Damp occurs when excess water accumulates inside your wall. A roof leak left unrepaired will lead to moisture build up over time. This can cause plaster to become loose and flaky, thus indicating a severe damp problem. Other causes of damp are porous walls that soak up water from the ground, a weakened waterproofing membrane or inadequate drainage.
Damp can rise as high as five metres but typically doesn’t exceed one and a half metres. Many old houses were built without any damp proofing and if they were, the materials have already broken down, thus, causing rising damp.
Oftentimes, damp is not taken seriously. Homeowners cover up the evidence with paint or waterproofing plasters. While these solutions may work for a while, it should be acknowledged that they only take care of minor damp symptoms. Unless thorough damp proofing is performed by professionals, damp will keep on spreading and signs will reappear.
To repair damp, you’ll need to strip off the damaged plaster from the wall. Then you’ll need to drill some holes into bricks whereas silicone is injected to create a damp proof course. Once the silicone is dry and it’s time to replaster, waterproofed plaster is used instead of standard plaster. Depending on the origin of your damp problem, specialised drainage systems might need to be installed around your home.
Repairing rising damp can be a challenge if you don’t know what you’re doing. And you might risk the damp returning in a short period of time which means you’ll have to start the process all over again or hire damp proofing specialists to fix your mess. That’s why it’s better to hire experts in the first place.
H2nO has been damp proofing Johannesburg and surrounding areas for many years. Other services include general building and construction as well as painting projects. If you’re looking for a reliable damp proofing contractor, get in touch with H2nO for a free quotation today.
