Do Blocked Drains Cause Rising Damp? A Detailed Guide
Rising damp is a common and serious issue that can affect both your health and your home. There are a number of causes of rising damp, including heavy rainfall and condensation. Clogged drains are also identified as one of the main causes of this problem. In fact, one of the most common causes of rising damp issues is blocked drains. Avoid this to happen, check your drains now with https://jmjetwise.co.uk
To find out more about rising damp, how clogged drains can cause this issue as well as a few effective ways of remedying this problem, continue reading below.
What Is Rising Damp?
The Term rising damp is used in reference to an uncommon form of damp that affects the walls of structures/buildings. Rising damp normally occurs when moisture/water, moves up walls by capillary action. Simply put, water is sucked up through tiny tubes found in a structure’s masonry or brickwork. As the water moves upwards, it carries with it any dissolved salts. It is worth noting that the spreading of moisture/water is further aided by the presence of other porous building materials – such as the wood used to make skirting, joists and floorboards, as well as the plasterwork found in walls.
Some of the main signs of rising damp include excessive condensation and a musty and damp smell around your home, mold growth on floors, ceiling and walls, discoloured or dark damp patches on the walls, flaking and peeling wallpaper and paint on walls and damaged wood on skirting boards, among others.
How Do Blocked Drains Cause Rising Damp?
Leaks in your home’s plumbing system are one of the main causes of wet rot and rising damp. Blocked drains can lead to leaks in the plumbing system as drainage water looks for an escape route. This water can form a pool; and with it, increase the chances of the occurrence of rising damp. Over time, a blocked drain can cause water to leak into your home’s walls, floors and ceiling, creating a damp environment.
In general, blocked drains are caused by the flushing of various objects down the drain pipes, leading to a build-up of debris over time. Broken drainage pipes and root ingress into drainage pipes are also common causes of blocked drains. With time, the build-up causes increased pressure within the pipes, which can lead to broken pipes, in addition to reducing flow efficiency of the drainage system. All these issues increase the likelihood of leaks developing within your home’s drainage system.
Fortunately, you can keep your drainage system running smoothly with the help of various drainage unblocking methods. Simply put, you can prevent riding damp by ensuring that your home’s drains running smoothly by clearing any blockages swiftly.
Ways Of Dealing with Rising Damp
Keeping your home’s drainage system running seamlessly can go a long way towards preventing rising damp. However, this is not the only solution to this common problem.
As previously mentioned, rising damp occurs when moisture, mainly ground water moves up walls or structures through tiny holes/tubes in the masonry or brickwork through capillary forces. The appearance and structural integrity of a building can be significantly affected by moisture infiltration.
A damp-proof course of a waterproof plastic membrane installed along the mortar line of a structure is used to prevent rising damp in modern buildings. In older buildings, where this course has been damaged over time, a new damp-proof course can be created in order to counter rising damp. In the past, it was necessary to cut into the masonry line in order to install a new damp-proof course. Fortunately, this tedious, time consuming and costly process is no longer necessary today. There are less intrusive and damaging damp-proofing course solutions available on the market today. Damp-proof course products can be conveniently injected into a structure’s masonry or brickwork through strategically placed holes, creating an effective barrier against rising damp.
Conclusion
Rising damp can cause serious damage to your property, in addition to exposing the occupants to serious health risks. From the above, it is clear to see that blocked drains can cause rising damp. With that in mind, it is upon you to do everything you can to fix any blocked drains before they lead to rising damp issues.
Contact a qualified plumber immediately, if you have spotted any signs of blocked drains or rising damp caused by blocked drains.
