Free checker, no form, nothing leaves your browser
Do you actually have rising damp?
Most household damp is condensation, not rising damp, and condensation needs ventilation rather than a damp proof course. This free checklist weighs the signs on your wall and tells you the most likely cause, because the Property Care Association itself warns that damp is widely misdiagnosed and people often pay for treatment they do not need.
Tick everything that matches your wall. This is guidance to point you at the right next step, not a survey and not a diagnosis. For certainty, pay for an independent damp survey from someone who does not sell the treatment. If it does turn out to be rising damp, see what a damp proof course should cost in our damp proofing cost guide before you commit.
Tick what you see
Guidance only, not a survey, diagnosis or professional advice. Always get an independent diagnosis before paying for treatment. Based on the damp-type signs described by the Property Care Association.
How this checker decides (methodology)
Each statement is tagged to one of the three damp types using the distinguishing signs the Property Care Association describes: condensation (mould, misting, upper floors, seasonal), rising damp (tide mark under a metre, salts, ground floor only), penetrating damp (rain-driven, weather-facing, any height).
The checker counts your ticks per type and returns the strongest match. It deliberately leans away from a rising-damp verdict unless the classic ground-floor tide-mark pattern dominates, because rising damp is over-diagnosed and a damp proof course does nothing for the other two. It never claims certainty: the output always routes you to an independent survey.
Damp and your health
The NHS advises that damp and mould are linked to respiratory problems, infections, allergies and asthma, with babies, children, older people and anyone with an existing condition most at risk. If damp may be affecting your health, read the NHS guidance and speak to a GP. This page is general information, not medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is true rising damp common?
No, it is much rarer than the damp-proofing industry implies. The Property Care Association warns that damp is widely misdiagnosed, and most household damp is condensation, which needs ventilation rather than a damp proof course. This checker exists to separate the two before you spend.
What is the difference between the three types?
Condensation shows as misting windows and black mould, worse in winter and in corners or behind furniture. Rising damp shows as a tide mark low on a ground-floor wall, up to about a metre, with salts. Penetrating damp is a patch that grows after rain at any height, often near a gutter or weather-facing wall. Each has a different fix and a different cost.
Should I trust a free survey from a damp company?
Be careful. A firm that sells the treatment has an incentive to diagnose the problem it can charge for. The safest route is an independent damp survey from someone who does not sell the remedial work, then a Property Care Association member only if genuine work is needed.
Sources
Editor, HomesAndHedge
Oliver Mackman is the editor of HomesAndHedge and is accountable for its editorial standards and sourcing. He ensures every claim is backed by a named source such as the Property Care Association, the RHS, the NHS or gov.uk, and that the site is clear about when a job needs a qualified professional.
Last reviewed: 12 June 2026