Abstract

A questionnaire survey of 5,800 residential buildings was conducted in the Dry Equatorial, South Western Equatorial, Tropical Continental and the Wet Semi Equatorial climatic zones in Ghana to identify the lead source of dampness in walls of residential buildings in Ghana. Data were analyzed using frequency and severity index. Majority of the houses surveyed were of lateritic materials and sandcrete block walls. The results showed that the most dominant symptoms in the walls of the residential buildings surveyed were hygroscopic salts, decayed skirting, dampness below 1.5 m and mold growth on walls up to 1m high. These symptoms point to the presence of rising dampness in the walls of these residential buildings. The results provide a platform for addressing the problem of rising dampness in buildings.

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