Damaged brickwork, moss growth, algae growth and localised damp patches are all common symptoms of penetrating dampness. When water-soluble salts like calcium carbonate or sodium sulphate are present inside brick, they dissolve in contact with moisture. The resulting salty water travels through the brick’s capillaries to leach out of its surface, moisture evaporating on the wall. Leaving a white and powdery substance on the surface, while efflorescence itself is mostly an aesthetic problem, it is a warning sign of dampness within a wall.


If you’ve discovered efflorescence on your walls, penetrating damp may have taken hold, water saturation damages bricks and mortar. Excess moisture pushes pressure outwards, which causes a type of damage called spalling, this refers to the flaking and crumbling that occurs on the brick’s surface.
In extreme cases, spalling can damage structural integrity, parts of the brick and mortar fall away and become weak points in the structure, once this kind of damage has set in, penetrating damp will only get worse. Spalled bricks and mortar let in even more moisture, causing further damage at a quicker rate.


Sunlight, minerals and water make up the recipe for algae growth, damp exterior walls have all 3 in abundance although algae looks fragile, those spidery green spores are incredibly resilient. Their roots burrow deep into brickwork, taking hold within walls; algae roots produce acids that unbalance the alkalinity of bricks and damage them. It also damages mortar joints in much the same way.




Call us on 0333 242 0857 or submit an enquiry for information on www.drdamp.co.uk for damp surveys.


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