How to Protect Your Home from Damp

Regardless of whether you own a penthouse or live in a rented property, damp could bother you hugely. A damp house could make you feel cold and could eventually cause health issues. Damp in a home is a telltale sign of weatherproofing issues or structural problems.

There are some easy indications that could help you pinpoint damp. Once you’ve identified the problem and established the cause, you can take steps to fix the issue.

Detecting Damp

Although moisture can enter anytime during the year, the symptoms become evident especially in the winter. Closely inspect the walls, the loft, the basement, kitchen, bathrooms, furniture, windows, and ceilings for revealing signs. If you sense wetness or cold when you run your hand against the wall, then you know that section is affected by damp.

Bending wallpaper, crumbling paintwork, grey or black dappled marks on the wallpaper, walls, and joinery also indicate damp and/or mould. Discolouration and smudges on the ceiling edges point to fungal growth and brownish spots close to the smokestack are signs of damp.

Check for signs of condensation on the windowsills and panels and that of black mould on PVC and wooden window frameworks.

Inspect silicon sealants and grouting in the kitchen and bathrooms, the backside of furniture, sofa upholstery, attic, and the cellar for signs of damp.

Causes for Damp

Dankness occurs in most homes because of rising damp, leaky plumbing, roof, and gutters (faulty weatherproofing), and deficient ventilation (flawed construction and restoration).

Steps You Can Take to Prevent Damp

Ensure that the drainage system is not clogged. In case of any damage, attend to the problem immediately. Inspect the roof periodically and particularly after a storm.

Make sure your home stays warm in order to keep condensation in check. Insulate the walls and attic, double-glaze the windows, upgrade the heating system if it’s old and set the thermostat at a lower temperature. Dry wet clothes outdoors as much as possible, and schedule home improvement jobs during the summer.

Keep condensation at bay by allowing pent-up moisture to go out. Install exhaust fans in the bathroom and kitchen; keep windows open as much as possible, particularly during the winter months; cover pots and pans with lids while cooking; use a dehumidifier; use steam and waterproof decor, especially for bathrooms and kitchens.

Remedying Damp Issues

Once you’ve spotted and marked the dampened areas, press a dehumidifier into service for enabling the patches to dry out fully. Next, use a quality mould solution to treat the affected surface. Finally, paint the area using a stain-blocking/damp sealing paint.

After the paint has dried up thoroughly, apply the paint on the remaining areas of the ceiling and walls.

Reliable Damp Proofing Services in North East

Ambient Preservation offers professional damp proofing services in Hartlepool, Newcastle, and Gateshead. We employ highly experienced and skilled surveyors to provide reliable and affordable damp proofing services across the North East – contact us today for a free quote.