Lateral (Penetrating) Damp
Lateral damp penetration is a cause of penetrating damp. This occurs when the external ground level is higher than the building so moisture is able to penetrate the walls. Penetrating damp is usually classed as any kind of water that makes it’s way in from the outside
Causes Of Lateral Damp
- Moisture pushes laterally into the wall below the dampproofing course
- Happens often on multi-level floors, where the fill and paving (flower beds) are packed above the DPC ( Damp-Proofing course), causing moisture to push above the DPC and into the walls.
Dampfinda Do’s & Dont’s
Do's
- Remove contaminated plaster to minus 200mm above the damp to-dry brick.
- Inject a new DPC and waterproof below/above the new DPC.
- Waterproof both sides of the wall where possible, and re-plaster with a waterproofing plaster.
Dont's
- Scrape and paint
- Apply a waterproofing product on the wall to the height of the dampness, as the dampness will rise above the waterproofing and create a bigger problem.
- Do only one side of the wall.
