Do you suffer from damp in your property?
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The water rising up through the fabric of the wall, or the ground underneath it, from the brick, block, or stone, is causing the current moisture in your walls to rise wet. Water travels up the wall through tiny holes in the brick or stone due to capillary force (water is drawn through the tube or hole or a small aperture) as it travels upward. The water will cease rising when the power of the capillary action moving higher is counteracted by gravity. The maximum height of this is generally 1.2m. However, due to non-breathing wall coverings like renders, non-breathing plasters, vinyl wallpaper, and paints, the effects of the damp can be evident higher up. Oppositely to penetrating damp, which occurs on the top of the walls or on ceilings due to rain penetration, this damp is derived from water ingress on the ground or underneath it.
The most common mistake of increasing damp is to confuse it with condensation effects, where water vapour becomes liquid by contact with cold surfaces. Surface condensation can have a similar appearance, but a few tell-tale signs indicate the problem is present.
According to specialists, taking masonry samples, particularly mortar, is a reliable technique to define increasing damp. Investigating the conditions from within the depths of the wall can reveal whether or not your home is affected by growing dampness.
You have increasing dampness if the samples reveal evidence of water penetration. If you have a condensation problem, this will not be the case.
A Damp Proof Course (DPC) is a treatment option for rising dampness rather than condensation. In any instance, if you apply it incorrectly, you will not be able to address the problem. Any misdiagnosis will result in the use of the incorrect solution. The best course of action is to contact Sussex Damp Experts, who have well-qualified professionals and a good reputation in the business.
Before addressing a wall for excessive moisture, it’s essential to determine if the moisture is due exclusively to increasing dampness or if additional factors like condensation or rain penetration are contributing to the problem.
When looking into the possibility of growing dampness, it’s critical to rule out other water infiltration sources. Other potential sources of moisture must be eliminated, particularly condensation in the colder months, and it is critical to conduct a thorough examination at all times. Suppose any additional sources of water intrusion are discovered. In that case, they must be removed before a fair evaluation of any growing dampness can be made since distinguishing between two or more intervening causes of water infiltration can be difficult.
The survey must be completed that all possible moisture areas are recorded. More caution is required when moisture and hence deterioration may be undetected, such as beneath timber suspended flooring. Wherever there is wood and humidity, the risk of decay should always be reported, and the client should be informed.
There may be numerous moisture indicators throughout the survey, and it is critical that they all be recognised as thoroughly as possible.
It might be challenging to discern between many sources of water entry when there are several. Excessive wetness at the base of the wall, which gradually decreases as it rises, indicates the existence of active rising dampness. This moisture gradient is generally visible up to 1.5 metres, but it can reach more considerable heights depending on the circumstances and the damp masonry protection at its construction. A ‘tidemark’ can occasionally be seen running almost horizontally along the wall, with the area below it clearly moist.
A ‘band’ of hygroscopic salts on the masonry can also establish the presence of damp problems but will not distinguish between an active or past complex.
It’s essential to specify the type and origins of the damp issue because it will affect the range of treatments and the course of actions needed. For example, a Damp Proof Course (DPC) is one of the options as a treatment for rising dampness, but not for wet rot problems.
There are some symptoms that indicate growing humidity on a wall. It’s always advisable to pay attention to them with regular inspections to get them addressed as soon as possible to avoid more significant expenses and disruption to the building residents.
Tide markings left on the wall, which is one of the most prevalent indicators of growing damp, are tell-tale signs. The salt in the earth and evaporation produce the tidal markings. They may be seen up to 1m above the skirting board.
If you don’t see any tide markings, you could notice wet spots or stains on the walls. Typically, you’ll notice a wet area that’s brown or yellow and resembles tide markings. Above the skirting board, you’ll be able to view these as well.
Lookout along with the skirting board if you see fungus developing or crawling out on the side. Growing dampness may damage timbers and come into touch with various objects, as it does with other types of dampness. Pay special attention to any flaking or damaged paint. Note that if the damages only seem to connect with the top of the building, there’s probable cause to think of penetrating damp instead.
Salt in the form of fluffy white deposits is another symptom. When the salts are washed out of your brick and into the plaster, they appear as blistering patches on your walls
If you see black mould growing over your skirting board, it’s an indication that there’s a source of moisture in the region. It might be an indication of increasing dampness if there is no other evidence of black mould in the house or elsewhere, and the black mould is localised from the skirting board up to 1m above.
Look out if your wallpaper starts to come away from the skirting board and curls up at the corner; it might be rising wet.
Examine the area where you believe there is growing moisture and rub your fingertips around it. You might feel some hard salts on your hands and even see them falling on the ground.
Look at inside exposed surfaces with stones or brickwork. Check if the brick is moist or if salts are developing in addition to the paint. It’s also worth noting that increasing dampness will only occur on the ground floor levels since moisture from the earth is pushed up the wall, causing the problem.
However, there are more different types of damp to be aware of. Please check on our website for more information. These clear signs strongly suggest that a growing dampness survey is required to investigate further the causes and the level of damage on the property before the issue grows further and deeper into the building structure.
Sussex Damp Experts provide specialised surveys to assist remove increasing dampness caused by the absence or damage of a damp-proof membrane or the bridging, breakdown, or lack of physical damp. We provide surveys and solutions for wet concrete floors and growing dampness. This will aid in the removal of increasing damp from a house.
A fully certified and trained surveyor will:
When appropriately used, a surface electrical moisture metre can provide a valuable indicator of the presence of a growing dampness complex. Still, it cannot provide absolute confirmation, especially if remedial work has already been completed.
Quantitative moisture measurements are necessary for an accurate evaluation of possible rising dampness, and specific procedures must be carried out to achieve a precise diagnosis. This entails taking a vertical sequence of drilled samples and measuring each sample’s hygroscopic and capillary moisture content. Because the capillary moisture content reflects water intrusion, its existence and distribution in the vertical profile will reveal whether or not rising dampness is present. This method will also detect moisture issues caused by hygroscopic salt contamination rather than water penetration.
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The answer is a definitive yes. You may have significant health issues for everyone living inside as a result of rising humidity. These issues have particular prominence in people with other respiratory complications and previous related conditions.
The cost of the examination may vary depending on how quickly you detect growing damp and the size of the structure. A damp and timber survey is accessible, and it saves you money in the long run by preventing property damage.
Our team of professionals will accurately analyse and diagnose the severity of your rising damp problem. Specific damp treatments and the most effective techniques to treat your condition will be recommended. Our experts are trained to meet and surpass the industry standards. Our surveyors are Certified Surveyors in Remedial Treatment (CSRT), which is why we offer the best level of care and priority to our customers.
Make an appointment for a rising dampness survey, or give us a call, and we’ll put you in touch with a local team. We have several damp surveyors that can and swiftly schedule a visit to your house when most convenient for you.
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© 2026 Damp Experts Group Ltd. All rights reserved. | Company Number: 02562865
Correspondence address: Palmerston House Farren Court, The Street, Cowfold, West Sussex, England, RH13 8BP
© 2026 Damp Experts Group Ltd. All rights reserved. | Company Number: 02562865
Correspondence address: Palmerston House Farren Court, The Street, Cowfold, West Sussex, England, RH13 8BP
