Dampness in the walls: how the device that promises a solution without breaking or chipping anything works

Compared to methods that require intervening on walls or injecting chemicals, in Argentina they are achieved electronic devices who promise to combat this drama through principles electromagnetic.

A small electronic device installed on a wall, similar to an alarm system or a heat plate, can intervene on a problem that begins several centimeters or meters below the ground. Behind this equipment there are different technological variants, from electro-osmosis even solutions that their manufacturers call electro-physics.

Capillary dampness occurs when the water present in the ground rises through the small pores of the construction materials. Bricks, mortar and other porous surfaces They can function as a kind of network of microscopic channels through which moisture moves from the foundation upwards.

The result is known to many owners of ground floor apartments, houses and condominiums: hallways with deteriorated walls, peeling paint, visible salts and damaged plaster. But correctly identifying the origin is essential before thinking about any solution.

Architects and those who market this type of products agree that Not every wet wall has a capillarity problem. An outside leak, broken pipe, roof leak, or condensation can cause similar symptoms. Therefore, the first step should be to determine where does the water come from.

Then, you use a surface hygrometer to measure the percentage level of humidity at different points on the wall. If measurements taken near the ground show higher values ​​and these values ​​progressively decrease as samples are taken at higher altitudes, this pattern may indicate a contamination problem. capillary moisture.

“The anti-wicking treatment systems themselves are designed to act on a specific problem and will not necessarily solve other sources of humidity,” they explain to Clarion the manufacturers.

One of the technologies used by these devices is known as electro-osmosis. According to the technical explanation provided by the manufacturers of this type of equipment, the system uses electromagnetic signals of very low intensity and frequency to intervene on the behavior of water and salts present in the pores of the masonry.

The proposal, according to its manufacturers, is to modify the conditions that favor the rise of water from the ground towards the walls and favor its movement towards the ground.

Some commercial solutions describe this process as an alteration of the polarity or electrical potential associated with the water within the wall. The effectivenessHowever, it may depend on the type of system, the construction materials and, above all, whether the diagnosis has correctly identified rising damp as the source of the problem.

In the versions known as active electro-osmosisthe system can be composed of three main elements.

The first is a small electronic unit installed in a central area of ​​the home. A transmitting antenna is connected to it, which can be located near the bottom of the wall. The set can also incorporate a electrode or javelin connected to ground through a hole in the floor.

According to the technical information of these systems, the interaction between these components generates a field of action that is distributed throughout the structure of the home.

In some designs, the propagation depends on the construction medium itself (walls and floors). That is, the operation is not based simply on emitting a signal through the air, but on using the structure of the building as a means for its propagation.

There are also wireless equipment that seek to generate their effect without the need to install electrodes or perform certain physical interventions. This difference is relevant because technically different solutions can be found under the same umbrella of electronic moisture treatments.

One of the points that can cause confusion is that these devices they do not instantly remove water which is already within the walls.

According to the operation described by the manufacturers, the technology seeks stop or reduce the entry of new moisture upward. The water previously accumulated in the masonry must then be removed through a natural evaporation process.

That’s why, the results are not immediate. Drying time may depend on the type of brick, the plaster, the thickness of the walls and the ventilation of the rooms.

“Depending on the device to be placed, one sees results between 6 and 18 months. We have to understand that It does not remove moisture, but stops it. The good thing is that it is a constructionally non-invasive system, so you do not have to break the walls of the house,” explains the architect. Ignacio Suhrprofessor at the University of Morón and partner of the PIANOCREATIVO study.

For reference, the technical information for some systems estimates that a wall can reach about a 50% dry after three monthswhile the entire process could take up to about a year.

In equipment that requires continuous operationthe declared consumption for some models is around 8 wattsa low power for a home electronic device.

The main attraction of this technology is its low level of intervention on housing. Unlike other treatments, it does not necessarily require breaking large sections of the walls or injecting chemicals into the walls.

“Traditional construction methods and chemicals are, in many cases, the only way to definitively nip the problem at the root. But they may require chipping away at affected areas, removing deteriorated materials and rebuilding surfaces. They are more invasive solutionswhich can generate dirt and increase the cost and time of the work,” recognizes architect Suhr.

The difference is precisely in the approach. While electronic systems seek to intervene in the phenomenon of rising humidity through electromagnetic principles, physical and chemical treatments They act directly on the structure or materials affected.

If the problem is indeed capillarityelectronic systems appear as a technological alternative with less constructive intervention. If the water is coming from a pipe, a leak, or a condensation problem, the source will require a different solution.

In the country there is a wide range of devices of this type, with very different prices. Some specialized electronic equipment is around the $1.5 million or morewhile other imported or longer range systems are sold for the equivalent of several thousand dollars

He final valueFurthermore, it may vary depending on the surface to be covered, the type of construction and whether the budget includes diagnosis, installation and monitoring.