Problems with rising damp? 5 basic questions you should know

Dampness is one of the worst problems that can arise in a dwelling.

We are not exaggerating when we say that it is a disease in buildings. This is because it is considered one of the most frequent causes of destruction of masonry, plaster, and building materials.

Keep reading the article and clarify all your doubts so that it doesn’t even become a problem!

Diagnose and Solve

First of all, it may not be clear, but it is important to clarify what is rising damp.

This situation occurs when there are infiltrations caused by the absorption of water that is transported by the capillaries of the construction materials, which have the ability to transport it in the opposite direction to gravity, through the joint effect created by surface tension (cohesion) and interfacial tension (adhesion) of liquids.

Before deciding on the most appropriate solution, it is very important to determine the cause of the humidity, the type of damage, and the characteristics of the construction.

In this article we highlight some frequently asked questions on the subject that should be clarified:

1. What are the main types of humidity?

In addition to causing significant damage, humidity jeopardizes the comfort and well-being of those who frequent the space.

Among the main causes for its appearance are:

Ascending humidity
Humidity caused by rain
Moisture from condensation
Moisture in the construction
Moisture caused by leaks in the plumbing

It can be easily identified in the destroyed plaster, stains, salt efflorescence, growth of microorganisms, and mosses.

If rising dampness is the cause, the repair has to take into account, for most of the existing “solutions”, several factors such as salt content and moisture content.

KÖSTER’ Crisin 76 Concentrate system is suitable even in cases of high humidity content, for most types of salts, and it is not necessary to alkalinize the substrate for the material to react.

2. Why does humidity rise through masonry?

This type of infiltration is caused by inadequate waterproofing of the structures or materials used in the floor and foundation. This way, the humidity present in the soil is able to enter the pores of mortar, stone, or concrete, progressively infiltrating through the capillarity of the materials.

It manifests itself through salt efflorescence, stains, and the development of microorganisms and mosses on walls and structures.

For this reason, the best way to avoid rising damp is to waterproof these places with systems that guarantee permanent efficiency, regardless of the pore structure and the type of material with which the masonry is built.

3. How does rising dampness destroy masonry?

In a masonry affected by rising dampness, water is transported upwards through capillary networks and evaporates at the surface, continuously renewing this cycle.

When the water that contains salts evaporates in the walls, these crystallize in the pores of the materials. After a period of accumulation of salt crystals the pressure increases, leading to the destruction of the materials, which begin to fall.

Ice and frost have a similar effect: when water freezes in the pores it causes an increase in the volume of the crystals, which intensifies the pressure that causes the materials to degrade.

4. How can I solve this problem permanently?

Resulting from decades of experience and research by KÖSTER, the method we follow to solve rising damp is absolutely beyond doubt. The KÖSTER Crisin 76 Concentrate is the key to ensuring that no product is wasted and avoiding damage to the masonry.

This solution follows three effects:

It aligns the capillaries with a water-repellent film;
Narrows the pore so much that capillary action becomes impossible;
It cures the problem by forming a membrane across the full diameter of the capillary tube.

Moreover, this system can be applied to different types of support and obtains excellent results even in old and historical buildings.

The first applications of this solution are more than 30 years old and keep the horizontal barriers intact and working 100%.

5. How should the injection systems be installed? With or without pressure?

This is a very pertinent question since an inadequate choice can cause considerable damage to the walls and at the same time waste, the material applied. Horizontal barriers are usually installed with high-pressure or no pressure injection systems. In the case of Prudêncio, we propose the non-pressure solution.

If you choose a high-pressure injection system, it is true that it is a method that allows very quick applications, but it is a ” blind” injection that ends up filling large voids unnecessarily and wasting the material. Even worse, it does not guarantee the filling of the finest capillaries, questioning the effectiveness of the system.

For this reason, at Prudêncio we use the above-mentioned system, which is pressureless and has numerous advantages over the more “conventional” method, such as:

The injected liquid is efficiently transported to the capillaries, which are part of the mechanism that causes the moisture to rise through the wall;
No material is lost in cracks or voids;
The amount of material is injected into the masonry in a “surgical” way, acting only in the active pores;
It avoids damage to the masonry and very pronounced aesthetic changes.

Certified KÖSTER applicators

There is no other way to solve this problem other than waterproofing performed by professionals specialized in this type of case.

At Prudêncio, we privilege a unique solution: KÖSTER’s patented resin system. This solution definitively waterproofs the foundation elements, walls, and pillars that are in direct contact with the ground by creating a horizontal barrier to rising dampness.

For more information please ask for an expert diagnosis. Feel free to contact us!