Rising damp or moisture by capillarity is a serious problem. One of the most common causes of a wet masonry. It can originate when there is no horizontal barrier connected with another vertical or if it is permeable to water.
In such cases, the masonry or the wall is in direct contact with the ground. Soil moisture makes its way through the tiny pores in the building materials and begins to rise. Most building materials contain hollow spaces and, in the absence of a horizontal barrier, allow water to be absorbed from the ground and transporting moisture, according to the principle of capillarity.
Consequences of damp problems
Finally, the humidity will rise to a height that will depend fundamentally, on the one hand, the thickness of the pores of the wall, the wallpaper and the paint and, on the other hand, the degree of humidity of the earth below.
However, it is frequent that the masonry or wet wall reaches more than one meter, which is already a considerable height. Although pores are responsible for absorbing water from the soil, dampness by capillarity requires another means to transport more upwards.
They find it in the form of small grooves, the capillaries, which mark the road with water.
Analyze the causes
Before using solutions against rising dampness, it is necessary to be completely sure of the causes that are giving rise to damp walls and wet masonry, because the different causes must be combated with different mechanisms.
In any case, the diagnosis should always be given by an expert, since, in addition to capillary dampness, there are other possible causes of wet walls and walls, such as condensation moisture, hygroscopic humidity and water infiltration.
The typical side effects of moisture by capillarity are moisture damage limited to the first and a half meter of wall, wet or crumbling baseboards and the formation of saline efflorescence on the walls.
Do you have problems with moisture of any kind in your home? Contact us to offer a lasting solution to your problem.