Rising damp is a common problem in homes that lack an effective damp proofing barrier. It happens when your home's foundation walls absorb moisture from the ground, driven by a natural phenomenon known as Capillary Suction. The moisture travels upward through tiny channels in the masonry, carrying dissolved salts with it.

Here's what most homeowners don't realise: the damage you can see on the surface is only the beginning. Those salts crystallise inside the brickwork — right where the wall meets the foundation — and over time they turn solid mortar and brick to dust from the inside out.

Modern damp proofing works by injecting DampBlock™ AQ50 resin into the centre of each brick. It cures to form a permanent damp-proof course (DPC) — a new moisture barrier created inside the wall itself, without removing a single brick.

Left untreated, rising damp causes three escalating problems. Cosmetic damage comes first — paint blistering, tide-like stains creeping up the wall, and crumbling plaster at the base. Structural damage follows as salts crystallise inside the masonry, weakening mortar joints and turning solid brickwork to powder over time. Health risks arrive last — persistent dampness creates the perfect environment for mould growth, triggering respiratory issues for your family.

Every home built before the 1970s relied on a physical DPC — typically slate, lead, or bitumen felt laid into the brickwork at construction. Over decades, those materials break down, crack, or get bridged by raised garden beds and paths. Once the barrier fails, there is nothing stopping ground moisture from climbing your walls.

Damp proofing replaces what time has taken away. Once the new DPC is in place, the wall dries naturally. Salt damage stops progressing. And your walls are finished smooth, clean, and ready to paint.