Rising Dampness and Mould? Don’t Ignore the Signs

Modern work-from-home arrangements and the recent pandemic have encouraged families to spend more time at home. With this trend, many are also taking interest in home improvement projects, or noticing issues that could often be missed when we’re out at the office or school day in day out.

One such issue is rising dampness. While it might not seem to be a great concern at first, it can be a sign for something more serious and should not be ignored. Rising dampness can be noticed by:

• Musty smells
• Mould and wet patches on walls
• Flaky or bubbling plaster
• Swollen floorboards, door frames, and skirting
• Coughing and sneezing more than usual
• Water lying around under home when preparing for a renovation project

Can you leave Rising Dampness untreated?

Just because it’s not causing immediate problems, doesn’t mean that it would go away on its own. In fact, if left untreated, it can cause extensive damage to the structure of your property. Moisture can cause timber to rot and attract termites, affect the concrete foundation, and even crumble brick and mortar as ground salts erode the binding.

In addition, dampness and mould can affect your immune system. Compromising the health of your family, and cause respiratory infections, allergies, or trigger asthma attacks.

Who can help with Rising Dampness?

First, it’s important to determine the cause of the unusual moisture. The dampness and mould may be caused by a hidden leak within walls or underground. While you can try to figure out its location, realistically it is highly unlikely as water travels far and wide. Unless you’re prepared to destroy your garden or put holes in your walls, the more efficient and economical option is to engage a professional plumber specialising in leak detection and rising dampness.

What can be done?

Depending on the cause of the rising dampness, there are various ways to treat the issue. Hidden leaks can be located via specialised equipment such as the CCTV drain cameras and be repaired or replaced. However, it may be that you noticed the rising damp when planning a renovation, which is related to the property design and drainage system.

Recently, the Wild Water Plumbing team came across a property in which the basement of the home is 1m into the ground, with water pooling behind the house making the lower level mouldy. We were able to provide a solution by digging down to the footing of the building, then installing trenches and AGI piping with positive fall into the stone on which the foundation is rested. This required expert knowledge and specialist skills, which Wild Water Plumbing is proud to possess, being the only plumber who was able to come up with a viable and successful solution.

It is important that you engage the services of a specialist plumber. Wild Water Plumbing is the only plumber in Sydney who specialises in rising dampness and mould. Servicing the Northern Beaches and North Shore community, we provide efficient, reliable, and affordable solutions for rising dampness and mould issues in your home. Get in touch today.