Symptoms
Flaking plaster, spongy soft feel to the wall, white powder or crystals
appearing on the wall, lifting and stained wallpaper, stained walls, skirting
and floor boards rotting These are all signs of rising damp and if your
property is suffering from any of these symptoms, then it is likely that
you have a rising damp issue. Another strong indication that the problem
could be rising damp is that the damp stops rising around I metre up the
wall.
Cause
Rising damp can arise for various reasons, the failure of an existing damp
proof course (DPC) Bridging due to the raising of external or internal ground
levels or in older buildings the complete absence of a damp proof course.
Treatment
Chemical injection (pressure and non pressure), damp proof-courses and re-plastering. Three
basic types of chemical dampcoursing are offered - Chemical injection dampcoursing,
chemical infusion damp coursing, and mortar injection. Using an appropriate
system approved by the british board of agrément, a chemical control
will be introduced into the wall to be treated in accordance with BS 6576:2005
Installation of Chemical Damp Proof Courses.
Careful consideration will also be given to the position of the proposed
DPC level to conform with BS 8102:1990 Protection of buildings against water
from the ground.
Pressure Injection
Water based fluids are pressure injected into the walls to eliminate the
dampness Pressure injection works best in solid walls.
Non pressure injection
Tri-Gel Unique water based gel for the treatment of rising damp.
Water based and water soluble thixotropic gel, which diffuses naturally
into damp substrates. After injection, Tri-Gel reacts to form a water repellent
silicone resin network within the capillaries of the substrate. This network
is permeable to water vapor which means that the walls can "breathe"
and dry out naturally. The formulation is not reliant on alkalinity for
effective curing. Tri-Gel can be used effectively to treat brick, stone
and other substrates.
First, the removal of the old plaster work to a minimum of 1 metre high removes potentially heavy contamination along with hygroscopic/deliquescent salts which have accumulated over many years of rising damp, and which, if left, may spoil new decorations.
The new plaster work has a very important function -- it must be capable
of preventing hygroscopic/deliquescent salts passing to the new surface
from contaminated underlying masonry. This function is extremely important
because
(a) walls take time to dry down, and
(b) the lower part of the walls are always likely to remain damp because
of the limitations of the chemical injection systems. Fundamentally, chemical
injection damp-proofing is a system -- the injection of the damp proof course
to 'control' the rising damp, and the re-plastering to prevent future spoiling
-- the processes are inseparable.
Due to our experience in the control of rising damp we can assure that after
our treatment walls are dry and ready for decoration within a short time after the
completion of the treatment. All chemicals and fluids used by our self in
the control of rising damp are BBA certified for 20 years, thus allowing
us to issue 20 year guarantees for all rising damp treatments.
Visit our gallery and view a step by step photo study of Guardian Damp Proofing at work.
