Stamp Out Damp, the damp proofing experts in Nottingham, are on hand to provide damp proofing solutions. Damp is caused by dampness or water that has leaked into the walls of a building. This dampness could also come from condensation or rising damp. The first thing to do if you think you have damp in your property is to call damp proofing experts in Nottingham and they will investigate the cause of the problem and offer their professional opinion on how best to solve it.

Damp Proofing

What is damp?

Damp is the presence of moisture or water in a place where it shouldn’t be. It can affect many different materials, including walls, ceilings, and woodwork. The dampness could come from rainwater penetration through your roof, for example, rising damp, which occurs on the ground floor due to porous sub-soil that wicks up water into homes, condensation damp caused by poor ventilation inside buildings, trapping warm moist air against cold surfaces such as windows etc., penetrative damp coming from cracks in concrete floors above or leaking pipework penetrating brickwork etc.

The types of damp

Rising damp

Rising damp is the most common form of dampness and can be caused by water rising to upper levels in a building due to poor drainage through porous sub-soil.

Solutions to rising damp

To repair this, you will need a professional damp proofing company that can offer an array of services such as brickwork re-pointing, rendering, etc. They would also have specialist equipment such as ground probing radar equipment which determines how far into your home the damp has penetrated, so they know exactly what treatment is required. The next step after inspection would be for them to apply special chemicals that work their way into the pores where moisture absorbed from within the soil has risen using pressure injections or needle guns depending on depth and type of material to be damp proofed. These chemicals then stop damp rising any further, meaning that it is no longer present on the surface to cause damage such as discolouration or swelling of the material, damp patches and black mould growth. The last step after this would be a damp proof course membrane which prevents moisture penetrating the walls in the future at these points by building up high water repellent barriers between bricks and mortar joints, preventing damp from passing through cracks in walls etc., Again, depending on what type of surfaces are being damp-proofed; brickwork, render etc., they will use different methods to ensure maximum protection against rising damp. So choose a company that specialises in your area. I.e., if you have solid wall construction, select expert consultants who can damp proof walls and solid structures.

How to prevent rising damp:

-damp proofing with damp courses and damp membranes to close up cracks in brickwork, block walls etc. before moisture can penetrate the material, i.e., render or solid wall construction

-make sure gutters are clear so that rainwater does not sit on top of bricks at these points where rising damp can easily pass through, driving out any trapped air inside masonry; this allows dampness within cavity walls to rise as water vapour condenses.

Condensation damp

Condensation damp is

-dampness which rises through walls from a damp source such as water penetration into the property structure or ground outside (rising damp)

-When surfaces are cold enough for condensation to occur, i.e., during winter months, air containing high levels of moisture is cooled below its dew point, causing droplets to form on any surface that can be reached; these might include window panes, brickwork etc.

Solutions to condensation damp

– Maintain the temperature of your property throughout the year, reducing dampness

– Ventilate rooms so that moist air can escape from damp areas; this includes opening windows and doors for a short time to allow damp air out of the building. If possible, open both internal and external doors in turn (if you have two or more) as damp may be trapped inside by an outward draught when trying to escape through another door.

How to prevent condensation damp

To prevent condensation damp:

– insulate walls with dry-lining partitions rather than plasterboard, which is vulnerable to trapping moisture within walls if not kept well ventilated. Rising damp

Penetrative damp

Penetrative damp is a form of damp that is caused by rainwater and surface dampness travelling into the structure of a building from under external brickwork, floor tiles or concrete slabs. Penetrative damp may also be referred to as’ rising damp ’when it is due to moisture being drawn up through porous materials such as masonry walls.

Solutions to penetrative damp

Install damp proof membranes on exterior walls

How to prevent penetrative damp

To protect your property from penetrative damp:

-have a damp course installed around windows and doors. If these are below ground level, water has likely penetrated the wall cavity.

What is damp proofing?

Damp proofing is the process of installing damp proofing membranes and sealants on a property to prevent dampness.

Benefits of damp proofing

The benefits of damp proofing include:

-damp will not affect the property’s structural integrity.

Another benefit of damp-proofing is that damp proof membranes will offer protection to the wall cavity from rot and decay. This is particularly useful if there are any timber elements in the property.

The difference between damp proofing and water proofing is, rather than applying damp proof materials directly onto the exterior of your home, waterproof products are applied as an exterior coating over render or brickwork which is already present on your house’s facade.

How to investigate damp proofing

Investigating damp proofing is a process which is done by a damp proofing expert. They will use moisture meters to measure the surface water content (SWC) of your walls. From this information, it can be determined if damp proof membranes are required and how much should be installed over areas where surfaces have high levels of potential dampness. After installation, the damp proof membrane must then go through a curing stage for drying out or hydration processes to take place properly.

How to protect your property from damp proofing problems

To protect your property from damp proofing problems, you have to make sure that damp proof membranes are properly installed and maintained on all surfaces within your building. This is because damp problems can be brought about by several factors, such as poor design, construction or finishing work; incomplete installation/movement in the fabric of the building which causes water ingress through cracks, etc.; bad maintenance and use (e.g., roof leaks); lack of drying out before painting finishes are applied over damp patches; other reasons include condensation caused by inadequate ventilation, damp walls, rising damp from lack of adequate foundation trenches; and so-called

Consequences

The effect is both damaging to structures and potentially dangerous for occupants as it can lead to mould growth, which in turn causes respiratory illnesses such as asthma or allergies; damage to furniture, decoration and other fittings with associated health risks due to spores released into the air, resulting in further illness; financial loss through the cost of repair/replacement – £100 billion annually throughout Europe, according to the European Federation of Foundation Contractors-plus consequential losses due to work stoppages etc.; permanent staining on surrounding surfaces together with serious visual degradation of the building fabric; and serious visual degradation of the building fabric; dampness is a permanent problem that adds; occupants’ discomfort and stress.

Damp proof course for chimneys

The causes of damp in your chimney include damp coming up from the ground around your home, damp penetrating through walls and damp rising from the inside of damp-proof courses.

This can be prevented by damp proofing the chimney using damp-proof courses.

Damp proof course for windows

The causes of damp in your windows include damp coming up from the ground around your home, damp penetrating through walls and damp rising from the inside of damp-proof courses.

This can be prevented by installing a damp proof membrane to seal out moisture before it penetrates masonry or concrete structures, which then seeps into window frames and doors, causing damage to these areas. How this is done depends upon what type of structure you have.