Basic facts about building materials / how do I prevent efflorescence
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Mar 01, 2013
Efflock to prevent rising damp
Photograph showing rising damp and subsequent salt attack below DPC level. Rising damp is a destructive phenomenon in buildings. It is common knowledge that damp very quickly will create rot in structural timbers such as bearers and joists, and therefore a DPC (damp proof course) is provided to prevent such damage. A modern DPC is typically a black embossed polythene roll that is laid out directly beneath ant-capping, or just below finished ground floor level. In the past, DPCs have been made of lead, slate, malthoid, and sometimes special bricks. What is not usually considered, is that rising damp can...
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Feb 22, 2013
Some facts about everyday building materials you may not know.
It was pointed out to me yesterday, that to date, my blogs are written in a way that assumes some prior technical knowledge about building. Considerable interest about Efflock is also coming from home owners, 'Do-It-Yourselfers', or from people who have seen the product and would like their builder to use Efflock in their building project. So here are some basics: Many people assume that concrete is waterproof. It makes sense right? You see concrete on bridges, footpaths, driveways and balconies everywhere, so surely water doesn't affect it?? The reality is that even concrete of the highest quality contains small micro cracks...