The Forgotten Invention Hidden in Your Walls: What Is It Really Doing?

The smell of the old house was something that could be felt from the outside. You know the one – there is no denying it. The floorboards that squeak with every step, the walls that hold so many stories, and perhaps that slightly damp smell in the corners. Ever lived in an old house? You have probably noticed some signs of mild dampness at some point. It’s one of those peculiarities of older structures that one has to put up with, I suppose. But in the early ages, inventive geniuses were always busy trying to solve such a problem. And that’s where a rather brilliant invention known as the electro-osmosis damp proofing system comes in.

Discovering the Clues in the Basement

Perhaps you have climbed into the basement or, if you are fortunate to live in a house with a stone outer wall, have noticed wires that run along the foundation and then disappear into little holes in the masonry. I have even come across such a system in my own house. A set of wires that have not been functioning for who knows how long. But were obviously put in with some thought. It’s always interesting how such relics of the past stir up a bit of interest. After some digging, I learned those wires were part of an old solution to a very old problem: the problem of rising damp.

Going back several decades in the middle of the twentieth century when people did not have the benefit of tomorrow’s chemical treatments and waterproof membranes, the builders and engineers were struggling to find ways of combating damp patches appearing on walls. Electro-osmosis damp proofing came to be known as innovative approach. It was not only a matter of preventing the penetration of the moisture but rather of keeping it away by using the inherent qualities of electricity.

Electricity vs. Moisture: An Ingenious Idea

The principle behind it is simple yet ingenious: it entails placing of electrodes in the walls whereby a weak electric current is passed through the masonry structure. This current thus forces the water molecules to flow back to the ground. Thus keeping them from ascending the structure and creating that dampness that is so familiar. This was like saying to the moisture, ‘You are not wanted here,’ and it complied!

When the Future Lived in the Walls

Electro-osmosis was one of the many phenomena that reflected the spirit of the age. An age that believed that even such everyday domestic concerns could be addressed by the application of technology. The 1950s and the 1960s were a period of growth and the general public was anxious to have new features in their homes. For, this was the era of appliance, electricity, elegance and efficiency. The era that was supposed to reduce the burden of work and bring comfort to people’s lives.

Homeowners were not only repairing something that was wrong; they were investing in what was to come next. Electro-osmosis systems were considered to be the future. A means to apply science to what has been a problem as old as moisture. It was more in tune with that post-war mentality in which technology was seen as the answer to all the problems, from the space race to self-improvement.

Remembering the Magic in the Masonry

In the present, it is not very common for people to be familiar with electro-osmosis damp proofing unless by chance they are improving an older house. Even though new technologies of damp proofing have more or less usurped these systems. They are still there, working their way or just lying idle between the walls. They are a throwback to a period when innovation was not restricted by the current conventions, not even the simplest of issues required an electrical fix.

And, despite the technology being somewhat dated, it is hard not to look at it with a certain degree of respect. It is a story of how people of our parents and grandparents’ generation tried to better their lives. Electro-osmosis might have its flaws, but it was good enough for many homes for the past several years. In its own way, it forms part of the bigger picture of how we have grappled with the classic fight between our houses and the storm.

It is rather reassuring to have a story behind every nook and cranny of one’s own home . Even for the peculiar wire that is strung along the house foundation. They narrate of evolution and a zeal to change the society. Change for the better even if the outcomes were not perfect. The next time you are in an old house? Just take a moment to admire the spirit that made these artefacts a part of that house.

These days we have more effective ways of preventing our homes from getting wet. But there is something quite sweet about seeing the first attempts that people made—even moisture control had its fairy dust.