Heritage maintenance: Rising damp

Information sheet 2.1

This information sheet provides a brief introduction to rising damp, its control and treatment, for the owner or manager of buildings of heritage value.

Date
1 March 1998
Publisher
Heritage Office
Type
Publication, Technical note
Status
Final
Cost
Free
Language
English
Tags
  • ISBN 1-87641-5754
  • File PDF 102KB
  • Pages 6
  • Name heritage-maintenance-rising-damp-2004.pdf

Rising damp occurs as a result of capillary suction of moisture from the ground into porous masonry building materials such as stone, brick, earth and mortar. The moisture evaporates from either face of the wall (inside or outside), allowing more to be drawn from below. The height to which the moisture will rise is determined by the evaporation rate and the nature of the wall. The normal limit for rising damp ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 metres above ground level.