Rising Damp at the Top Of a Hill?

[TheScullster]

Hi all

Looks like I may be in for a tussle with the insurance company! They are trying to avoid paying for a drying operation on the grounds that they believe damp in our concrete floor is caused by a damaged dpm.

The question is, can we still get rising damp through a concrete floor due to a compromised dpm, when we live at the top of a hill? Does this damp require high levels of ground water, or does it just need contact with damp soil? Damp is showing between our plastic underlay and the top of the concrete floor slab.

TIA

Phil

[Dave Liquorice]

High ground water levels will make it worse and being on top of hill doesn't mean that the ground water level is low, there are plenty of peat bogs on tops of hills...

Capillary action will draw water from wetter places to dryer ones.

[TheScullster]

"Dave Liquorice" wrote

Dave

We are on clay with no evidence of high ground water. Does this change the prognosis?

Phil

[The Natural Philosopher]

yes. If it rains.

damp soil IS high levels of groundwater.

Ah.

Sounds like classic rising damp to me.

What in fact is YOUR explanation?

[The Natural Philosopher]

makes it all the more likely.

Clay retains water like nobodies business after it rains.

[meow2222]

The Scullster:

Hi all

Looks like I may be in for a tussle with the insurance company! They are trying to avoid paying for a drying operation on the grounds that they believe damp in our concrete floor is caused by a damaged dpm.

The question is, can we still get rising damp through a concrete floor due to a compromised dpm, when we live at the top of a hill? Does this damp require high levels of ground water, or does it just need contact with damp soil? Damp is showing between our plastic underlay and the top of the concrete floor slab.

TIA

Phil

+++++

Most rising damp diagnoses are incorrect, so such a diagnosis is cause for more investigation.. Is there a specific reason why you want this dried out rather than letting it dry by itself? I cant think how a damaged dpm would affect an insurance claim. Now why you'd need to go to the insurance co for what is in most cases simple and cheap to remedy.

NT

[stuart noble]

It's reasonable to expect our houses to stay dry inside, even when it rains :-)

FWIW I have been involved with two similar problems, and both turned out to be mains water leaks. The water companies are pretty good at detecting even small leaks. There seems little point arguing the toss about drying out the house until the cause is known in case it happens again. IME insurance companies take the view that they are only liable if a single incident at a particular time caused the damage. A damp course doesn't suddenly fail but a water pipe may do, even if it isn't discovered for several years. I can't see them accepting liabilty for anything other than a leak.