RISING DAMP
A widespread issue
Rising damp is a form of moisture that mostly affects building
structures. It is not the only one: there are other types of
damp, even more severe; but it is the most widespread
one and the fact that it is so versatile and considered as
invincible and unbeatable makes it the most feared as well.
Rising damp affects improperly insulated masonry of ground
and underground floors of buildings. It is not a matter of
quality of building materials.
It is not a matter of purpose of the building, its age (new
or old, modern or ancient), building type, materials used,
architecture, living context (scattered in the countryside,
densely populated in the city), climate, proximity to rivers,
landscape… What makes ground moisture move upwards
through the foundations and along masonry is the lack of
proper insulation from the ground.
In fact, it is from the ground and through the foundations that
dampness rises up through masonry and reaches varied
heights. Normally, rise is explained with the phenomenon
of capillary action, where the force of attraction between
solid molecules and water molecules is stronger than the
force keeping liquid molecules together, which therefore
migrate towards the solid material: this is the difference that
would cause dampness to rise up in the porous structure of
building materials.
5
A GUIDE
TO RISING DAMP