How To Fix Damp Walls In South Africa

Damp proofing is a skilled trade and should not be considered a DIY practice.

Damp is the unwanted presence of moisture within a structure, whether on the exterior or interior of the building. It can be caused by different aspects such as leaking plumbing pipes, rising dampness, water ingress from roofs or window sills, and condensation.

How To Fix Damp Walls In South Africa

Damp proofing works as long-term prevention of unwanted moisture. Damp treatment is NOT as simple as scraping off loose and flaking paint and coating with a product from your nearest hardware.

There are various types of damp. If the damp is not found at the base of the wall and is situated above eye level then it is not rising damp.

The area around the damp would then need to be inspected to investigate the cause. It could be a leaking downpipe, roof leak, plumbing, balcony leak, or even a small crack on the exterior of the wall.

How Do I Know If My Home Has Rising Damp Treatment?

When a building is in the construction phase, a damp proofing course should be installed at the base of the walls. Either by a specialized waterproofing or damp proofing contractor.

Damp-proofing and waterproofing in new builds is only 1.5% of the entire building cost. It is not an unnecessary purchase that many building contractors make it out to be.

If you want your property to last as long as it should, do NOT skip out on proper waterproofing and damp proofing. If damp is found at the base of your walls, then it is likely rising damp. That means either there is no damp proofing course. Or there has been damage to the foundation where the damp proofing course has been installed.

Contact The Damp Proofing Specialists

We are a 4th generation waterproofing and damp proofing company in Johannesburg.

Our generation of waterproofing and damp proofing businesses have come from Cape Town and Gauteng. Therefore, we have seen tried and tested waterproofing and damp proofing methods that have failed to make our solutions unbeatable.

How do I permanently fix damp walls?

Fill a bucket with water and a mild detergent-like washing-up liquid.

Dip a cloth in water and wipe the mould off the wall.

Once you’ve removed the mould, use a dry rag to remove the rest of the moisture.

Throw away the cloth and vacuum the room to make sure you’ve removed all of the spores.