Dealing With Damp in the Home

Dealing with Damp

Damp problems could come in the form of excessive condensation, rising damp, penetrating damp, leaks or broken seals in your roof. While the best method of dealing with dampness in your home is prevention, if problems do arise it is important to deal with them quickly and efficiently to avoid damage escalating.

How do I avoid damp problems?

The best way to deal with damp in your house is to avoid it – this is simple with damp-proofing and good ventilation. If you are building an extension or renovating your house your builder should be able to advise you about damp-proofing. Poor ventilation is the most common cause of damp problems in the home, your house needs to ‘breathe’ and there should be a constant circulation of air: if moisture can’t escape it will lead to damp. Bear this mind at all times when planning an extension or a conversion.

How does a house ‘breathe’?

Houses need to breathe to ensure good ventilation; they do this through the porous materials that are used for walls, floors and the roof. Therefore coating surfaces with impermeable layers, for example plaster or water-resisting coating, can decrease ventilation and increase the risk of damp. Many people concerned with their heating bills ‘seal’ up their houses without thinking about the dangerous and expensive risk of damp problems.

What do I do if damp problems arise?

If you do find that your house has damp issues it is important to deal with the problem before it worsens, the method of treatment varies depending on the cause and type of dampness.

What do I do if there is condensation in my house?

You can identify if condensation is the cause of your damp problems in several ways: do your windows steam-up regularly? Do you ever find puddles on your window sill? This indicates that moisture is not being allowed to escape and is therefore condensing and causing damp problems; you may have damp patches or damp spotty mildew on the walls, or peeling wallpaper. Bathrooms and kitchens are obvious places where this could occur, and it is best remedied by improving the ventilation in the problem-area. An extractor fan will help, avoid non-porous paints and use a dehumidifier to reduce the moisture content in the air. Any mildew and mould can then be cleaned off walls using diluted bleach.

What do I do if there is rising damp in my house?

Rising damp is a problem with dampness that occurs below floor level, it therefore often goes unnoticed, although you may be able to see damp patches at skirting board level or smell the dampness. If left unchecked rising damp can cause wet and dry rot. Rising damp may be caused by a crack in the old foundations, allowing moisture to get through and therefore it will need structural repair that could include chemically damp-proofing the walls to prevent the spread of the damp. Rising damp is a serious problem and it is important that you use a reputable, professional company to carry out repairs.

What do I do if there is penetrating damp in my house?

Penetrating damp is characterised by damp patches on the walls and wet, crumbly plaster. Penetrating damp could come from loose roof tiles, faulty roofs, leaking down-pipes, overflowing gutters or badly fitting windows and doors. Penetrating damp is easily avoided by making sure that you carry out regular maintenance on your home inside and out and keep gutters clear of leaves and debris. Check the loft for signs of water leaking in and make sure any exterior coatings are property applied. If problems do arise identify the root cause quickly and deal with it accordingly to avoid further damp, the area can then be dried out with a low heat and good ventilation.

What do I do if there are leaks in my house?

The most important thing is to identity leaks early on before they cause bigger damp problems. Always be vigilant for damp patches, drips and puddles. The most common cause is badly installed or damaged pipe-work so check your dishwasher and washing machine. Leaks may also being caused by broken seals around baths and showers. Once again these are easily fixed if caught in time but if left unchecked can cause more serious and expensively-rectified damp problems. Repairing seals is a cheap and easy DIY job so if problems do arise simply buy a flexible silicone sealant, which can quickly be applied, smoothed down and left to dry. If re-sealing a bath it is best to fill up the bath whilst you apply the sealant and while it dries (for 24 hours afterwards).