Salt Attack & Rising Damp
Salt attack and rising damp are two separate but interrelated processes. Both must be understood if damage is to be minimised and if corrective measures are to be successful.
At K&S Restorations, we believe in carrying out a full inspection of the building to determine the source of the damp issues and rectify it prior to making a decision on whether further action is required in the form of chemical injection or the installation of a new damp proof course (DPC).
Once the moisture issue has been addressed, we then recommend desalinating the walls if damaging salts are evident (this is the natural salts which are drawn into the walls with the moisture that causes the damp). This process is carried out by coating the walls with a specially designed poultice system which draws the salts out and leaves the walls ready to be restored to their original condition.
Manage Salt Attack & Rising Damp
What is Rising Damp?
Rising damp is a form of dampness that occurs, particularly in older buildings, when groundwater rises up through walls, floors and masonry via capillary action, which is the ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces in opposition to gravity. In simple terms, the water rises up the wall of a building in the same way that oil rises up through the wick of a lamp using small continuous pores in a material. Bricks and mortar can be very porous and contain many fine capillaries through which water can rise.
What is Salt Attack?
Salt attack is the damage that is caused by salt residue which is left behind and crystalizes in the pores of materials such as stones and other masonry materials. The salt is transferred through water that may be carried in the various surrounds of the material. When the water is evaporated through dryer surroundings, the salt residuals are deposited in the pores of the masonry material. Overtime this recurrence of wetting and drying of the pores causes a slow increase of salt in the pores and capillaries of the material resulting in a more concentrated salt remnant. It is at this time when the crystals will form. As the crystals grow, granules from the masonry will expand, thus exerting internal forces and stresses. The internal forces that the salt crystals exert may lead to eventual damage to the stone or masonry material.
Manage Salt Attack & Rising Damp: Contact us today or connect us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
