Damp and Mould

Rising damp is where water seeps up through the walls from below. The signs of this are on the lower parts of the wall such as the skirting boards going soft or the peeling of wallpaper and paint as the water is coming up from the ground. This usually happens because of poor damp proofing that is built into walls to stop this.

Fixing this kind of damp involves replacing the damp-proof course where there is the problem. Once this is fixed, we can then move on to repairing the damage to the walls and skirting.

The signs of rising damp are:

• damp or wet patches appearing on walls
• salts within the flaky or bubbling plaster
• rotten skirting boards and flooring
• damp and musty smell
• rusting iron and steel fasteners
• crumbling bricks and mortar between bricks

The images are from a rural semi-detached property suffering from rising damp downstairs due to the front and rear gardens frequently flooding due to a combination of factors. 
These were namely the field drainage channel across the road having become clogged with silt, plant debris and water. Clogged storm drains near the property further exacerbating the issue. The front garden being at a lower level than both the road and drain resulting in frequent flooding with the heavy rain fall.