Treating damp on internal walls 

Treating damp on internal walls within a home can be a bit of a challenge. Before you employ anyone to inject your walls with silicon or other inappropriate damp-proofing treatments the most important thing is to properly identify the cause or causes of the damp.

Types and causes of damp within a home

Damp inside a home can occur for all sorts of reasons

Here is a list of the main reasons why dampness can occur

Condensation is often caused by occupants (drying clothes on radiators inadequate ventilation etc.)

Below you can see the black mould, triggered by interstitial condensation as a result of having badly fitted and designed  external wall insulation  

Read more Condensation

Penetrating damp which allows water to enter through the walls.

Read more  Penetrating Damp

Rising Damp can be caused by damp proof courses being bridged, paths etc being built up too high up the walls,  retrofitted concrete floors in old buildings, pushing damp up the walls. Tanking Membranes for cellars can also push damp up the walls. Concrete renders on solid walls, incorrect chemical injections, Cement Pointing. Descending damp getting into walls, cold walls resulting in condensation, the list is extensive  but with the correct identification and the right approach, most damp problems can be rectified

Damp problems can be a combination of factors or a single case of some of the aforementioned.

Finding a cure for any damp problem should not risk the potential  of other problems within the fabric of the building being created such as stopping the walls from breathing.

Inappropriate work to cure damp problems can actually make things worse, before embarking on any remedial work such as damp proof injections, pointing or rendering careful consideration and planning should be undertaken.

So what to do if your home is suffering from damp

Our advice is to not rush into having work done that could make little or no difference, or even exacerbate any damp problems. We come across many inappropriate jobs with incorrect materials hastily carried out to supposedly cure damp within walls. Such as polymer cement renders, external spray applied textured coatings, (textured coatings are often sold as an easy fast cure for penetrating damp and are very difficult to remove, see our specialist Textured coating removal site for more information on this plastic-type coating.

Other damaging work and materials can be tanking slurries and membranes applied to cellars,  damp course injections, etc. As mentioned above these finishes can also ruin the fabric of the building causing additional damp problems and spoiling the appearance of a house. Correctly diagnosing and identifying the source of a damp problem can be a challenge even for a good builder.

Be wary of the so-called damp surveyors, often armed with the dreaded damp-moisture meter who often try and frighten people into having irrelevant expensive work done such as  proof injections and wall ties

Expert Damp Surveys

Why not engage a specialist wall and damp expert firm such as All4Walls to conduct a survey, and provide unbiased advice on how to fix your damp problems permanently? With an array of finishes, skilled tradesmen and an experienced sympathetic approach to period buildings, we offer sound advice whatever your problem.

We offer damp surveys in Leeds and the surrounding areas. Our damp survey can include thermal imaging, relative humidity readings and invasive surveys to determine the cause of the problem. We won’t try and sell you a damp course injection or anything else that you do not need. Below are some common causes of damp click each one to find out more about what can cause them, how to cure and prevent them.