Damp proofing is a process that all homeowners should consider to protect their home. It’s a term used to describe a range of different damp proof treatments and solutions which can be installed as a preventative measure to stop damp spreading in your home or even your business. It’s effectively a way of waterproofing your property’s walls or floors against the risk of damp.
Why is Damp Proofing Important?
Ensuring your home is adequately protected against damp provides you with a long-term solution to prevent moisture decay which can result in structural damage to your property. It gives you peace of mind too. It can prevent moisture from passing through your outer walls to the interior and therefore decreases the risk of timber decay and other types of structural decay including wet and dry rot as well as rising damp.
Damp proofing can ensure you don’t need to deal with a potentially expensive renovation and restructuring of your home at a later date.
Spotting a Damp Problem
Damp isn’t a single type of occurrence – in fact there are many different causes of damp in both residential and commercial properties. There are more issues than simply rising damp and all come with their own problems.
Rising Damp
Rising damp is one of the most common problems. It occurs when the property soaks up water through its foundations and the ground and serious damage can be caused to the masonry and timber of your home. Rising damp often appears as what’s known as a ‘tidemark’ just above ground level on your property’s ground floor.
Condensation
Condensation is a regular problem too and is regularly the case when mouldy black spots appear on walls. Black mould problems are the worst outcome from a condensation case and should be treated immediately.
Penetrating Damp
Penetrating damp is a problem which generally occurs in older properties with solid walls. It is usually apparent when a pipe on the outside of the home leaks and water manages to seep through the walls and then cause interior damage.
Preventing Damp Problems
The best way to prevent any damp problems is to have a damp proofing. This needs to be done before any damp is located and should be able to ensure no problems occur in the future although it may regularly need to be updated and redone.
If you already suspect there is a problem with damp in the home then you need to ensure you understand what type of damp it is before seeking treatment for it. Damp proofing specialists can be located and the majority will survey your property fully for problems before coming up with a solution and attempting to rectify the problem before it does any serious damage. Understanding the root cause of the problem is key to solving any damp issues.
Damp can have serious detrimental effects on your respiratory health as well as your property so it’s something that shouldn’t be left to fester and should be dealt with immediately to prevent any serious long term damage.
