Most buildings will suffer from dampness of one form or another during their lifetimes. This seminar gives an overview of the methods available to correctly identify the causes and types of dampness in buildings. The most common types of dampness encountered in existing buildings (rising damp, penetrating damp, and condensation) are examined, as are methods of repair and treatment.

Rain penetration, or penetrating damp as it is commonly known, is an increasing problem in the UK. A higher intensity of rainfall in recent years, combined with a large industry focus on installing cavity wall insulation, has led properties that previously had no issues to suffer from rain penetration. The damage that penetrating damp causes is not only unsightly but…

This half-day online course is designed to give contractors a detailed introduction into the world of moisture management. This training course provides attendees with an understanding of the causes, symptoms and solutions to the most common damp problems. The course costs only £30 per person and is held via Google Meet. Identification: Overview of how to correctly identify the different…

Rising damp occurs in a high proportion of old buildings, where water rises up from the ground through the capillaries of bricks and mortar. Carried salts can cause damage and further damp problems. The seminar offers a detailed insight into rising damp and the modern day treatments available. Details of the nature and causes of rising damp are given, including…

As part of the UK Government’s aspirations to become carbon neutral by 2050, measures are being put in place to tackle carbon emissions from properties. London’s homes and workplaces account for 78% of the capital’s carbon emissions, which points to the ever-growing need to address energy wastage from inefficient buildings. One of the ways property developers will achieve this is…

These previously treated walls were starting to show signs of damp above the replastered area, showing peeling paint and blistering plaster. Damp-proofing experts, Surrey Hills Preservation, were called in to survey and fix the problem.

Anglia Decor carried out a full investigation of the building and determined that the high porosity and bad condition of the exterior walls was the cause of the problem. The problem consisted of four main elements:

Further investigation of the property revealed that the floor timbers were rotting due to exposure to moisture.

This domestic property is located in the Derby area. It is a typical semi-detached house that was built during the 1950s. The building is a brick-built cavity wall construction with a solid ground floor.

The hall area near the front door of the property was very exposed to the elements. The property owner was reporting multiple damp patches on the walls and large amounts of black mould growth around window and door frames. Damp expert Chris Debieux, the Director of Damp and Decay Direct Ltd, was called-in to survey the problem. He found that…

The contractors who carried-out the modifications to the building had attempted to provide some protection from the elements by constructing a second outer-leaf brick wall on the new gable end. However, these works had been finished to a poor standard. As a result, one of the interior walls (which used to be a party wall between terraced properties) had been…

The Problem Due to a combination of extended wet weather and defective pointing, the weather facing walls of the property had been suffering from penetrating damp. This had led to damp patches, blown plaster and bubbled patches of delaminated paint appearing on the internal decorating surfaces.

This domestic semi-detached property is situated in the Sussex seaside town of Brighton. The house is a traditional brick build with solid walls double-skin walls and a render on the weather facing external wall.

The Long Eaton Baptist Church in Nottinghamshire is a brick-built church that dates back to the 1880s. Throughout the years, various additions were made to the building and a major reconstruction was carried out in 1955.

The main living room area of the property was suffering from significant rising damp issues. Some parts of the wall were showing signs of salt contamination and the plaster was crumbling and blistering. After the initial survey was completed, it was evident that a ‘pressure injection’ type rising damp was carried out in the past, which had now failed.

This domestic terraced house in the seaside town of Bournemouth. The house is a traditional brick build with cavity walls and a render on the weather facing external wall.

This Victorian semi-detached residential property is located in the large seaside town of Brighton, East Sussex. The house was purchased a few years ago by the owners and has been undergoing general renovations.

This rented domestic basement flat in East Sussex is located underneath a town house on the main road of a busy seaside town. The flat does not receive much direct sunlight and certain areas of the property are not able to be well ventilated.

The damp patches were not drying out, even during the warm and dry summer months. Crawley Borough Council surveyed the situation.

Building restoration specialists, Timberwise, were called in to provide a solution to the rain penetration problem. They identified two main contributing factors:

The new owner wanted to restore the windmill as a domestic dwelling to a very high standard whilst conserving as many of the building’s original features as possible. To this end, Luke Bonwick, a heritage consultant specialising in windmills was employed. Because of the windmill’s Grade II* listing, it was also necessary to work closely with the local Conservation Officer…

This was a classic barn conversion project. The new owners wished to renovate the barn, upgrading it to provide a high standard of residential accommodation. The barn dates back to the late 18th Century and had previously been used for a number of agricultural purposes, including grain drying / storage and as a milking parlour. The barn was once part…

The manual deals with the most common situations encountered with regard to rising damp and remedial action. It does not cover structural waterproofing (tanking). An outline of the identification of dampness problems in buildings is given. This book should be read thoroughly to become familiar with the systems prior to undertaking any works. It is also important that the user…

An explanation of rising damp and how to stop it.

Learn how to survey a building and diagnose dampness problems correctly

This section explains the correct way to replaster where necessary

This section explains the correct way to treat rising damp

Calculations show that the overall risk of condensation is reduced when using the Dryzone Express Replastering System compared with traditional sand:cement replastering systems. However, when using this type of product, due consideration must be given to the overall design to minimise risk of condensation and the recommendations contained in BS 5250:2011 should be followed. 

Where walls are known to be excessively contaminated with hygroscopic salts (e.g. old barns, old kitchens, chimney flues, stables) then consideration should be given to tanking the walls using Vandex BB75 tanking slurry prior to replastering as added protection for the decorative surface. Alternatively the use of the Dryzone Express Replastering System should be considered. Where masonry is unstable, this…

Sections of the wall will often have to be replastered as part of an effective rising damp treatment strategy.

This paper reviews the rising damp phenomenon with a discussion of factors such as capillary effect, water absorption & salt formation.

A durable and easy to apply layer for domestic and commercial applications on concrete and brick surfaces.

Introducing the Drybase Tanking Range. These cementitious waterproofing materials enables above-ground and basement waterproofing jobs.

Safeguard presents the results of its collaborative insulation research paper at the first International Moisture in Buildings Conference.

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act came into force on 20th March 2019. According to the UK Government, the purpose of this Act is to ensure that rented properties are:

In January 2017, Dryrod Damp-Proofing Rods, produced by Safeguard Europe, passed testing by the WTA in Germany.

Drybase Flex is a new and innovative way to replaster walls after the installation of a new chemical DPC.

38 percent of potential house purchasers would withdraw their offer on a house if it suffered from damp.

The plasters and full technical information will be widely available in first quarter of 2016. For more information or technical advice on any of the products in the Dryzone System range, please call us on 01403 210204.

Feedback from the conference has been extremely positive with a significant amount of the attendees attending the event for the second time:

The book is available as a free download. For a physical copy, please call us on 01403 210204.

The Dryzone System is as effective as a sand:cement render but cleaner, quicker and less expensive to install per m2. It allows the use of cement-based plasters to be avoided when treating rising damp on heritage projects. An air gap is also created, creating a warmer final surface and helping to minimise potential condensation issues. More information is available on…

The Instytut Techniki Budowlanej (ITB) in Warsaw, Poland has carried out an efficacy test for Dryzone rising damp treatment. The test was carried out in accordance with ZURT-15/IV.21/2008, a Polish standard for assessing horizontal damp-proofing injection products. The test was carried out on a 10″ thick brick wall section constructed using lime mortar (1:1:6 Portland cement/lime/sand mix.) The section was…

An evaluation of the energy savings achievable from the application of Stormdry Masonry Protection Cream to masonry walls has been carried out by the respected environmental management consultancy, Giraffe Innovation.

The latest issue of the Safeguard Product Guide is now available in hard copy or PDF. The guide serves as a useful introduction to the product ranges that we sell as well as providing information on training courses. To request a printed copy by post, please contact our technical department on 01403 210204 or submit an enquiry.

Test Stormdry Masonry Protection Cream on masonry with these sample tubes.

Some walls are more susceptible to high levels of saturation than others due to the pore structure of the brick, stone, and mortar that they are constructed from. For example, Victorian lime mortars are typically more absorbent than modern mortars and therefore more prone to severe rising damp. Thick walls generally exhibit higher moisture contents than thin walls as they…

Safeguard’s latest CPD seminar entitled “Dealing with Dampness” has been approved by RIBA. The seminar lasts approximately 40 minutes and covers the following subject areas: What is dampness? And why treat it?Types of dampness found in existing buildings (focusing on the most common – condensation, rain penetration, and rising damp)Tools and methods for diagnosing dampnessMethods of repair and treatment As…

Dampness in building materials can be harmful to the structural integrity of buildings. There are many damp proofing methods available.

Chimneys are more exposed than any other part of a building so it's not surprising that they are particularly vulnerable to rain penetration

The most common damp problem in flats is condensation. The layout of flats often prevents the possibility of an effective ventilation regime

Floors can also be susceptible to moisture ingress, especially concrete floors

Damp rising through concrete floor slabs is fairly common, causing damp issues on carpets and floor coverings.

Walls can become damp for a multitude of different reasons. Damp problems in walls are often only noticed once internal damp symptoms become apparent. Such symptoms include damp patches, black mould growth, hygroscopic salt contamination and crumbling plaster. It is important to note that the source of the damp problems could be caused externally or internally, even though the most…

Most houses in the UK suffer from damp problems. Often the source of dampness is not obvious for the homeowner.

Before any treatment of damp problems is considered, the source of dampness must first be identified.

The basic symptoms of damp, e.g. peeling paint / wallpaper, are largely the same regardless of the cause of dampness.

Before damp-proofing work on a building can begin, damp surveys have to be undertaken in order to find the correct source of dampness.

It is a common misconception that damp has a singular cause. The reality is that there are several different types of damp.

Rising damp occurs when groundwater rises through capillaries in masonry to saturate it.