What is Rising Damp (Salt Damp) ?
Rising damp (or Salt damp, as it is known in many parts of the world) is not the most common form of dampness encountered in buildings; this is left to condensation. However a high proportion of older buildings are affected by rising damp to some degree or another. In general, walls prior to the 1970`s did not have Damp Courses or inferior ones, which allowed the damp to rise in capillary action. In many cases of Rising Damp in more modern walls the causes are often traced back to bridging/ breaching of the D.P.C. (Damp Proof Course). Rising damp in buildings may be defined as the vertical flow of water up through a permeable wall structure, the water being derived from ground water. The water rises through the pores (capillaries) in the masonry by a process loosely termed “capilliarity.” In other words the masonry acts like a wick By natural evaporation from the surface of walls, Rising Damp seldom occurs above a height of 1.5 metres unless forced higher by being sandwiched between tw
