What is penetrating damp?

One of the most common causes of damp, penetrating damp (otherwise known as water ingress or lateral damp) generally occurs within older buildings, but can occur in properties of any age and at any level of the building.

Penetrating damp is the result of water infiltration through an external wall and into the property. This occurs either due to water entering through a defect in the building or when external brick or stone walls have degraded to the point where they become porous and allow water ingress to pass through the external wall into the property.

There are a number of sources that can cause penetrating damp including:

• Different types of building defects - including overflowing gutters, leaking or blocked pipes, damaged pointing and flashing, dilapidated or poorly installed windows and missing roof tiles.
• Porous walls – ageing bricks lose their ability to keep out rain penetration while cracks in external render allow problematic water ingress.
• Spalled bricks and degraded mortar – damage to brickwork can allow water to penetrate into your home.

Penetrating damp can be damaging to a property even if it does not penetrate all the way through a wall. It can lead to other damp related issues such as wet rot and dry rot, damp plasterwork, increased heat loss, damp musty smells, frost damage to masonry and unsightly water damage on both the outside and inside of a property.

Like most damp problems, penetrating damp is like tooth ache to a property; the longer you leave it, the more damaging it can become.  

Our first suggested step would be for you to check out our penetrating damp treatment web page where you will be able to gain a better understanding of what is needed to treat the problem. Alternatively consult with a specialist penetrating damp consultant like ourselves at Peter Cox

At Peter Cox, we can provide you with a professional penetrating damp survey and supply effective, specialist penetrating damp treatment. We will carry out a detailed assessment of the extent of any damage and make recommendations on the type of treatment (if necessary) that you may require to return your property to its natural dry and safe state. Take a look at the links below to find out how we can help you.

For more information about penetrating damp and the treatments that we offer, please feel free to contact Peter Cox for further details. Alternatively, you can click the button below to book a survey.