Rising Damp becomes Rising Salt Damp when salts are present in the soil and are drawn up with the moisture. In Australia Rising Salt Damp is particularly prevalent in Adelaide and around South Australia where it is referred to as Salt Damp due to the high salinity in the soil. On the Eastern seaboard and in the West where the soil contains less salt it is more commonly referred to as Rising Damp.
Rising Salt Damp or Salt Damp is more serious than rising damp as the salts, which are present in the structure, will cause hygroscopic dampness by attracting moisture from the air. When hygroscopic damp has taken hold in a wall it becomes a cause of ongoing dampness in its own right and can therefore continue to be a problem even though the rising damp has been rectified. With Rising Salt Damp it is imperative to treat the salt damp in the walls with either DRYZONE or DRYROD as soon as it is evident. Like cancer in humans the sooner the problem is addressed the better to avoid ongoing deterioration of the masonry. In dry conditions the salt molecules in the wall contract and in humid or damp conditions they attract moisture from the air and expand and it is this continual movement with the salts that is the reason that masonry will eventually crumble.
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