Archive for June, 2010

• Rising Damp Treatment | Specialist Advice

  Date: 2010.06.24 | Category: Chemical treatment info | Response: 0

  What Is Rising Damp?

  Rising damp is caused when water from the ground spreads into the brickwork by means of capillary action, rising through fine cracks in the masonry

  Damp proofing membrane systems are useful for renovation or new build that requires damp treatment since they can be ventilated, are quickly installed and are sympathetically better for structure. They prove to be better than damp proofing methods like DPCs and water repellents etc for treating damp walls.

  Damp Proof Course

  One way of treating damp is the use of a damp proof course (DPC). Drilling and injecting the chemical DPC is an exact science in that the holes have to be drilled to the right diameter, at the right spacing and to the correct depth if the installation it to be effective. When an injected damp proof course is used in damp walls where it is necessary to treat rising damp, part of the process almost always includes hacking off existing plaster which is an extremely disruptive and messy process. The exact gauge of DPC cream or fluid in relation to the thickness of the wall and what it is built from need to be calculated and used to achieve totally effective diffusion into the substrate which is especially tricky in buildings constructed of varied materials or poorly built structures where there are large fishers and voids. No guess work is required and the membranes are offered up to the walls, drilled and fixed quickly and cleanly the same way to almost any substrate. A number of damp treatments are available, and there are some advantages associated with using damp proof membranes. This kind of damp proof treatment can be applied over most existing wall finishes without the need to remove them. The damp-proofing membranes provide an impervious barrier to protect the internal finishes which require rising damp treatment, without changing the status quo of the wall. Damp proof membranes require less precision than damp course treatment.

  If a DPC fluid is used then the active ingredient is mixed with water as the carrier. This means that you are effectively introducing more fluid into an already damp wall thus making it wetter! If there is any organic material such as timber (skirting boards, door linings, architraves, fixing blocks etc) in contact with the damp wall then there is a potential risk that wood rotting fungi like dry or wet rot could germinate and in many cases cause serious decay. Dry rot treatment in particular might be very disruptive and costly. Damp timber will also promote and harbour wood boring insects more commonly called as woodworm. Infestation by wood boring insects can have a detrimental effect to the timber which may result in the need to completely remove and replace the item or have professional treatment of woodworm done by a specialist. Membrane systems completely isolate the decorative joinery and timber items from any dampness in the walls thus prolonging their longevity.

  Damp Specialists will rarely give a guarantee for the work if the associated salt retardant plastering is not done and if it is done by someone else then the end user faces a split responsibility situation if something goes wrong in the future. Another advantage that damp proofing membranes have over injected chemical DPCs as a rising damp treatment is that chemical DPCs are almost always installed with a recommendation to re-plaster the wall at least to a height of 1.2m with a dense plaster and with a salt retardant additive in the plaster mix. The plastering will be considered by the contracted damp specialist to be as vital a part of this system as the chemical DPC and therefore achieving the right combination of sand, cement and salt retardant additive is absolutely crucial if it is to achieve its design function.

  Damp proofing membranes factor out human error when it comes to application of the injected damp proof course and the associated re-plastering when used as a rising damp treatment, or for dealing with other damp problems. Damp proofing membranes are a physical product manufactured similarly at source and when applied to the wall are guaranteed to protect the internal finishes from dampness and salting. They do not depend on correct mixing and a level of chemical reaction and performance to be effective.

  Damp Proofing Membranes offer a solution to the many problems incountered when attempting to treat damp problems or as a rising damp treatment. Cementitious and bitumous products are difficult to use due to the nature of these products. The suface to which they are applied has to be 100% free of defects and preparing the surfaces for these treatments can be very labor intensive. Often defects cannot be be seen and this leads to product failure. Damp proofing membranes eliminate these problems and can be the perfect solution.

  Damp proofing membrane systems are suitable mostly for above ground applications.This is because they deal with capillary held moisture only. If a running water situation occur, then damp proofing will be a failure.There is risk of hydrostatic water pressure especially in a damp cellar. In such a situation when the earth is pressing against the wall making it damp, damp proofing methods or chemical damp course should not be considered as they will not conform to British stadard for protection of structures from water from the ground.The alternative solution is the application of waterproofing membrane system design and application.

• Jaundice – Disease and Treatment

  Date: 2010.06.24 | Category: Chemical treatment info | Response: 1

  Jaundice is characterized by yellowing of the skin and the sclera or whites of the eyes. It is not a disease but only a sign to many other different diseases. Jaundice is caused by the high level of chemical bilirubin in the blood. Depending on the level of the chemical, the yellow pigmentation of the skin and the sclera may vary. When it is too high, it could appear as brown and not yellow.

  Those suffering with jaundice get a yellowish tint to their skin and even the eyes turn yellow and the urine is either bright yellow or in sever cases can become “tea” colored. This is yellow tinge is because of the elevated levels of bilirubin in the blood which is what happens when there is a problem with the liver and the bile duct. After the iron is removed from the blood, the chemical remaining in the blood is bilirubin. This is a waste product which has to be removed from the body by the liver and this is what is excreted in the feces and gives it the yellow color.

  Jaundice is a disease caused due to vitiation of the pitta dosha. It is called as kamala. When there is an excessive circulation of the bile pigments in the blood, then this disease is caused. Pitta dosha controls the bile pigments.

  Hence, jaundice is a disease of the liver. It can occur when there is an obstruction in the bile duct, or if there is destruction of the red blood corpuscles. When a person has jaundice, their skin becomes yellow in color. This characteristic yellowness is seen even in the eyes and the fingernails. Stools and urine also get colored. The yellow color is an indication that the circulation of bile is in excess.

  The high level of bilirubin is the main cause of jaundice. However, it is better that we are able to understand how this chemical component of the blood is being released. The red blood cells are the ones responsible with the bilirubin. When these cells get old, they are naturally destroyed. Since the blood cells are the carriers of iron-content called hemoglobin that carries oxygen in the blood, this chemical is released from the destroyed cells. When the iron is removed, the remaining chemical content is called bilirubin.

  The two other types of infant jaundice, physiologic jaundice and breast milk jaundice require little to no treatment and will disappear within a few weeks on their own. There are some simple infant jaundice treatments you can use to support your baby through this time.

  The first is simply nursing. Even in the case of breast milk jaundice, your milk helps with the build up of intestinal bacteria that assist with the binding and excreting of the broken down red blood cells. Also the extra protein in the milk protects the brain from damage while the bilirubin level is high.

  Sunlight will also help break down the bilirubin. So another effective infant jaundice treatment is to undress your baby and, while shading her eyes, give her a sun bath in the early morning or late afternoon sun for five minutes.

  If breastfeeding, the mother can also drink infusions of one of several herbs as an infant jaundice treatment. The baby will then receive the benefits of the herbs through the breast milk. Recommended herbs to try are catnip, comfrey leaf, agrimony or dandelion root.