TYPES OF DAMP
Rising damp, penetrating damp, and condensation are the three most common types of damp that can affect your home. A less widely known type of damp is that from salt contaminates. Each type of damp needs to be treated in different ways, and the costs can vary dramatically, so it’s important to know what type of damp is affecting your home before you try to get it fixed. Please contact LABS LTD to help you identify which type of damp, and the most appropriate remedial action to take. You can also click on our shop tab
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Rising Damp
The process of hydrostatic water pressure traveling via hydroscopic capillaries in building substrate is what we commonly refer to as the process of rising damp. Most walls and floors allow some water in, but it’s usually stopped from causing damage by a barrier called a damp-proof course or damp-proof membrane.
Penetrating Damp
Penetrating damp is caused by water leaking through walls. This type of damp may expand across your walls or ceiling, but this will be horizontal movement rather than by travelling up walls (as is the case with rising damp). Caused either by the lack of an escape route for moisture entering the structure, or an increase in moisture that overloads the escape route.
Condensation – Damp from the air
Caused by warm air containing water vapour being cooled. The air can either be cooled on contact with a cooler surface, or lose heat in cooler surroundings. As the air cools, it can no longer hold as much water vapour and any excess leaves the air as water droplets.
Chemical Damp – Damp from salt contamination
Caused by contamination of the plaster with hygroscopic salts. The salts absorb moisture direct from the air. Contamination can have occurred when the house was built, or have happened at any time since for a variety of reasons. Very common on chimney breasts due salts remaining in the flue shaft from fuel products such as coal. These salts then migrate through the building substrate over time and draw moisture to the area.