12 Causes of Building Damp Problems 

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1. ​​inadequate drainage: water collects externally along walls, a lack of drainage causes high moisture levels impacting ground areas. 

2. no waterproof coating of external wall faces: rain hitting a property's weathering side can soak into the wall, flow down and rest at the wall's base.

3. no damp proof course or weepholes along external bed course of brickwork: having nowhere to drain, any moisture penetrating the external leaf will build up in the cavity, come into contact with the internal leaf and make the internal brickwork moist, damaging internal finishes.

4. a lack of low-level air vents: inadequate escape of moisture vapour increases moisture in the cavity. 

5. single–leaf construction: there is no air cavity within the wall to prevent moisture penetrating from external surfaces.

6. bad condition of the mortar joints: missing mortar in brickwork (i.e. from reticulation or rain) allows water penetration from the surface to the internal leaf.

7. limestone porosity: limestone footings soak up moisture at the base of a wall. If exposure is restricted, moisture will travel to the next driest material - external and internal leafs of brickwork - which sometimes sit directly on these footings.

8. movement cracks and fractures: ground movement can cause cracks and fractures from the footings to the walls, creating moisture passages.

9. brickwork porosity: porous brickwork and mortar soak up moisture from the ground, footings, reticulation or rain, which travels up through the wall and damages internal and external wall finishes.​

10. ​damaged tiles and grout and no / faulty waterproof membrane beneath tiled finishes​: water can escape and cause structural damage particularly to the concrete substrate (concrete cancer) and leaks.

11. no waterproof barrier: when the external ground level is higher than internal floor levels and no waterproof barrier exists, water can penetrate the brickwork and travel to internal walls.​

12. no / faulty waterproof barriers: a lack or failure of an external waterproof barrier allows moisture to transfer through the external leaf of brickwork to the internal leaf reaching the internal face and deteriorating internal finishes. 

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How to Treat Building Damp Problems to Prevent 

Further Damage

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Building damage associated with falling, longitudinal and rising damp covers a vast range of repairs. Conspar treats all three forms of damp that affect buildings.

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When it comes to rising damp, Conspar recommends treating external and internal walls to provide adequate protection from moisture penetrating the inside of the building from the outside and ensuring internal walls have solid protection against any escaped moisture otherwise being able to cause surface and structural damage.

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During rising damp inspections, Conspar also addresses any drainage concerns of the area that may be contributing to the problem, such as soakwell functionality. ​

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