Damp
Telling them apart.
The pattern, the height, the timing and the salts. Four pieces of evidence that between them account for nearly every damp wall in Scotland.
Diagnosis
Rising damp
- Defined horizontal tide line, typically 0.5–1.2 m
- Hygroscopic salts present in the plaster
- Constant through the year rather than after rain
- Often traced to raised external ground, a bridged or rendered-over DPC, or a blocked sub-floor vent
Where a chemical DPC is genuinely warranted we install one and re-plaster to a salt-retardant specification. Where it isn't, we say so.
Diagnosis
Penetrating damp
- Localised patch, any height, worst after driving rain
- Traceable to a defect: cracked harling, open joints, failed pointing, blocked or split downpipe, slipped slate, chimney flashing
- Cement render or plastic paint on a lime-built wall, holding water in
- Exposed west-coast elevations taking the brunt of it
The fix is nearly always building repair rather than chemical treatment — which is why our report tells you what to instruct, not what to buy from us.
Diagnosis
Condensation & mould
- Black spot growth in corners, on cold reveals, behind furniture and inside wardrobes on external walls
- Worst in winter, worst in bedrooms and bathrooms
- Driven by cold surfaces, moisture production and too little ventilation
- Frequently made worse by sealing up an old building
We measure surface temperatures and humidity, identify the cold bridges, and specify ventilation and heating improvements. No chemical treatment resolves condensation.
Diagnosis
Plumbing & defect leaks
- Sharp, contained, often below a bathroom or kitchen
- Flat roofs, box gutters, valley gutters and shared close roofs
- Ingress from the flat above in tenement property
- Frequently mislabelled as rising damp because it presents low down
Identifying the true source matters commercially as well as technically: it determines whether the cost sits with you, a neighbour, a factor or an insurer.