A favourite question that we hear from our customers is that they want to know: “how do I get rid of damp in my home?” while this is a general question, it can be broken down into:
The causes of the damp issue
Diagnosing the type of damp issue found in the property
Possible solutions to treating the damp problem
At Timberwise we have a team of damp surveyors who can conduct a damp survey on your property and provide a report to let you know what the damp problem is at your property.
Condensation Problems
The most common damp issue in homes is condensation which mainly occurs over the colder months of the year. This is because during periods of cold weather warm, moisture laden air travels to cooler parts of your house. The air can only hold so much moisture until it gets to a point where excess water vapour is deposited on cooler surfaces such as windows and walls.
The symptoms of identifying condensation in your home are:
Black spot mould which can be found on both walls and windows
A damp musty smell
Wallpaper peeling off
Walls will feel damp
How to Stop Condensation?
Two effective ways of stopping condensation affecting your home are by making improvements to the ventilation of the house coupled with regulating the heating throughout your home.
Condensation can be treated in the following ways:
Installing bathroom and kitchen fans to help remove the excess moisture in the air. Shutting doors will also help stop the moisture spreading to different rooms of your house.
Regulate heating throughout your property to ensure that there is lower heat being established in and around the house. By reducing the amount of rapid changes in temperature level this will help reduce the chances of condensation occurring.
Good ventilation is an essential component for air to be evenly circulated throughout the rooms of your home. This can be achieved by opening your windows or installing home ventilation systems.
Rising Damp Problems
Rising damp occurs when there is a movement of ground water through the wall or floor. This type of damp occurs as a result of water getting through the defective damp proof course or if there isn’t any damp proof course present, the wall on the outside of your property may suffer from rising damp.
To identify what rising damp looks like in your home, then there are the following symptoms that you can look out for:
The peeling of wallpaper
Horizontal tide marks on your walls
The crumbling of plaster on walls
Solutions to Stop Rising Damp
The most effective way for treating rising damp in your property is to install Damp Proof Course or a Damp Proof Membrane.
A damp proof course provides a horizontal layer of waterproof material that is put into the walls of the building acting as a barrier against moisture rising up through the walls. For example DriWise damp proofing cream.
A damp proof membrane can also be added for protection against rising damp. It is a sheet of material that is impenetrable to water and is laid under a concrete floor. The membrane should be connected to the damp proof course so that the house can be effectively sealed from dampness.
Penetrating Damp Problems
This form of damp is caused by significant damage to areas such as roofs and chimneys. Compared with rising damp which tends to expand in a vertical movement on surfaces, penetrating damp expands in a horizontal movement.
To identify penetrating damp problems in your home you should look out for:
Damage to the internal walls e.g. skirting boards or external roofing
Patchy black mould appearing internally on walls
Watermarks appearing on the brickwork
How to get rid of Penetrating Damp?
For the treatment of penetrating damp, it is important to call in the damp proofing specialists. Steps that should be taken to treat your penetrating damp issue:
Check all gutters, pipes and all exposed areas where they may be blocked.
If the downpipes are obstructed then remove anything from these areas and consider replacing the gutters if problems persist.
The rendering may have been cracked which may be letting water in, cracked gaps may have opened will need to be resealed.
Check underneath the window for any moss or dirt. This could be causing water to seep into the property so this should be removed as soon as possible.
Contacting the Damp Proofing Specialists
To correctly determine the form of damp treatment required, we recommend a Damp and Timber report from one of our qualified damp specialists.
For peace of mind that your damp problem is rectified, call our experts today or click below to arrange a damp survey online.
Request a survey
Worried about Damp? Call 0800 288 8660 or
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