Exploring dampness

Water is an extremely complex substance. As long as it keeps raining, our gutters and roofs will need gradients, our windows will need cills and our doors thresholds. These details have, for generations, kept the worst of the defects at bay. Alterations to these fundamental elements require careful attention if defects are to be prevented.

Why an investigation is required in the first instance

What people mean when they complain about 'damp' is not always useful information: the reasons they complain may not have any bearing on what needs to be resolved. If there is a pure structural reason why a remedy has to be initiated, this is usually a process of logical evaluation and applied remedies, such as the replacement of rotten joists or broken pipes. If there is a legal reason why 'damp' has to be analysed and blame apportioned, similar applied reasoning and balanced judgement could be applied.

But resolving the problem of damp for a resident is not always a process of following logical diagnosis with logical remedies. Walls that could be considered to be technically damp, may be of little concern to anyone!

Damp can be approached using a number of processes; however the surveyor seldom has the comfort of diagnosis in a controlled and quiet laboratory, with no deadlines impending. In reality, many decisions have to be made quickly, and sometimes mistakes can be made. Damp can be immensely difficult to diagnose, yet remarkably simple to solve. The danger lies in being persuaded that it is the other way around.

Water penetration problems can come to the fore at a time in a project, often when it is least welcome. At such times the pressure of deadlines can cloud previous knowledge. The usual solution is to remove the affected surface, seal the surface below (after a period of forced drying), apply a water-resistant material and then finish with either a waterproof material or a lining material, all of which can prove to be plausible.

However, there is a risk that this could make matters worse. Some may be tempted to use temporary solutions to attack the symptoms, or to apply the same remedy no matter what the cause. Interestingly, warranties for damp-proofing work seem to last for about 5 years, which is generally about the same length of time it takes for problems to re-emerge.

Having a basic model to manage damp, you can stay independent, confident, open-minded, in control of expectations and, hopefully, succeed in resolving the issues. The causes of damp are well documented and extensively researched. However, few can remember everything in detail, so the framework is designed to be a manageable concept. See One thing leads to another for more information.