What is penetrating damp?

Penetrating damp is the process of water travelling through walls, ceilings, or windows due to structural defects.

It occurs when outside moisture like wind-driven rain impacts a building’s wall. Building materials like brick are porous. They soak up rain to saturate the interior walls.

There, moisture manifests as wet spots on the wall. These patches of penetrating damp damage wallpaper, plaster and the walls themselves. Common causes that can speed up the process include; broken downpipes, cracked mortar courses, leaking gutters and holes in brick work

How to identify penetrating damp?

Here are some examples of what penetrating damp can look like inside your home, and also examples of what may be causing the water to enter the brickwork from the outside.