Why Are Your Interior Walls Developing Damp Patches?

Rising damp — patches near the floor

A damp band up to about a metre above the floor, often with peeling paint and white salt marks, is usually rising damp. Ground moisture travels up through the wall, especially in ground-floor flats and older houses without a damp-proof course.

Treatment: chemical damp-proof injection or barrier, removing salt-damaged plaster, and replastering with a waterproof mix.

Seepage from outside walls

Patches on walls that face outside, worse after rain, mean water is entering through cracks or porous plaster on the exterior.

Treatment: crack filling and a waterproof coating on the exterior surface, followed by internal repair and repainting.

Leaking concealed pipes

Patches that stay damp in dry weather, especially next to bathrooms or kitchens, often come from a leaking concealed pipe or failed joint.

Treatment: locate and repair the pipe, then let the wall dry before replastering and painting.

Leaks from above

Ceiling patches and patches high on walls usually come from the terrace or a bathroom on the floor above.

Treatment: terrace waterproofing, or re-grouting and waterproofing the bathroom above.

Condensation

Black spots in corners and behind wardrobes, without a clear leak, can be condensation from poor ventilation. This is more common in closed rooms during the monsoon.

Treatment: better ventilation, anti-fungal wash and anti-fungal paint.

Why it’s worth acting early

Dampness spreads, damages plaster, encourages mould and can rust steel inside concrete over time. Early treatment is quicker and cheaper than repairing structural damage later.

Serving homes near you

Ghar Upgrade provides waterproofing services in Hyderabad for homes in Lingampally and across Kukatpally, KPHB, Miyapur, Nizampet, Hafeezpet, Chandanagar, Kondapur, Madhapur, Gachibowli and Pragathi Nagar — and all over Hyderabad.