Rising damp is a manufactured defect which supports a multimillion pound industry, pure and simply. I know theres this thing about rising damp being a myth, but it is apparently 90% of external walls and 1 internal wall, so it doesnt sound like water coming from anywhere but the ground from that. On the plus side, rising damp is relatively rare compared to other forms of damp, such as. You may also see salts blooming on the internal surface. Many properties are affected by dampness at some time during their.
Its natural for walls and floors to allow a little water in, but its usually stopped from causing damage by a barrier called a dampproof course or dampproof membrane see image below. Not euro or dollar or yen, only pound sterling because it is unique to the uk. Over the last few years there has been a considerable amount of debate concerning the existence of rising damp. Rising damp is a mythyou may think so if you read the book, now. In fact, rising dampness is a significant factor in only a very small proportion of dampness problems. Architects advisory service inside your home rising damp. What is often reported as rising damp is most likely caused by penetrating dampness. Itv originally broadcast the programme from 2 september 1974 until 9 may 1978. Apart from setting the record straight for my part in this article it is important that the issue of rising damp is understood. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Rising damp is caused by ground water moving up through a wall or floor.
The warming over the past century is nothing unusual. Check out our guide to how to identify rising damp for more information. Rising damp is often misdiagnosed and confused with condensation and water penetration. This usually occurs in older buildings where the damp course in the walls has deteriorated due to age. Condensation is the moisture within the building brought on by bathing, cooking and faulty ventilation and heating system. Countering the rising damp myth is difficult, because the parties involved clients, mortgage lenders, chartered surveyors, and dampproofers form a kind of circle of. A still open challenge article pdf available in construction and building materials 54. In cases where groundwater salts have already caused decorative spoilage or created persistent damp patches it will be necessary to replaster.
Oct 23, 2011 yet another nail in the coffin of the rising damp myth millions are spent every year in the uk curing a problem that does not exist. All sources of moisture other than rising damp systematically discounted. Rising damp in masonry walls and the importance of mortar. Electrical double layers are formed in nature at any solidliquid interface. Therefore, the maximum height rising damp usually reaches is a little over 1m to 1.
Rising damp for the man who has everything christmas. Welcome to complete preservations blog when you need a professional rising damp survey, damp proofing, timber infestation, dry rot or waterproofing survey make complete preservation your first call. Chemical dampproof courses are inserted to control the vertical passage of moisture from the ground upwards through building materials brick, stone, concrete and are almost all installed in properties where no dampproof course exists, or it has broken down with age not a common occurrence, contrary to. What is rising damp learn all about the damp issue. In 2010, jeff howell, a bricklayer by trade with 15 years experience in the construction industry who then moved into university lecturing on construction technology, published a book titled exactly that. It was adapted for television by eric chappell from his 1971 stage play the banana box retained as the working title early in the series. Rising damp is a myth, says stephen boniface, former royal institution of chartered surveyors chief. A damaged damp proof course dpc andor the damp proof course no longer copes with changing conditions such as a rise in ground level.
How to treat rising damp what is rising damp and what. Rising damp its control surveying types of dampness before treating a wall for rising damp, it is essential to determine whether the dampness in the wall can be solely attributed to rising damp or whether other causes such as condensation or rain penetration may be contributing to the dampness. Rising damp is a british sitcom produced by yorkshire television for itv. It comes in various guises and can be caused by a variety of factors, but the most feared of all and often the most costly to fix is rising damp. Rising damp is a form of dampness that occurs, particularly in older buildings, when groundwater rises up through walls, floors and masonry via capillary action, which is the ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces in opposition to gravity. Uk trade association for dampproofing professionals. See more ideas about rising damp, british comedy and comedy tv. The worlds most rigorously tested rising damp treatment. There is no evidence of damp, such as wallpaper lifting, and a recent tv programme concluded that treatment for rising damp. Where the floor level is close to the ground, the degree of rising dampness will be greater. The surveyor, who says there is extensive dampness in all the walls is actually just a salesmen for chemical damp. Such solutions can include re painting, replastering, plasterboarding or the use of waterproof membranes with the intent to hide the visual manifestations of.
To add to this a friend of mine in the professional world is jeff howell who once wrote a book called the rising damp myth. Rising damp in walls diagnosis and treatmentdg 245. The recommended replastering specification for this is outlined in the renderpel data sheet or the restoration uk publication. Whilst i have often been quoted as stating rising damp is a myth the only time i have. This industry is fuelled by recommendations that spring from surveys and valuations. Rising damp is a more serious type of intrusional dampness as it could be summarized as ground water that is rising up a wall by way of the porous parts of the building. Structural dampness is the presence of unwanted moisture in the structure of a building, either. In this book, jeff howell attacks the assumptions that have given rise to a multimillionpound industry. The repair of plaster damaged by damp is also discussed. After many years of prevarication, i finally took the plunge and read the rising damp myth. I will definitely look into finding an independent surveyor. The real problem is dodgy diagnosis and that is what i am dedicated to fixing.
The term rising damp is a meaningless directional description. Measurements on rising damp in walls made from different mortars were investigated and the conclusions can be drawn as follows. Rising damp causes of rising damp, how to spot it, and how. The book discusses the part mortgage lenders have to play in the rising damp myth, and the lack of practical training given to surveyors. Rising damp receives much more attention in surveying texts than the subject merits. Heritage house rising damp is a myth, says former rics chief. I think the rising damp myth people are probably poking a bit of fun at those devotees of the term. Treatment of salt attack and rising damp in heritage buildings in penang, malaysia a ghafar ahmad and haris fadzilah abdul rahman abstract. Removal of the original timber floors and replacement with a concrete slab can also course rising damp. Aug 19, 2016 to cut a long story short i read the rising damp myth, engaged an independent damp surveyor there are only about two truly independent ones in the country ones who investigate and write a report but offer no services beyond that and discovered surprise that the vents below the house had been blocked up at some point in the previous. Erosion of the building fabric ground salts introduced into the wall by rising damp can attack and dissolve the binders in brick, stone, and mortar causing them to. Stephen boniface, former chairman of the construction arm of the royal institution of chartered surveyors rics, has told the institutes 40000. A visible stain often appears on the wall in the form of a tide mark at the point where the ground water has reached. The surveyor, who says there is extensive dampness in all the walls is actually just a salesmen for chemical damp proofing products.
That rising damp is a myth has also not escaped the attention of the popular media. Rising damp can happen as a result of debris present in your cavity wall bridging the damp proof course and giving water a way to travel around the dpc and up into your walls. In cases where groundwater salts have already caused decorative spoilage or created persistent damp patches it. Following on from my articles on rising damp written in 20 i thought it was time to provide a further update on one problem in particular relating to the diagnosis of rising damp. The height of rising damp depends on the size of the pore the smaller the pore the higher the rise.
Tipps gegen sanierpfusch im bestimmt frechsten baubuch aller zeiten pdf ebook. Damp is, unfortunately, a common problem that can affect any property, regardless of its age. He shows that when damp proofing fluids are injected into damp masonry, substantial amounts of moisture remain. Jeff and i once produced a training video discussing the issue. One treatment to fix a supposed phenomenon like rising damp cannot replace good maintenance of numerous elements in an old building. Of the common building defects that occur in heritage buildings in penang, malaysia, salt attack and rising damp are considered the most challenging, particularly for building conservation. Pdf rising damp is one of the main problems affecting historical masonry structures all over the. Remember that your damp problem may not necessarily be caused by rising damp there may be another source of water that you are not aware of. A survey to bre digest 245, rising damp in walls diagnosis and treatment. Its understandable that you might not be an expert when it comes to damp problems, but our user friendly guide to the tell tale signs of rising damp should give you a good steer for identifing the problem. Stephen boniface, former chairman of the construction arm of the royal institution of chartered surveyors rics, has told the institutes 40,000 members that true rising damp is a myth and chemically injected dampproof courses dpc are a complete waste of money. Stephen boniface, former chairman of the construction arm of the royal institution of chartered surveyors rics, has told the institutes 40,000 members that true rising damp is a myth and chemically injected damp proof courses dpc are a complete waste of money. Rising damp is a myth, says former rics chief news.
Rising damp is a myth, says former rics chief stephen boniface, former chairman of the construction arm of the royal institution of chartered surveyors rics, has told the institutes 40,000 members that true rising damp is a myth and chemically injected dampproof courses dpc are. Rising damp is a myth, says former rics chief stephen boniface, former chairman of the construction arm of the royal institution of chartered surveyors rics, has told the institutes 40,000 members that true rising damp is a myth and chemically injected dampproof courses dpc are a complete waste of money. The myth people have a very specific definition of rising damp which i think the remedial damp companies have overlooked. The thickness of the electrical double layer is very small, typically less than 10 nm. In common with all remedial damp proof course systems the adequate removal and correct replastering of internal salt contaminated plaster is an essential requirement. The truth about rising damp in houses preservation expert. He shows that when dampproofing fluids are injected into damp masonry, substantial amounts of moisture remain. Indeed, people have gone further than just saying that rising damp is a myth, theyve even written books about it. Treatment of salt attack and rising damp on heritage. In my update for 20 i wrote that, you need to confirm that three conditions are present to definitively confirm a case of rising damp. Rising damp its control surveying types of dampness before treating a wall for rising damp, it is essential to determine whether the dampness in the wall can be solely attributed to rising damp or whether other causes such as condensation or rain penetration. It doesnt help to make the argument too polarised which is sadly, what the rising damp myth book did.
In dealing with rising damp, the cheapest shortterm solution which can become very expensive in the long run can be not dealing with the problem at all or doing shortterm fixes. The buyers mortgage lender insisted on a survey for rising damp, and the surveyors report says that there is extensive damp in all walls. The tell tale signs of rising damp in internal walls include a tidemark on the wall above skirting boards of up to 1 metre however, it is important to remember that there are many forms of damp that can affect a property. Aug 08, 2009 it happened again last month, with the architects journal proclaiming rising damp is a myth says former rics chief. Tell your buyers that they need an independent dampness survey carried out to the standards described in building research establishment digest 245, and under no circumstances allow. No rising damp treatment, no matter how effective it is at creating a barrier to damp, will be able to undo any groundwater salt transfer damage to the wall or to existing plaster. If it is necessary to provide a new complete moisture barrier, the digest explains and illustrates the methods. Healing rising damp in masonry walls and cellars of old. The quote was attributed to stephen boniface, a past chairman of the building surveying faculty of the royal institution of chartered surveyors, and someone whose opinions i have time for. Countering the rising damp myth is difficult, because the parties involved clients, mortgage lenders, chartered surveyors, and damp proofers form a kind of circle of.
Chemical damp proof courses are inserted to control the vertical passage of moisture from the ground upwards through building materials brick, stone, concrete and are almost all installed in properties where no damp proof course exists, or it has broken down with age not a common occurrence, contrary to. Quantify the moisture content of the test panel walls at the start and end of the. In 2008, howell published a book titled the rising damp myth 2008. What we commonly refer to as capillarity or capillary effect is nothing else but the combined effect of. Phenomenon and mechanism of rising damp a number of published papers are dedicated to defining rising damp phenomenon and developing good understandings of mechanisms involved in rising damp. Plaster and paint can deteriorate and any wallpaper tends to loosen. One treatment to fix a supposed phenomenon like rising damp cannot replace good maintenance of. Uk trade association for damp proofing professionals. Rising damp is a mythyou may think so if you read the book.
The book discusses the part mortgage lenders have to play in the risingdamp myth, and the lack of practical training given to surveyors. Each masonry bridge proves to you that rising damp in masonry walls does. Slate and mortar dpcs are the causes of rising damp the main causes of rising damp are. Yet another nail in the coffin of the rising damp myth millions are spent every year in the uk curing a problem that does not exist.
The myth of rising damp welcome to complete preservations blog. Generally rising damp is first noticed by the damage it causes to the internal walls of a building. Indeed, there has even been a book written, the rising damp myth in which the author claims exactly that rising damp is a myth. Recent extreme events have no link to climate change 5 part ii. Rising damp is just a catch all surveyors use and very rarely exists. Rising damp is a myth, says former rics chief news architects.
1384 1162 812 604 1190 1020 1231 758 106 672 934 1159 142 1070 454 820 443 1422 170 289 355 332 449 553 847 144 70 802 1591 469 982 1299 1455 437 457 114 679 1355 1085