Damp proofing is really a material that's put in structures to avoid dampness from rising through the capillary action of the bricks that are usually slightly porous. The material used in damp proofing may be one of numerous things and performs a function similar to that of a solid ground.
The majority of countries require that buildings get some kind of damp proofing put in place during construction, but it's entirely possible that this preliminary damp proofing may fall short. When this occurs, the actual moisture in the earth can find its way into your wall space though that capillary motion stated earlier. If the atmosphere is also fairly damp, then the salts which are in the ground water may soak up water from the surrounding atmosphere and add to the problem. This can induce wall paper to peel, adornments to become ruined as well as plaster to fall off the walls. It is also dangerous for your health because damp enables all kinds of fungi as well as moulds to grow, and the spores of these may aggravate or even trigger things like bronchial asthma.
There are a number of materials that can be used for damp proofing the building.
. Hot bitumen
. Plastic sheets
. Bituminous felt
. Sheets of lead as well as copper
. Mastic asphalt
. Impervious bricks
. Stones
. Slates
. Cement mortar
. Mortar with waterproofing elements
. Coarse layers of sand
Everything depends upon the budget of the building project and what is available and best for the area where the building will be built.
Some older houses may only have one layer of damp proofing which might quickly fail. If this happens you must have this fixed or replaced. There are a few solutions readily available for this. They are silicone based and may end up being inserted without doing an excessive amount of damage to the floor and wall space.
There is silane diffusion. A concentrated silicone cream is actually fed in to the gaps in the current damp proofing system. There is siliconate transfusion. The silicone cream is actually fed into the spaces through a system that relies on the law of gravity. Finally there's siliconate injection where a silicon cream is actually shot in to the gaps. This is usually employed for single brick walls.
You might want to find out what damp proofing your house has because a few of the older damp proofing materials utilized asbestos fiber as part of their composition. Your own first clue as to whether there is asbestos is in the colour, if it is an old gray damp proofing it may very well contain asbestos fiber. If this is the case, you may want to have it replaced with something which is much less dangerous to your health than asbestos fiber.
Damp proofing is necessary to prevent water damage to your house over the regular course of its life. It will also help your house be a more healthy environment as damp makes it possible for the growth of spore creating moulds and fungi which can worsen and even cause respiratory problems. Be sure you home has adequate damp proofing and safeguard your family's health.