Much more than a building’s appearance what causes more damage is the damp. Deterioration of plaster and masonry, create unhealthy conditions for occupants and promote timber decay can occur by it.
Unfortunately, than centuries of degradation inappropriate treatments for house damp solutions commonly cause greater harm to old buildings.
What leads to unnecessary expense and damage through the retrospective installation in walls of horizontal damp proof is because of frequent over-reliance on electrical moisture meters.
Causes of Damp
The main risks arise from:
Condensation by air moisture
In old buildings double-glazing increases relative humidity whereas energy-saving measures reduce ventilation. Modern lifestyles generate large quantities of water vapour, from bathing, washing and cooking by which humidity is raised. On any surface below the dew point condensation will occur. What reduces thermal insulation and further increases the risk of condensation is because of the interstitial condensation within the pores of materials.
Penetrating damp
Especially where access for maintenance is difficult are roofs, chimneys, exposed parts of a building and parapets are most prone to rain penetration. House damp in Brisbane occurs through these ways too. With water exploiting hips, defective mortar fillets, ridges or lead flashings junctions in roofs are potential trouble spots. Prolonged and concentrated wetting of external joinery and walls arises from badly maintained rainwater fittings and to structural roof timbers the leaks from valley gutters and parapet can cause significant damage. Internal spillage
From overflowing baths or showers, the gradual breakdown of pipe joints, burst pipes, leaks from dishwashers or washing machines, and accidental damage internal spillage can occur.
Below ground damp
Where the evaporation of moisture from below is inhibited by vinyl sheet, floors become damp, house damp in Sydney occurs or other impervious coverings rubber-backed carpets.
What drive excess moisture into the bases of nearby walls are new concrete floors or impervious coverings, where it rises by capillary action. Prior to 1875 damp proof courses were not compulsory in walls but where breathability is compromised this is only likely to become a problem. Below ground moisture can result in problems where ground levels around your building rise unduly along with rising damp.
Rainwater fittings and roofs
To decide if a damp ceiling patch is due to roof leakage and/or condensation inspect your roof during wet and windy weather what indicate possible roof problems are daylight seen inside lofts or debris on the ground.
Defective rainwater fittings during heavy rain may be most obvious, but plant growth and stains on walls provides further clues. To check gulleys at ground level never forget.
Condensation is detected from mould growth on internal finishes, beads of water droplets on hard shiny surfaces and diffuse areas of damp. Like penetrating damp it is intermittent, but to wet weather it is unrelated.
After heavy rain on south- and west-facing walls penetrating damp typically shows up as well-defined patches. In unsuitable hard, rendering or modern cement pointing anticipate moisture ingress through hairline cracks.
With a classic tidemark on finishes sometimes below ground moisture above floor level above floor level up to 900mm Rising damp can extend. As white deposits salts appear although mould growth is rare.
