PETER COX BARRIER

The problem of rising damp in walls is a constant presence in old or ancient buildings and can also occur in recent constructions.‎ Two factors are always at the root of this problem: the presence of water in the subsoil and the capillarity of the building material.‎ All building materials and their binders have within them a dense network of microscopic channels capable of absorbing and transporting water by capillarity, causing it to rise into the masonry.‎ Another factor contributing to the phenomenon is the presence of salts dissolved in the water: if it reaches the surface and evaporates, the salts will crystallise and form the classic 'white beards'; if, on the other hand, it occurs between the wall and the plaster, the pressure of the salts generates cracks, swelling and crumbling of the plaster.‎ In addition, the presence of humidity in rooms gives rise to hygienic-environmental situations that are harmful to the people who work or live there, worsens the microclimate, creating thermal insulation problems, the formation of mould and greater energy consumption, and is also aesthetically unpleasant.‎