What Causes Damp?

There are several causes of damp apart from the most obvious - a leaking pipe.

Having first identified that the damp issue is not a simple or even complex leak, there remain three major forms of damp that are easily identifiable to the trained eye.

Main types and cause of damp.

Rising Damp
Penetrating Damp
Condensation
Prevention or Cure?

Rising damp caused by a break down...

of the D.P.M. system thus allowing damp to access the concrete block or stone foundation. This is caused by the quality of materials used, damp penetrates the concrete block, accesses the re-enforcement steel and uses them like a metro system.

Once situated at the lower end of the columns the damp rises due to capillary attraction.

Once above ground level rising damp exists the property via the concrete or the brickwork, showing itself in the form of blowing, bubbling or cracking of plaster/rendering.

Rising damp rises to a maximium of 1m to 1.5m above ground level.

Many properties, including a very large number of new constructions, in Greece have been built without a D.P.M.

Lateral & penetrating damp...

looks like marbling of paint work and rendering. It may also display very fine cracks or lines. Once again this is due to either poor materials and paint used in the building phase or a poor rendering mix - for instance too much salt in the sand at point of construction.

A bridged wall cavity, or lack of cavity, will also encourage penetrating damp.

Other causes may relate to the age of the property and lack of general maintenance over time - blown rendering, crumbling pointing, pourous stone, damaged roof tiles are all known to contribute to penetrating damp.

Condensation damp...

can occur as a result of the lack of natural air-flow in sealed (closed) rooms, insufficient home heating during colder weather, uninsulated walls or ceilings, the presence of a 'cold bridge' in poorly constructed windows and double glazing, and as part of the drying out process in new building work.

The visual symptons are patches or areas of moisture droplets and the presence of mould - especially where insulation is not present.

Condensation can appear on walls, floors, ceilings and windows. It can equally affect plaster, cement, wood and paint.

Prevention is always better than cure...

in the long run it is the better course of action. Invariably a cure is more expensive as additional work is nearly always required.

You should consider that aside from the expense and damage that damp creates, it is unsightly and can be dangerous to the health of your household members.