The main cause of damp is due to porous building materials. Pores act as a passageway for water in the form of rising damp and direct water penetration. When water evaporates, the water soluble salts and/or acids are left behind in and on the surface area. The signs of damp damage are blistering paint followed by efflorescence which breaks down the cement. Typical chemical attack would be one or more of the following: Acid attack, Sulfate attack, Mineral salt attack.
Possible Causes:
- Leaking roofs due to leaks, wrong design or constructions.
- Defects in and around chimneys.
- Defects in gutters and down pipes.
- Penetrating dampness through walls, around windows, window sills, parapet walls and cracks in plaster
- Leaking pipes.
- Condensation in walls and ceilings.
- No or blocked air vents.
- Rising damp.