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…

When Emerald Damp Specialists stepped inside a severely damp bungalow in Swindon, they knew they had to help. Along with 70 other companies and over 150 volunteers who donated their time and expertise, Emerald Damp Specialists resolved the extreme damp and mould problems at the property free-of-charge. For this project, ensuring that a valued member of the community had a…

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…

A group of local artists was chosen to redecorate the walls of the structure with an aquatic-themed mural. The mural would make use of the natural colour of the cement rendered portions of the wall to look like the sea bed and the rest would be painted.

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:

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.

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.

Damp patches were showing up on interior walls, spoiling decoration and creating an uncomfortable living environment. Greenwich council wanted to stop the penetrating damp and make sure that the estate was prepared for any similarly extreme winters in the future.

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

This house was purchased in 2013. After receiving an initial survey during the buying process the property the owner followed instruction to have the house surveyed thoroughly for damp by an approved PCA contractor. RLH Developments Ltd were brought in to identify the problems and carry out the most appropriate solution.

The Star in Soho is a popular and long established eatery and bar with a vaulted basement meeting room. During the day, it is a bustling traditional café, with a relaxed pre-war aesthetic. Once the evening begins, however, the Star Café becomes The London Gin Club, a stylish table-service gin bar. Both of the Star’s different guises are very well…

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

These can result in delays and cancellations to the rail services using the tunnel. The situation at the Balcombe tunnel typifies such a water penetration problem. Historically metal sheets were fitted to divert the penetrating water. However the variance in air pressure created by the passage of trains sometimes resulted in the metal sheets being torn from the structure, creating…

Learn how to survey a building and diagnose dampness problems correctly

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.

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 UK government has an ongoing commitment to reduce net carbon emissions by 2050 and as such the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government has been carrying out research into retrofit insulation installation. Although there is a large focus by developers to ensure that new buildings are constructed with energy efficiency in mind, experts agree that there needs to…

Safeguard is known throughout the construction industry for providing the highest quality waterproofing and damp-proofing solutions. Our products have been used by national and local contractors for more than 35 years. We are often used on large industrial jobs because our customers know how well tested and effective our products are.

The coating is easily applied to walls using a brush or roller. Once cured, AG-Coat dries to form a clear water-resistant barrier. The coating enables the quick removal of paints and poster adhesives from the wall using a power sprayer. It’s a non-sacrificial coating, meaning that it can be power washed up to 15 times without needing to re-apply.

Stormdry CB Crack Bridging Coat has now been launched as part of Safeguard’s expansion of the Stormdry Masonry Enhancement range. Stormdry CB Coat is a water-resistant coating intended for use on masonry and stone where multiple fine cracking is seen on the wall surface.

Stormdry XR Mortar is also ideal for filling holes drilled to install Dryrod DPC Rods or Dryzone DPC Cream.

Learn how to understand the underlying causes and symptoms of penetrating damp as well as solutions in this free CPD webinar.

Energy-saving retrofit is the process of installing and/or replacing parts of an existing building in order to make it more energy-efficient. They can be carried out for many different reasons; to ensure the longevity of the building or structure, to reduce the long-term operating costs of heating and cooling, or to reduce the level of CO2 emissions as a result…

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

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.

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

Penetrating damp is the process of moisture moving from the exterior wall of a building to the interior.