Treating Salt Damp on Internal Walls

Here’s a photograph from our latest survey in Goole. The external wall of this property is heavily affected by salt due to a persistent rising damp problem; the wall in question is the external face of a wall on which damp was found entering the ground floor living room of a property.

The cause of Salt Contamination

Salt makes its way onto the internal surfaces of damp walls when it is carried through the masonry by rising or penetrating damp. Where rising damp occurs, damp from the ground rises upwards through masonry onto the internal surfaces of walls. As it does so, it carries with it ground salts and when the moisture eventually evaporates on the surface of a wall, it leaves behind a deposit of salt.  Over time, as more and more damp rises and evaporates, more salt builds up on the surface of the wall.

Why is Salt Contamination a problem?

Salt contaminated wall plasters should be removed and replaced as part of most damp proofing treatments. This is solely because of the build up of salt on the plaster surface. Salt is hygroscopic, meaning that it will attract and absorb any humidity from the internal air of a property and hold it as water droplets on the surface of the wall. Of course, this means that, even if the source of rising damp has been cured, the wall would still appear damp if the salts deposited there were not removed.

Salt Contamination Treatment

We specialise in the prevention and treatment of Salt Contamination. As part of any of our damp proofing systems, we consider and treat the presence of salts on an internal wall surface. Where salt contamination is discovered, our track record of putting right its cause and eradicating the problem is second to none.

Damp Proofing Specialists

We are specialists in the treatment and prevention of Rising Damp, Penetrating and the Salt Contamination which follows. Where you suspect that Rising Damp or Penetrating Damp is affecting your home, we advise that you contact us as soon as possible.