What is rising damp?

Rising damp is a relatively rare form of damp from water rising from the ground into the wall of a building.

It occurs when moisture from the ground travels up through the walls by capillary action. This means that ground water is effectively sucked up through tiny tubes in the bricks, like a series of straws. This water contains salts that also travel up through the wall.

Around the affected wall, you get other porous building materials such as plasterwork and the timber found in the floor boards, joists and skirtings. These materials will also absorb the ground water easily and you may find evidence of wet rot in the timber

How to identify rising damp?

Large areas of darker or discoloured brickwork are likely indicators of rising damp being present on the property. Please note, this will only really be an issue for ground floor properties.