Rising damp can cause serious damage to your home if not treated properly, especially if you live in a building that is fairly old. This is because many older homes and buildings will have been built without the addition of a damp proofing course, but the newer houses that are built today will have been. This is because the law now states that new homes must have a damp proofing course built in at the time of construction without exception.

So what are the main causes of rising damp in your home, but more importantly how is it treated? Poor brickwork is one way that rising damp can occur, or poor pointing another. The eternal rendering on your home may be cracked so this can also cause rising damp to occur, and even poor or damaged guttering can cause you some serious problems in years to come. All of these problems can lead to other problems as well, problems like dry rot and wet rot in timbers.

If you think your home is at risk from rising damp it is always best to seek specialist advice, advice from a registered builder or qualified contractor for example, or even a timber preservation expert. Check the local papers for adverts, or check the internet to see if there is a company in your area who you can call upon. Do not be afraid to ask these companies for details of their previous customers either. If they are a worthwhile and reputable company they will be only too pleased to put in you touch with their previous customers, customers who have recently had work completed.

You can of course treat rising damp yourself as there are now DIY damp proofing kits available in the shops, but if you are not confident or unsure of how to proceed call the experts as you could do more harm than good.

Once your home has been treated with a damp proofing course you will of course need to re-decorate. Depending on what treatment you have had done you will more than likely need to re-plaster the walls first. If you are doing the decorating yourself you will need to make sure the new plaster prevents damp and salts from returning, because if they do you will have to start all over again.

Once all of the plastering has been completed and is completely dry, and only then, will you be able to paint the walls. To prevent problems in the future you used only use a paint that is a water based emulsion. Vinyl paints or wallpaper should not be administered at this stage of the re-decorating. If you have had a particularly serve case of rising damp, in some cases, you will not be able to wallpaper the walls for up to one year, but this is in the most serve cases.

Rising damp can be very unhealthy no matter what age group you fall into, so it is best to call your local damp proofing expert at the earliest opportunity should you suspect your home to be at risk as they will be able to advise you on what the best course of action to take.