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Images of properties surveyed over the years with rising damp symptoms and causes.

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  • Looks like this home owner changed their mind after investing in the Dutch Schrijver damp proofing system. A product marketed as a
  • Looks like this home owner changed their mind after investing in the Dutch Schrijver damp proofing system. A product marketed as a
  • How many damp proof courses does one building need?......... 3 Retrofit damp proof courses, 1 blue brick and 2 x chemcial injections. Clearly some misdiagnosis here!
  • Damp magnesium oxychloride flooring causing corrosion of carpet grippers. Magnesite flooring is not commonly used at the current time but was very popular for domestic applications in the period 1920 to 1940, and for Local Authority housing between 1945 and 1960. Magnasite was commonly applied on top of concrete ground floor slabs and is made from a mixture of calcined magnesite and magnesium chloride solution with various fillers (e.g. wood flour, sawdust, asbestos). It was typically laid between 10 and 25mm thick, but two coat applications could be up to 50mm thick. Magnesite floorings are very vulnerable to dampness and if there is any doubt about moisture protection, it should be replaced.
  • Damp magnesium oxychloride flooring causing corrosion of carpet grippers. Magnesite flooring is not commonly used at the current time but was very popular for domestic applications in the period 1920 to 1940, and for Local Authority housing between 1945 and 1960. Magnasite was commonly applied on top of concrete ground floor slabs and is made from a mixture of calcined magnesite and magnesium chloride solution with various fillers (e.g. wood flour, sawdust, asbestos). It was typically laid between 10 and 25mm thick, but two coat applications could be up to 50mm thick. Magnesite floorings are very vulnerable to dampness and if there is any doubt about moisture protection, it should be replaced.
  • Period structures absent from a damp proof course are inevitably susceptible to wicking moisture through capillary movement, commonly referred to as rising damp. Period properties were however generally plastered with lime based renders which would allow moisture within the structure to freely evaporate. The lime render itself would not prevent dampness, although would act as a control measure allowing moisture to evaporate.  Internal decor would have also been provided with breathable finishes such as lime wash. Some surface pitting or salting will inevitably occur to the internal finishes as this moisture moves through the structure carrying within it soluble ground water salts. Consequentially occasional redecoration of the internal finishes would be required with a breathable paint or lime wash, although this should be regarded as normal and accepted/tolerated in a period building plastered in lime. This image is was taken in a listed period property plastered in lime where the finishes have tarnished slightly with the free movement of moisture and ground water salts. These walls simply require brushing down and decorating. In a property of this period  the use of none breathable finishes such as wall papers and none breathable paints should be avoided these will perish due to moisture and also act as barriers preventing moisture within the walls freely evaporating. 
  • Period structures absent from a damp proof course are inevitably susceptible to wicking moisture through capillary movement, commonly referred to as rising damp. Period properties were however generally plastered with lime based renders which would allow moisture within the structure to freely evaporate. The lime render itself would not prevent dampness, although would act as a control measure allowing moisture to evaporate.  Internal decor would have also been provided with breathable finishes such as lime wash. Some surface pitting or salting will inevitably occur to the internal finishes as this moisture moves through the structure carrying within it soluble ground water salts. Consequentially occasional redecoration of the internal finishes would be required with a breathable paint or lime wash, although this should be regarded as normal and accepted/tolerated in a period building plastered in lime. This image is was taken in a listed period property plastered in lime where the finishes have tarnished slightly with the free movement of moisture and ground water salts. These walls simply require brushing down and decorating. In a property of this period  the use of none breathable finishes such as wall papers and none breathable paints should be avoided these will perish due to moisture and also act as barriers preventing moisture within the walls freely evaporating. 
  • Do you think that this building has had enough treatment, there are three damp proof course systems installed into this property and yet there are still ongoing issues. Time to look at the causes/influencing factors rather than focusing on the symptoms like others. .
  • Magnesite flooring is not commonly used at the current time but was very popular for domestic applications in the period 1920 to 1940, and for Local Authority housing between 1945 and 1960. It is usually a reddish pink colour although some floors were coloured using pigments. It was commonly applied on top of concrete ground floor slabs. Magnesite flooring was made from a mixture of calcined magnesite and magnesium chloride solution with various fillers (e.g. wood flour, sawdust, asbestos). It was typically laid between 10 and 25mm thick, but two coat applications could be up to 50mm thick. Magnesite floorings are very vulnerable to dampness and if there is any doubt about moisture protection, it should be replaced. Chlorides may migrate from the magnesite into the concrete below and corrode any reinforcement or gas and water pipes. Most magnesite floors are now coming to the end of their life, only if they can be guaranteed to remain unaffected by moisture can they be used as a screed to receive other floorings, otherwise the flooring should be replaced.    Crucially, because it is water soluble, magnesite will return to its previous state if exposed to enough water.  Magnesite is also flexible, meaning that it’s not suitable to be overlaid with a smoothing compound, and can’t be used with all types of floor covering. A flexible covering such as carpet can be used, but problems are likely to occur with resilient coverings. Identification: It is easy to confuse magnesite with a pigmented sand/cement screed; however the following features can aid identification. Magnesite flooring is electrically conductive and so an electrical resistance moisture meter will give a full scale damp reading even when the material is bone dry.
  • The presence of original solid quarry tile constructed floors can considerably increase the risk of damp in surrounding walls.  As the floors are absent from damp protection moisture may wick through the floors construction into the adjacent walls. Commonly this method of construction was used prior to damp proof courses being installed, although where damp proof courses are present in properties dated 1930's - 1950's the DPC is commonly laid in relation to suspended timber floors and as such are often beneath the level of the quarry tile floor. As such the floor may now provide a breach of the DPC allowing moisture to track above the DPC  level via the floor. It is essential to understand the floors construction and its effects upon the building when considering repair, specifically of a damp nature. 
  • This is very unusual. A double damp proof course split over a single course of brick. These builder back in the 1950's were very conciencious. The purposes of this double installation was due to solid floors at the rear of the property and to alleviate a breach of teh first DPC by the floors, therfore a second dpc was installed above floor level. 
  • The absence of a physical damp proof membrane (DPM) beneath concrete floors will allow moisture from within the ground to migrate through the concrete causing spoiling of the concrete and damage to the upper floor coverings. 
  • Giant hygroscopic salt crystals. The extent of salt within these walls clearly highlights a long terms progressive issue with ground water movement through the structure. Ground water salts are primarily Chloride and Nitrate and can be easily tested by our surveyors using a simple salt analysis test. The origin of the slats is a good indicator as to the source of moisture. 
  • As can be clearly seen from this picture trying to cover up damp walls using timber batons and linings internally is not a sustainable repair. 
  • Calcium Carbide test on a property in Monk Fryston near Leeds.   Taking a core sample of this wall for a calcium carbide test  during a survey. Unfortunately there was little debris to place into our calcium carbide chamber as the wall was so wet the mortar had adhered to the drill bit like clay. Not much need to analysis this sample, this is a very wet wall. 
  • Look at the size of these efflorescent salts!  These are huge salt crystallisations found on the third floor of a building. The wall where these salts had formed had suffered from extensive water ingress which had caused the internal plaster and skim to delaminate from the wall internally. Externally the thick stone walls are rendered in a cementitious render which has significantly reduced the ability of the walls to breath therefore the majority of evaporation as occurred internally where the original lime plaster is still present. Salts present within the masonry have migrated through the wall in solution and have been left deposited on the face plaster as salt crystals during the evaporation and drying process. The issue of water ingress is now historic and the salt crystals present are merely a cosmetic  problem which can simply be repair by re-plastering. 
  • Persistent dampness and heavy salting had caused severe spawling of the facing brickwork to the front elevation of this Victorian property in York. As appose to resolving the issue a builder had rendered over the brickwork with a cementitious render effectively trapping the moisture resulting in further degradation of the plaster internally and eventually de-lamination of the render externally. This is not an effective or sympathetic repair to this delicate brickwork. 
  • This 1950's property was suffering from symptoms of damp proof course failure with spoiling and delaminating plaster to apparent to the ground floor external walls. During our survey the cavity walls were exposed for inspection revealing the cavities to be full of mortar droppings left within the wall during the build due to sloppy building practices. These mortar droppings had built up within the cavity beyond the damp proof course in effect bridging the DPC allowing damp to migrate through the mortar above the damp proof course. The repair involved exposing the cavity around the external walls and cleaning before reinstating the brickwork to match existing. In this scenario no new damp proof course was needed as the existing functioned perfectly once the blockage had been removed.  
  •   Original solid quarry tiled floors increase the risk of damp in surrounding walls.  As the floors are original and absent from damp protection moisture may wick through the floors into the adjacent walls and above the damp proof course (if present) which is often positioned beneath the floor in relation to the opposing suspended timber floors.  In almost all scenarios you should consider removing and replacing these floors with a new solid concrete floor incorporating a damp proof membrane in accordance with building regulations and standard codes of practice. 
  • No damp proofing required here, this damp proof course has just been bridged by the internal plaster which extends beyond it. A simple repair, replaster the wall and ensure the plaster is cut back above the DPC, another happy client. 
  • A recently installed retrofit chemical injection damp proof course by our operatives note how the silane/siloxane cream begins to diffuse through the mortar bed joint to form an effective moisture resistant barrier. 
  • This is an image of a front external wall of a 1920's York property with solid wall construction. The image shows the deposit of ground water salts left within the wall which have risen in solution with moisture wicking through the porous walls deposited at the highest point that damp has occurred. 

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