Rising damp treatment

White salt deposits low on the walls, crumbling plaster, mould regardless of season? This is rising damp — groundwater climbing the pores of the masonry against gravity. Repainting every spring achieves nothing, because the water simply comes through again.

The solution: active electro-osmosis

The wetted part of a wall carries a weak negative charge while the groundwater is positive, and that difference draws water upward like a magnet. The technology creates an electric field of opposite polarity through titanium anodes and a microprocessor controller supplying a pulsed current at very low voltage (12–24 V). Water molecules are driven back down toward the ground under control.

The method is entirely safe for people and animals, and draws between 2 and 4 watts — about the same as an efficient LED bulb. While the controller runs, it acts as a permanent horizontal damp-proof course.

Why German technology

The system is standardised to DIN and the Austrian ÖNORM B 3355. Controllers and titanium components are manufactured and calibrated in Germany, and the platinised titanium in the anode circuit removes any risk of corrosion inside the wall. Across Western Europe the method is used to save churches, museums and archives, where excavation is prohibited.

How it runs

1. Diagnosis — FLIR and Tramex confirm the problem is capillary, not a concealed leak.
2. Channel — a fine horizontal chase 10–15 cm above floor level, cut with dust extraction.
3. Titanium circuit — electrodes joined by platinised titanium cable, sealed with conductive mortar.
4. Earthing and commissioning — a copper cathode and a wall-mounted controller on a standard socket.
5. Drying and monitoring — 2 to 4 months, with check measurements at 3 and 6 months and a final report.

Warranty

• 20-year factory warranty on the titanium anodes and cabling.
• Up to 5 years on the microprocessor controller.
• Over 30 years of service life for the system.

The method stops rising damp. It does not stop pressurised water from a burst main — which is why every project begins with a diagnosis.