Damp is the presence of unwanted moisture in the structure of a building.If a house is suffering from a damp problem, it means there’s unwanted moisture. It’s usually found in the walls, ceilings or floors. Damp problems can occur because of the following reasons.
- Leaking pipes
- Gaps in mortar finishing
- Broken or missing roof tiles
- Moisture
- Raised ground
- Cement renders
- Inadequate ventilation
Damp problems are categorised according to type. Let us look at the three common types of Damp.
TYPES OF DAMP
Different types of damp need different treatments; Let us look at the common types of damp.
1. Condensation – Damp from the air
Condensation occurs when moist air comes into contact with a colder surface like a wall, window, mirror etc. The air can’t hold the moisture and tiny drops of water appear. It also occurs in places the air is still like wardrobes. Often shows up as black patches of milddew. Wallpaper may come loose from the wall; Soft furnishings and clothes may smell musty ;Can occur inside walls and insulation or under floors.
Condensation dampness is caused by warm air containing water vapour being cooled. The air can either be cooled on contact with a cooler surface, or lose heat in cooler surroundings. As the air cools, it can no longer hold as much water vapour and any excess leaves the air as water droplets.
2. Rising damp– Damp from the ground directly below the house
Rising damp is the result of ground water creeping up the walls (or sometimes floors) by capillary action. It is most commonly seen at the base of walls, often leaving a tide mark at the limit of its extent. This is caused by the soluble salts that tend to be contained within ground water, which will become visible as white salt efflorescence as the wall dries.
Rising damp is caused by moisture from the ground rising up through continuous fine pores in floors or walls. The moisture will continue to rise until it can evaporate, or the supply of fresh moisture runs out, or the width of the pores will no longer allow it to continue (they may be too wide or too narrow).
3. Penetrating Damp – Damp from rain, or damp from ground against walls
Penetrating damp is where water passes through the external fabric of the building and saturates the depth of the wall. It tends to become contaminated as it moves through the fabric, leaving brown staining on the internal surface. Issues seen at high level are most likely to be penetrating damp, but it can occur at any height. In fact, water damage at the base of a wall is more likely to be a result of penetrating rather than rising damp.
Penetrating damp is caused either by the lack of an escape route for moisture entering the structure, or an increase in moisture that overloads the escape route.
Damp Prevention
The following are the simple ways of damp prevention in your home;
- Make your your home is well ventilated
- Make the home warm
- Avoid alot of moisture
- Remove excess moisture using a humidifiyer
- Choose moisture resistance pant or wallpaper
- When cooking cover kettles and pans as they produce steam and moisture.
You can find damp and water proofing professionals at FUNDIPOA CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
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