including the use of land-drains and the insertion of physical and chemical DPCs.

Rising damp is the common term for the transport of water in the lower sections of walls and other ground-supported structures by capillary action in porous materials.

Rising damp has been a widely observed phenomenon for at least two hundred years.

In simple terms rising damp occurs when ground water travels upwards through porous building materials such as brick, sandstone, or mortar, much in the same way that oil travels upwards through the wick of a lamp.

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Rising damp can be identified by a characteristic "tide mark" on the lower section of affected walls.

Rising damp is widely referred to in Victorian literature and the Public Health Act of 1875 introduced the requirement for a damp-proof course in walls to prevent rising damp.

Rising damp is a phenomenon that is fully predicted by the laws of physics, has been researched on a worldwide scale, and has been documented since Roman times.

Nevertheless, a small number of people have expressed the view that rising damp is a myth and that it is, in fact, impossible for moisture to rise from the ground into the wall structure through pores in the masonry.

Whilst I have often been quoted as stating "rising damp is a myth" the only time I have ever said that phrase is once when delivering a paper at a conference and then using the intake of breath as a cue to then develop the argument further and explore the issue of damp.

In 1997 the housing disrepair team at Lewisham Council in south London were so convinced that rising damp was a myth that they offered a reward of £50 to anyone who could show them a genuine case of it.

Moisture penetration has been an ongoing problem for residences as evaporation occurs at the edge of the Rising damp area, resulting in "tide marks" due to salt deposition.

In many cases, Rising damp is caused by "bridging" of a Rising damp-proof course that is otherwise working effectively.

Where a rising damp problem is caused by a lack of a damp-proof course or by a failed damp-proof course there are a wide range of possible solutions available.

Rising damp suggests that damp-proofers have an incentive to carry out more replastering than is strictly necessary as it allows them to finish the job without having to wait for walls to dry out, resulting in faster payment.