Why is my wall damp?

  • Top tips on tracing dampness to its root cause.
  • Stop the root cause and damp will disappear.
  • However, if you just treat the symptoms, water may continue to cause damage.
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What causes mould?

The existence of mould says 3 things;

  1. There is a source of water vapour.
  2. Ventilation is insufficient (local or internal).
  3. You don’t have rising damp (not on a mouldy wall).

Rising Damp risks

For rising damp it needs ALL:

  1. High groundwater, that is water-table, within 1M of ground level. Look up online risks. Look in sub-floor and consider drilling or digging down.
  2. Profile of rising damp is horizontal, like a flood, dipping in corners and openings (doors and windows).
  3. Nitrate salts are detectable on the surface of damp walls.
  4. No mould. Nitrates in rising damp stops mould growing on walls.

Expert Forums

Rotten worries

  • The single greatest damage to properties is caused by rotten timber, especially Dry rot.
  • Very few surveyors check for risks of rot.
  • Follow our simple tips that should be carried out on every homebuyer and damp survey.