What is Water Ingress?
Water ingress is the term used when water has infiltrated a property (not to be confused with water egress – water leaving the property). It is also commonly used to describe damp caused by moisture in walls and ceilings – penetrating, or lateral damp. The most common signs of water ingress are damp patches and discolouration appearing on walls and ceilings in a property.
How to recognise Water Ingress
Water ingress can present itself in a number of ways, some more obvious than others.
- Damp patches on walls or ceilings
- Mould growth
- Discolouration or staining
- Damaged, bubbling, or peeling paintwork or wall surfaces
- Damp smells
You could also notice external factors that point to water damage, such as
- Gaps around windows
- Damaged roofing
- Cracks or visual changes to brickwork
- Visual changes to stonework or wooden fixtures
Many people describe ingress in the first instance as water appearing to come into a property through walls and ceilings, but the exact culprit is often unknown without expert advice.
What Damage Does Water Ingress Do?
As well as the visual indicators of water damage in a property, you may come across issues such as
- Wet or damp plaster on walls and ceilings
- Damp smells
- Dry rot
- Wet rot
Case Study:
The Suspected Leak:
Trace and Access attended a prestigious development in the centre of London, where several homeowners were experiencing water ingress.
Trace & Access Approach
Being the third tracing service on-site, we set about mapping the building and the site for damage, after reported water ingress.
It became clear that the problem was from an external source due to the pattern and position of the water marks and structure of the building. Our technicians identified that the water was almost certainly from a flat roof garden.
A dye test was carried out and the subsequent results confirmed the flat roof as the culprit.
Closer examination of the roof revealed that work carried out about 18 months before had not included re-felting the drain covers inside the culverts, causing the water ingress. This oversight allowed water to run down the exterior of the drain pipes and into the cavities of the flats.
Outcome
We compiled a full report with recommendations for the original roofing company to re-visit the site.
Contact Trace and Access UK
Call us on 0330 223 6457 now to discuss how Trace and Access can solve your leak problem, visit our contact us page, or send us a message via our Facebook Page.
