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What Are The Most Common Causes of Penetrating Damp?

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  Both old and new homes are at risk of penetrating damp – learn the most common causes and how to treat this frustrating property issue. As the UK enters another period of exceptionally heavy downpour and the Met Office issues flood warnings in some parts of the country, unfortunately some homeowners will be eyeing the weather with more trepidation than others. Those who own properties with penetrating damp issues should be particularly worried about how the excess water seeping in from outside will exacerbate the damp conditions inside their home. If you have a problem with penetrating damp , read on to find out the most typical causes of this unpleasant issue. What Is Penetrating Damp? Penetrating damp occurs when water, usually rainwater, is allowed to penetrate from the outside of your property and seep through into your interior. This can happen at any level of your home, unlike rising damp which only occurs on the ground floor. A damp specialist Essex team explains that you’ll

How can you recognise penetrating damp in the house?

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Recognising penetrating damp is not always an easy task. This is mainly because this type of damp problem can occur in places in the house that are difficult to reach. Places where you don’t usually go and where the damp problem can damage the house unnoticed. Any type of damp can be recognised mainly by the musty smell in the house, it is not always easily visible. In order to find out where the penetrating damp is, it is important to inspect the outside wall for damp spots or discolouration. If there are holes or cracks in the wall, these are usually the main causes of damp penetrating into the inner wall. Cause 1: Porous facades A main cause of penetrating damp is a porous (permeable) facade. The facade is naturally porous and consists of bricks and brickwork. A wall must be able to breathe, so it is normal for the outer wall to be porous. When there is a long period of precipitation in the United Kingdom, the wall is filled with damp (due to rainwater). When the sun shines again,

Wet Rot - How to Prevent and Cure

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Sometimes we see that there is decay of wood because it contains lots of moisture. Wood contains lots of moisture so the fungi attack the wood and it damages the wood. It is mainly caused by the cellar fungus, coniophora puteana. If the wood turns brown, the fungus has attacked the wood. It is basically a brown fungal rot affecting timber with high moisture content. It is also used for decay of crop plants by fungi and the deterioration of rubber. This decay can cause instability and collapse in houses, wooden ships' hulls, and other wooden structures. How to detect the wet rot is affecting the house? We have to check the wood articles such as doors or windows for signs of rot. The bottom is more susceptible to rot as the water collects where as the wall/ floor is suffering from damp. If the paint finish damaged, it can increase the risk of wet rot . Timber suffering from wet rot will feel spongy (even through a coat of paint) and look darker than the surrounding timber. W

Best Methods of Damp Proofing a Building Depending on Construction

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Damp proofing of both domestic and commercial structures, although not the most glamorous aspect of a construction project, is still a vital part of the build process to get right. New build properties will, unless there has been a negligent moment by a contractor or architect, will have a physical isolation membrane around 150mm above external ground level (a damp proof course or DPC). This acts to prevent capillary movement of moisture rising higher than the barrier and effectively damp proofs the property above this barrier. So if the building has no earth bridging above the DPC and no leaking pipes, gutters or flashing, then you should have no problems in terms of damp proofing. It's all relatively straight forward. Physical membranes as a vertical separation layer or DPC construction has been a standard in all brick and blockwork construction for well over 50 years. Older properties or properties built out of stone or rubble have significant challenges when it comes to

The Best Way to Tackle Rising Damp

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  The Problem Whenever rising damp is diagnosed, it is vital to have the condition correctly treated, as failure to do so can cause a great deal of damage and devaluation to any property, not to mention the health risks involved, like asthma. It is not sufficient to simply cover up the problem with a special paint in the hope that the problem will go away. Only by preventing the dampness rising up the wall in the first place can rising dampness be adequately contained. Chemical Treatments Up until now, the most widely employed method of achieving this has been to inject water-repellent fluids into the wall under pressure. Although this method has proven to be effective, it is known to have a number of disadvantages; for example, it introduces large amounts of liquid carrier into the wall, prolonging the drying out period. The process is also very slow and operator dependent. The Dryzone System is fast, clean and effective. Dryzone is a revolutionary new material for the control of ri

What Is Rising Damp & How To Treat It - Fixrot.co.uk

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What are the signs of rising damp? Signs of Rising Damp Do you suspect your property has a rising damp problem ? There are several signs that you may have noticed in your property which may point towards you having a rising damp issue. This page will help you to get a better understanding of what the key rising damp signs are. Furthermore, this page will help you to gain an understanding of the causes of these signs in your property. If you read our list of the key rising damp signs and think that rising damp is what your property is suffering from, it is still a good idea to have a professional survey of the area to be 100% certain. The correct diagnosis of your rising damp problem is extremely important to ensure that the problem is dealt with as efficiently as possible. Professional surveyors from Richardson & Starling are able to perform an extensive rising damp survey of your home and provide an accurate diagnosis of the root cause of your problem. To the untrained eye, i

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WOOD ROT REPAIR

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  Wood is used in almost every home in the United States, and it’s not difficult to understand why—it’s beautiful, strong, durable, easy to work with, and renewable. With proper care and maintenance, timber homes can stand the test of time and last for centuries. But there is one thing that puts a damper on the wooden features of your home—the dreaded wood rot . It doesn’t just look disgusting, it’s also a serious threat to the structure and safety of your home. If you’re reading this, you probably suspect that your home is in need of wood rot repair. But what are the signs? What causes it? And how can you get rid of it for good? Read on to find the answers to your questions about repairing rotten timber. CONTACT US What is Wood Rot? It is decay caused by fungal growth in damp wood . When timber becomes damp enough to have 20% or more moisture content, and isn’t able to dry out quickly or is repeatedly dampened, it creates the ideal conditions for wood-eating fungi. There are numero