Capillary rise is the result of natural physical processes that occur in masonry. It involves the upward transport of water in a given material. In construction, capillary rise refers to the phenomenon of water rising up from below. Materials with microscopic pores are particularly susceptible to rising damp. Cellular concrete, for example, is a highly porous building material.
Strong capillary rise will occur when the building foundations/walls are on clay soils, where water does not drain away as quickly. Soils with coarse sand and gravel are better able to cope with this phenomenon. Capillary rise of ground water can also occur if the building is founded below ground level. It is sufficient if there are soils with a high capillary rise at the foundation level, which extend to the groundwater level.
The main reasons for this are inadequate building materials, lack of or damage to damp-proofing and inadequate foundation construction. The result is the appearance of moisture on the surface of the masonrywhich leads to structural weakness, mould formation and a deterioration of living conditions in the building.
Capillary rise is not only encountered in old buildings, and in houses and flats after flooding.
- high groundwater levels,
- inadequate insulation of the base of the building,
- lack of drying of foundations in the past.
Methods to stop capillary rise
- Wall injection
One of the primary ways to protect a building from capillary rise is to injection. The whole process of horizontal waterproofing is reduced to drilling small holes in the wall in a line and at equal distances, into which a suitably selected injection material - a chemical agent - is then injected into the masonry structure in such a way as to ensure that it is distributed throughout the entire section of the partition. In this way, a horizontal barrier is created that blocks the pull of moisture from below, protecting the walls. Effective waterproofing is best taken care of as early as the design stage of a house or at the initial construction stage. Such treatment requires the use of specialised tools, pumps and injectors.
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Water Block for this treatment recommends the use of material WB INJECTOCREAM. It is an effective material for pressure-free sealing of existing masonry in cross-section up to a moisture degree of 95%. The injection procedure itself does not require the use of expensive application equipment, so this type of sealing can be carried out without calling in a specialist company.
WB INJECTOCREAM
High-quality, ready-to-use, water-based silane injection cream. In masonry, it penetrates into the finest tubules and pores and leads to hydrophobisation.
- Horizontal insulation
Another way to protect a building against capillary rise is to provide horizontal waterproofing. This involves using waterproofing materials that form a barrier to water. Horizontal insulation should be placed at a height of approximately 40 cm above ground level to prevent moisture penetration into the walls.
Water Block has a range of specialist waterproofing for this WB Duo Flex.
WB Duo Flex 20KG
WB DUO FLEX - is a waterproofing with increased flexibility while maintaining a strong structure, a waterproofing and damp proofing based on an aqueous plastic dispersion. Recommended as a sub-tile waterproofing for bathrooms, swimming pools, wet rooms and sealing of foundations.