Damp problems in a home can sometimes be tricky to fix, as there are a number of potential causes. Without expert help, you may end up working your way through multiple DIY fixes without success. This wastes time and money, and may never actually get to the heart of the problem.
Once the issue is properly diagnosed, there are a few different damp proofing methods that can be used. These will hopefully resolve the problem and prevent damp issues from recurring in the future.
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The Crucial First Step – A Damp Survey
Before you do anything else, you need to have a professional damp survey carried out. This will accurately identify what’s causing your damp problems, as well as any risks that may affect your home in the future.
Your surveyor will use advanced tools and methods to detect even hidden and hard-to-find moisture. They’ll assess the condition of any installed damp proofing measures (if any) and make tailored recommendations for the best treatment or remedies to implement.
Damp Proofing Methods Explained
Effective damp proofing methods vary, but each plays a critical role in protecting properties from moisture-related damage.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common damp proofing solutions used in the UK and how they work.
Damp Proof Course (DPC)
A damp proof course (DPC) is perhaps the most widely used method to protect UK homes from damp. It mainly helps to prevent rising damp, which is when water rises up from the ground and is ‘sucked’ upwards into the walls of the building.
DPCs are typically installed around 150mm above the exterior ground level.
There are a few different ways a DPC can be installed. One of the most popular is the injection of a chemical damp proof course into holes drilled at intervals along the wall, or in some cases, a chemically enhanced mortar is used.
There’s also something called an electro-osmotic damp proof course, which is used when the use of chemicals isn’t appropriate. This involves installing copper and titanium wiring in the wall, which carries a small electric charge. This low-voltage current drives moisture downwards, back into the ground.
Damp Proof Membrane (DPM)
A damp proof membrane or DPM works differently from a DPC. It is made from sheets of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and is applied to internal walls. The membrane has a profile a little like an egg box, with cavities which allow moisture to evaporate from the wall behind it.
DPMs are easy to install and are designed to stop moisture from penetrating the walls of your building. They’re also used under concrete floors to stop rising damp.
Importantly, a DPM shouldn’t be installed until the source of damp problems has been resolved. Otherwise, there’s a risk of trapping excess moisture behind them.
Tanking
Typically used for cellars or other underground rooms, tanking involves applying either a waterproof membrane or what is known as a tanking slurry to walls.
This creates a waterproof barrier, which seals the wall and stops moisture from the ground from seeping through.
Basement conversions can be quite complex, though, and it may be necessary to install additional solutions to keep your cellar fully dry.
Other Damp Proofing Solutions
Damp proofing experts have a few other tools in their arsenal to tackle damp problems around the home. This includes:
- Damp proof sprays – a quick fix for water stains, sealing patches of penetrating damp on walls to stop them from spoiling paintwork and other decoration.
- Damp proof plaster – this is a specialist kind of plaster designed to resist salt contamination. This is where moisture penetrating the wall can leave salt residues behind, which spoils decoration and is hard to get rid of. Damp proof plaster gets rid of this problem.
As with all damp proofing solutions, it’s important to address the cause of damp problems first. Otherwise, you’re just covering the issue – and it’s likely to come back.