Rising damp is one of the most obvious and unpleasant “features” of a home and can significantly devalue properties.
Rising damp can occur on external walls or internal walls. As dampness ‘travels’, the source of the problem often isn’t where it appears on the wall. At Federation Tuckpointing®, we use a moisture-meter to assist us in isolating the source of your rising damp problem. This ensures that we locate the walls affected by water ingress and that we know our remedy will in fact solve the problem.
How do you know if you’ve got rising damp?
Here’s some obvious signs of rising damp in your home: bubbling or flaking paint, bubbling render, bubbling plaster, Moss or mold growth, A damp odor or musty smell, Rotting skirting or flooring, Crumbling bricks , Fretting mortar, Tuckpointing falling off.
Causes of Rising Damp on Internal and External Walls
Watering systems, soil above the damp course, or heavy weather conditions can subject external walls to rising damp.
The two main causes for rising damp on internal walls are both a breakdown of the original dampcourse plus rubble between the walls in the cavity.
Rising Damp Repair:
- Excess moisture is a major factor regarding deterioration of tuckpointing, render, bricks and mortar.
- We use a “mechanical” method of damp-course and this is the only method for which we guarantee a result.
- The amount of “rubble” which accumulates between the internal and external walls of a home is very surprising. Without removing this rubble, water still has a channel or bridge to travel upon.
Rising Damp Repairs Treatment Options
There are different damp proofing treatments available depending on what is required to solve the rising damp issue. Perth buildings have different types of brick walls and therefore require differing solutions to repair rising damp.
- Silicone injection method procedure:
- With silicone injection, holes are drilled into the bricks, through which the silicone is pumped. The silicone then fills all the capillaries of the brick. The holes are drilled approx 100mm apart and these can be noticeable once the job has been completed. The cost of this method may be cheaper however without the cavity being cleaned, and is much less likely to be effective.
- Mechanical method procedure:
- The bottom layer of bricks are cut out, the cavity is cleaned of rubble, a plastic and aluminum membrane is put in place and the bricks are then re-laid. For internal walls, we also then re-plaster the wall, ready for painting.
Contact Your Perth Rising Damp Specialists Today
Federation Tuckpointing® provides specialist rising damp repairs and treatments across Perth. Don’t tolerate moisture damage in your walls, get in touch with our expert team on (08) 9242 2952 today.
