What is Penetrating Damp?

Penetrating Damp, sometimes known as “rain penetration”, is the result of water entering your home through a crack or defect in the external wall of the property. This can occur through walls, roofs, window or door surrounds at any level of the building, often as a result of degraded roof tiles, cracked pointing, blocked weep holes or defective seals.

If your property is experiencing issues with penetrating damp, the quicker you act to resolve the problem the less property damage will be caused as a result. Contact our damp proofing team today or click the button below to book a survey today.

Typically the signs of penetrating damp are very similar to other types of damp which can make diagnosing damp problematic if you are not sure what to look out for. Regardless of size or scale, you should be able to spot the signs of penetrating damp from the following symptoms:

The first step to tackling penetrating damp is to locate and fix the source of the moisture; this can include fixing roof tiles, repairing cracks to the mortar or mending broken pipes which should be carried out by a qualified builder or plumber.

If building defects are to blame for penetrating damp, these should be repaired before continuing treatment, otherwise the problem will likely recur.

With the risk of penetrating damp, you could have underlying mould or rot issues. Wet Rot and Dry Rot can occur if the moisture level reaches a sufficient enough level for rot to germinate. During our initial survey, our surveyor will check for the signs of decay or other associated problems that can arise from penetrating damp and recommend treatment for any issues.

To protect your property from penetrating damp in the future, our surveyor may recommend using a water repellent treatment designed to prevent penetrating damp on brick, stone and concrete walls.

Once applied to the external wall, our Weather-Protect System protects your home or business from penetrating damp by penetrating in the masonry to form a water repellent barrier.

Many building insurance policies do not cover against the threat of penetrating damp. As penetrating damp is caused by water ingress from building defects or deterioration, your insurance policy may not cover the cost to repair.

If you are planning on carrying out DIY solutions for the problem yourself, check with your insurance policy provider first as carrying the work out yourself could invalidate your insurance policy. In this instance, Rentokil Property Care would always recommend leaving it to a professional.

Cavity wall insulation is not a cause of damp on its own, which is good news for the millions of homes in the UK that have it installed. However, cracks in brickwork, plasterwork and other building materials and subsequent water ingress can result in the insulation becoming wet and contributing towards penetrating damp problems.

If you have cavity wall insulation and have noticed damp walls on the inside of your property, then it is worthwhile having the exterior of your property surveyed.

If you are looking for expert penetrating damp treatment, look no further than Rentokil Property Care. Using the latest diagnostic technology and innovative treatment methods, our surveyors and technicians will effectively assess, diagnose and correct your penetrating damp issue.

With over 60 years of experience in treating the nation's properties from the effects of damp, rot and woodworm; you can always rely on our friendly locally based teams across the UK.

Contact our Rentokil Property Care team today or click the button below to book a survey today.