| Over the years I have got more and more into | | | | leak. |
| property maintenance and have even worked | | | | |
| professionally in the field. | | | | Also look for mould, salts or, if it is |
| | | | brick, that the actual brick is wet. |
| One of the problems I most find in | | | | |
| properties, especially country properties, is | | | | Once you have it, it is not easy to get rid |
| rising damp. I have noticed that people | | | | of. If you like D.I.Y. then here goes; if |
| seldom know that the moisture is actually | | | | not then my advice is you get a professional |
| rising, and usually believe that it is coming | | | | to do it for you. |
| from the ceilings or pipes. | | | | |
| | | | First you have to strip all the paint, |
| First, a quick definition of what rising damp | | | | wallpaper or plaster until you actually see |
| is. Rising damp is the vertical upward flow | | | | the building material, usually it is brick |
| of moisture through walls. People usually | | | | where I live (Costa Blanca in Spain). |
| think that moisture, or water, always tend to | | | | |
| go down due to gravity. | | | | Then you have to drill holes in the actual |
| | | | brick. They don't have to be too big just big |
| It isn't always like that, think for a moment | | | | enough for a nozzle to go through. |
| how a sponge works. Spill water on a table | | | | |
| and put a sponge on top of it, the sponge | | | | Go to your D.I.Y shop and buy a special |
| will eventually soak up all the water and if | | | | silicone that is used precisely to solve the |
| the sponge is thing enough we will feel the | | | | moisture problem inside the walls. I have |
| moisture on the top of the sponge. As we can | | | | found they are all as good so I won't say any |
| see water has travelled up, not down. | | | | brands. Also buy a moisture repellent |
| | | | additive for cement. |
| This is actually called the capillary motion. | | | | |
| A scientific explanation is readily available | | | | Now really fill in the brick with the |
| through any proper encyclopaedia or school | | | | silicone making sure no more silicone |
| book. | | | | compound actually fits inside the bricks, try |
| | | | to avoid air pockets if possible. |
| So, basically what is happening is that we | | | | |
| have moisture on the floor and our walls are | | | | Now you have to redo the wall again, so use |
| acting as a sponge. The problem is that | | | | sand, cement and add the moisture repellent |
| sometimes it can go so high and cover the | | | | to the mix. |
| whole wall and part of the ceiling that it is | | | | |
| not that easy to diagnose. | | | | And you will now have your wall treated for |
| | | | rising damp for years to come. Also make sure |
| The way I do it is very simply scrape the | | | | there are no exterior puddles or the like |
| wall, if you get more paint or plaster | | | | next to the wall. You have to get rid of |
| peeling off the wall in the lower part than | | | | those and make sure they won't form in the |
| in the higher part then you can feel pretty | | | | future before actually doing all the work. |
| sure it is not a pipe problem you have, nor a | | | | |