Rising damp can happen when water rises from the ground and gets into a property through brickwork. This will only happen in ground floor rooms, usually in older properties.

It can be caused by a failure in the damp proof course (a form of damp-proofing installed in a property) or as a result of bridging. Bridging occurs where groundwater is able to bypass the damp proof course. This is commonly caused by items such as mattresses leaning against an external wall.

Common signs of rising damp include:

• damp or wet patches appearing towards the bottom of walls
• salts within the plaster
• flaky or bubbling plaster
• rotting skirting boards and flooring
• damp and musty odour
• rusting iron and steel fasteners.