It’s one of those things in life that keeps coming back; damp on walls can be an absolute nightmare and if put your head in the sand and do not deal with it, damp walls will continue to be a recurring and time consuming problems.
So let's look at the root causes and then we can put together a plan of action. Tanking damp walls - meaning that you are going to apply a paint or product is one method of treating damp walls. You would consider this method of damp proofing walls if you had high external ground levels or if your problem is in a basement. If you are right below the ground then you may have to get some professional advice as it can be more complicated than constant blistering of paint damp proofing wall situation.
Let’s diagnose the common problems with damp on walls to eliminate the obvious so a damp walls treatment can be installed.
Q Look outside, are your gutters full of leaves and water is constantly dripping down your brickwork?
A. You see a white powder on the bricks which manifests internally and blows plaster or paint. So clean out the gutters and test to ensure that no water is dripping on the outside of your property.
Q. Is your external pipe work and traps clear of debris?
A. Building debris and rubbish even the odd tennis ball jammed in the external drainage can cause a back up and a potential problem. Make sure all your external drainage is clear at all times.
Q.You toilet or boiler overflow is it discharging down the walls?
A. This can be seen on properties which are not being looked after and can often be the cause of damp on walls at high levels internally. In multi-storey properties with a active overflow pipe you can visualise the damp externally prior to entering the property. Stop the discharge and you will effectively stop the problem. You will not have a damp proof wall situation here more so just a cut back damage and re-plaster and redecorate.
Q.We talked earlier about high ground levels. This means is their earth against the lower part of the wall that may bridging the damp proof course.
Get rid of earth if you can by digging it away from your walls. Damp cellars are another problem all together and by their very nature will have damp on walls. In a Damp Cellar situation you cannot always dig the earth away so I would treat the problem with an internal technique. What I find is in existing cellars that damp tanking or damp injection processes are just not suitable because you may be dealing with the problem of ground water not just damp on walls. Also I find introducing a wet product to deal with a wet situation does not make sense. Give me a dry dimpled sheet product anytime its much easier and you will save time and money here.
Once you have looked at the above questions and you are still have damp on walls you turn to the various techniques available to deal with the traditional problem of rising and penetrating damp in the structure. DIY damp course products are available such as creams which require an injection damp proof layer of product into the mortar course of the brickwork 150mm above external ground level. These products substitute for a failed damp proof course if the property did not have on the first instance. This technique if applied properly can deal with rising dampness tracking up through what is called capillary action from the ground a major cause of damp on walls. However, what happens if you are getting damp on walls from driving or penetrating rain? A damp proof injection will certainly not help here. The traditional cause of this problem has been failed external pointing to the brickwork and it can be a very expensive and time consuming repair.
So I am constantly diagnosing causes of dampness in buildings and 99% of the time I keep recommending dimpled sheet membranes. Internally and externally these systems can have a direct finish applied and they allow the property to "breathe" and dry out. The isolation/air void created gives you the ability put finishes onto the membrane and allows the walls to dry out. No dampness can make it through to the front of the membrane. Externally it creates a complete layer so no driving or penetrating rain can get through. Oh and by the way it also takes the place of a damp proof course!
Read an article about damp proof course
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