Eight Causes of Damp on Internal Walls
Damp is a common problem in properties across the country. If left untreated, damp on internal walls can cause serious problems to your home.
There are three major types of damp that you could find inside your property: rising damp, penetrating damp and condensation. All three have varying causes and treatments, but knowing the underlying problems that can lead to them will help you keep damp out of your home in the long term.
So, what are the most common causes of damp on internal walls?
1. Your Damp Proof Course Is Broken
Modern homes have a damp proof course (or DPC), which is designed to keep water from rising up from the ground and getting into the walls of your home. A damp proof course can be made of plastic, but more modern (and effective) DPCs are chemical substances injected into the walls.
A damp proof course is there to stop rising damp from affecting your home. Rising damp occurs when water from outside gets into the walls and begins moving upwards. This occurs if your damp proof course is broken. Rising damp can cause serious structural problems if it begins to affect large areas of your property.
2. Your Home Has No Damp Proof Course
Modern houses are fitted with damp proof coursing as standard, as it’s the most effective barrier against rising damp. However, older houses (houses which are a hundred years old or more) were never fitted with damp proofing and may never have been upgraded to include it.
If you have an old home, it’s good practice to investigate whether there’s a damp proof course or not. If not, you should consider fitting one for long-term damp proofing.
3. Faulty Structures
For damp to occur, there needs to be a source of water or moisture. Often, this water accidentally seeps into your home and begins affecting internal walls when it leaks through faulty building structures (what we call penetrating damp).
If there are broken tiles on your roof, cracks in the walls, broken windows, doors, or any other number of faults with the structure of your home, then penetrating damp can occur when water begins to get through.
4. Leaking Pipes and Faulty Plumbing
One major cause of damp inside your home is leaking pipes, usually due to faulty plumbing. While you’ll notice a major leak quickly, the worst culprits are the small leaks that often go unnoticed for some time.
These small leaks build up over time and cause damp in walls and timbers. This weakens the walls, damages the plastering and, in severe cases, could even cause collapse.
5. Broken or Overloaded Gutters
Your outside guttering can also cause major damp problems if it’s not in working order. Gutters are there to channel rainwater away from the walls of your home, but if they’re blocked or broken, water builds up and can’t be dispersed.
Instead of being channelled away, rainwater seeps into the roof or walls, or pools on the floor and seeps in through the groundwork. Broken gutters need to be fixed, and kept clear of debris throughout the year.
6. Lack of Ventilation
One of the most basic causes of damp on internal walls is a lack of ventilation. If there’s a build-up of moisture in the air inside, this causes condensation (particularly in winter).
Condensation is a mild form of damp, but it still causes problems if left untreated. You can fix the lack of ventilation by leaving windows open after hot showers or by setting up a dehumidifier.
7. Cold Spots Lead to Condensation
Cold spots in your home can cause condensation and resulting damp problems. These cold spots cause condensation when hot air hits them.
While some cold spots can be removed through proper ventilation, serious cold spots are caused by cracks or gaps in the walls that let in cold air from outside.
8. Cement Rendering Causes Cracks
Cracks are a major source of moisture inside the home, which can lead to penetrating damp or condensation.
In modern homes, one of the biggest offenders is the cement rendering on your walls. This common building material tends to crack over time, leaving you with gaps and cavities that let water seep inside.
Danford Brewer & Ives has been providing damp proofing and prevention services to homeowners in Yorkshire, Teesside and North East England for decades. We’re happy to provide further information on the possible causes of damp in your home and explain how our team can fix it.
Please contact our friendly team on 01765 804050 or fill in our online contact form. Our technical team will be on hand with expert advice tailored to resolve your problem.
How to Keep Condensation and Damp Out This Winter
With winter fast approaching, it’s time to start shoring up your defences against the oncoming tide of condensation and damp, which can severely affect homes during the colder months of the year.
Condensation is the most common problem for homeowners in winter, with poor ventilation leading to lots of potential for hot and cold air to collide. While condensation is easily avoided, if it’s left for too long it can start to cause mould or even damage to walls and ceilings.
Condensation is a mild form of damp, but homeowners also need to be on the lookout for more serious damp problems during winter. Rising damp and penetrating damp are much more serious issues, leading to mould and potential structural problems.
It’s important to know the difference between damp and condensation and to know how to keep condensation and damp out of your home during winter.
Condensation During Winter
Condensation is the most common form of damp, and during winter it can be a real pain for homeowners. Thankfully, it’s usually more annoying than it is dangerous, and there are plenty of quick fixes to keep your home condensation-free during winter.
Condensation happens when hot, moisture-heavy air collides with colder, drier air. As the air mixes, condensation (water droplets) forms on windows, doors, and ceilings.
If you’re having a hot shower in winter, your windows and mirrors will steam up as condensation forms. In the kitchen, switch on the kettle or start simmering a hearty winter soup and you have the same problem.
Condensation forms on colder surfaces, which are more prevalent in winter than in summer. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that we keep our doors and windows closed during winter, to keep in the heat and to keep out the cold.
Poor ventilation is the biggest cause of condensation in winter, but also the easiest fix: just open the window. However, condensation can form in less obvious places, where it can become more of an issue. Check out this article on how to treat condensation in your homes.
Condensation often forms on the ceiling and can get into the attic during winter. This is when it could start to cause damage to your painting and plastering or, if left long enough, to the structure itself. As a form of damp, excessive levels of condensation lead to mould, which can cause respiratory problems. In the depths of winter, respiratory illness is the last thing you need.
Damp During Winter
While condensation is a form of damp, there are more serious types of damp that you need to be aware of. Damp can occur at any time of the year, but in winter the problems are worsened by colder weather and lack of ventilation.
Rising damp occurs when moisture starts moving up from the ground and into the structure of your home. It’s common in older houses, but rare in newer homes that have been adequately damp-proofed.
Penetrating damp is more common, and occurs when water starts moving down or horizontally through structures. It’s often the result of cracks in the walls, loose tiles and leaks. Due to temperature differences and bad weather, cracks and leaks are more common in winter than other times of the year. If you own a listed building, then check out this article on how to treat damp in listed buildings.
Both rising and penetrating damp can lead to mould as well as structural problems, so it’s crucial that you lookout for early signs (and musty smells). If you think you have a rising or penetrating damp problem during winter, contact the professionals immediately.
Tips to Reduce Condensation and Damp
While condensation and damp can be serious, in most cases there are a few simple fixes that can help you to avoid any serious problems.
Here are our best tips to help you avoid condensation and damp this winter.
- Open the Windows
Our biggest tip isn’t exactly a secret: open your windows!
Condensation thrives in a closed environment, especially in bathrooms and kitchens where there’s lots of moist air hanging around. Yes it might be cold outside, but try to open the window, even if it’s just for a few minutes while you’re boiling the kettle or in the shower.
- Check Your Extractor Fans
If your bathroom and kitchen are fitted with extractor fans, this should take care of excess moisture. You need to make sure that the extractor fan is actually switched on, though.
It’s good practice to check your fans are ventilating properly and extracting efficiently. Give them a check before winter arrives.
- Set Up a Dehumidifier
For serious cases of condensation that could lead to worsening damp, you might want to set up a dehumidifier to get rid of the excess moisture in the air.
Dehumidifiers aren’t ideal, but they are cheaper than dealing with structural problems if damp gets into the walls.
- Fix Cracks and Broken Tiles
Cracks and broken roof tiles are the easiest way for water to get into your home, and for penetrating damp to become a serious problem.
Before winter, have your house checked over and fill in any obvious cracks or sort any issues with the roof. During winter, look for any new damage after severe storms or extremely cold temperatures.
Act Fast to Keep Condensation and Damp Out
The most important thing you can do if you have excess condensation or visible damp problems is to act quickly.
Leaving damp, even in its mildest form, can lead to damage to your property, structural issues with your floors, walls, or ceilings, and respiratory illness. Damp can be an issue any time of the year, but it’s more likely to occur in winter.
Act fast, start ventilating your home, and call in the professionals if you aren’t sure how severe the problem is or what fix you need.
Contact Danford Brewer & Ives today, to learn more about keeping out condensation and damp this winter.
We’re experts in damp-proofing services and have been advising homeowners in Yorkshire, Teesside and North East England for decades. We’re happy to discuss your issues and confident that our professional staff can provide the best solutions to keep your home damp and condensation free this winter.
Please contact our friendly team on 01765 804050 or fill in our online contact form. Our technical team will be on hand with expert advice tailored to resolve your problem.
Which Kind of Damp is Affecting my Home?
Which Kind of Damp is Affecting my Home?
Damp in homes is a common problem that most of us come across at one time or another. Although, it may not seem like a big problem at first, damp in its various forms can wreak havoc if you do not take proactive measures.
Damp can lead to problems that can jeopardize the structural integrity of your home, and it can cause serious health problems. Most of us are aware that there are many types of damp. However, differentiating between them can be often tricky. The initial step of treating or preventing damp is to identify the kind of damp that is affecting your home.
Condensation, rising damp and penetrating damp are the three main types of damp in residential properties, and each requires different treatment. Let’s discuss each type in more detail:
Condensation
Condensation is the most common type of damp found in homes, and it occurs when hot air with high humidity levels cools down on the walls and other surfaces of the house. You can easily find condensation in rooms during winters like the kitchen and bathroom where the air has a lot of moisture and walls are generally cooler than the inside of the house.
The common symptoms of condensation are visible water droplets on windows, door glass, and walls. Also, an unpleasant moldy smell and dark mould can grow on the glass, especially on windows.
Poor ventilation and high humidity levels are significant condensation causes in homes. To solve this issue, you must install artificial systems to increase ventilation and decrease the moisture in the air. If condensation is left untreated, it can result in the growth of mould that destroys paint, plaster and wooden structures.
Penetrating Damp
Penetrative damp may become evident during and after heavy rainfall because it occurs due to moisture penetrating the walls through cracks or leaks in the wall, roof, faulty plumbing or guttering.
The signs of penetrating damp include dark patches on walls and roof that darken after rain or water exposure. These dark patches can expand horizontally.
Damp is common in older buildings as the modern style of wall insulation prevents moisture from getting insignificantly. However, if you have leaking pipes in sinks, then a newly built home can face this problem too.
Rising Damp
As the name suggests, rising damp rises from the ground and spreads up to the walls because it is caused by moisture that moves up from the floor through the walls. Rising damp occurs when the ground outside your home has poor drainage or retains too much moisture.
You can identify rising damp by the dark, wet marks that rise up the wall, damaging wall paint and leaving white powdery salt-like substance from the water. Rising damp starts from the ground and thus damages floors.
Modern building regulations require buildings to install damp proof course and damp proof membranes into the wall and floors, preventing damp significantly. The damp proof course is a plastic or bitumen felt strip that is built into the walls, whereas damp proof membrane is laid underneath the floor and is made out of waterproof material.
Professional Advice for Dealing with Damp
Professional Help & Advice for Dealing with Damp Problems
Damp is a common problem that should be identified and treated as soon as it gets a foothold in your house. Shockingly, damp problems can cause serious structural and health issues if left untreated. Fortunately, damp can be treated with a few simple steps that we will reveal in this guide.
One of the damp proofing and treatment specialists at Danford Brewer & Ives has shared his professional guidance for people dealing with the issue of damp in their homes. He holds years of experience in offering damp surveys and damp treatments to both commercial and residential properties. His vast experience has allowed him to gain professional insight into how people at home with little or no knowledge can treat various types of damp.
Expert Recommended Treatment for Condensation
Condensation is the most common form of damp and can also be the easiest to resolve. Condensation is caused when everyday actions such as cooking, bathing, washing and drying clothes create moisture in the air. The most common rooms for condensation to form in are the kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms.
The wet air will then target areas of cold surfaces such as windows and external walls. You can identify these areas by looking for blackish mouldy spots, water droplets on the walls and window glass, small puddles of water on windowsills and peeling paint.
There are many small and simple ways in which you can reduce condensation in your property, for example:
- Ensure that each room has sufficient ventilation, such as opening windows and using extractor fans.
- Ensure that the property is moderately heated. Without heat, the wall surfaces will become colder and attract further condensation.
- Make sure that there is sufficient insulation within your loft space. Condensation will form on ceilings where cold spots are created through insufficient insulation.
- Dry clothes outside. If you dry clothes indoors on radiators, then this will add moisture into the air. Also, if you use a tumble drier ensure it is either vented or a condenser tumble drier.
- Keep all airbricks clear to allow air to flow around the property.
- Keep furniture slightly away from the walls to allow air to pass around it.
If the above suggestions do not help improve the condensation issues you are experiencing, then other steps can be taken. Contacting a damp specialist means you will be offered the correct specialist solution to deal with the problem effectively, whether it is a Positive Pressure Unit, heat recovery humidity-controlled extractor fan, additional air vents, improved insulation, heating, or most likely a combination of these to find the correct balance.
Expert’s Recommendation for Damp Penetration
Penetrating damp is caused by water penetration in the walls. The most common reason behind this type of damp is structural issues.
It is vital that the cause of water penetration is dealt with before anything else is treated. Experts suggest checking for the following:
- High external levels, built up paths or flowerbeds
- Blocked & overflowing gutters
- Broken, leaking downpipes
- Running overflows from cisterns and tanks
- Porous masonry (under-fired bricks, porous stone, porous mortar)
- Cracks
- Defective render & pointing
- Unfilled joints and perpends
- Defective seals around doors and windows
- Holes in walls – e.g. where cables or pipes protrude
If you see blotchy patches with crumbling paint and plaster inside your property that is wet with mould and mildew growth, then, unfortunately, you are dealing with penetrating damp.
Ensuring that your property, especially older properties, is kept well maintained will help prevent penetrating water.
Treatment of penetrating damp can require stripping material back to the bricks, but it only happens in severe cases. Materials that are severely damaged must be removed and replaced. Do not merely paint over damp because it will not solve the problem from spreading further.
Experts’ Recommendation for Rising Damp Treatment
Rising damp is the common term for the slow upward movement of groundwater in the lower sections of walls. Rising damp can be a sign that your walls were not adequately protected from the moisture in the ground outside. It could be that poor drainage is a contributory factor, so it’s certainly worth checking for standing water in crawlspaces and basements. Rising damp has to be corrected as soon as possible because it can lead to severe damage to your house.
Signs of rising damp can include:
- Tide marks/staining
- Salting – white powdery substance
- Peeling paint/wallpaper
- Skirting boards becoming rotten
- Plaster blowing/crumbling
To check and treat rising damp, it is essential that you enlist the help of a qualified reputable damp proofing and damp treatment company that can identify the cause of rising damp. These companies can come up with the most effective solution.
No one property is the same which is why Danford Brewer and Ives carry out a thorough damp survey on each property to identify the what the root cause of the damp is and provide a suitable treatment to fix the problem. If you have a damp issue and would like a professional damp proofing company to take a look then contact DBI today and book a site survey with one of our certified damp surveyors.
Damp Surveys - What to Expect
What to Expect from a Damp Survey?
No one is looking for nasty wet surprises. Damp surveys ensure that there are no hidden surprises for you that might be causing major structural issues.
A damp survey is essential, especially when you are purchasing a new property. Once damp surveys are completed, a Damp Survey Report confirms whether a property is affected by damp or not. If yes, then it tells about what extent the property is damaged - mainly, the structure of the property.
As simple as it sounds, it might not be so simple. A simple damp survey can take about 1 to 4 hours. A surveyor usually examines a property physically before going to the next step and using specialised devices for damp detection.
The surveyor checks for indoor and outdoor flooring, wallpaper, floor lining, ceiling, gutters, downpipes, water lines, radiators, windows, and almost every single place where damp can set in. The surveyor makes notes of the findings. Sometimes, the surveyor might write down the conclusions of a few lines, but at times, there can be several paragraphs. The surveyor might also capture pictures of the damp damaged spots during a survey.
All of the data that is gathered by the damp surveyor is essential to make a damp survey report. A surveyor carefully stores every bit of information that he/she reveals during the physical examination of a property. Experienced surveyors are usually able to detect damp spots without the help of moisture detectors; however, if there are no signs of damp, a surveyor confirms it by using a moisture detector.
Sometimes, sellers purposefully try to disguise damp with fresh wallpaper and decorative items. Detecting damp might be too difficult in such cases; this is where surveyors take help of the moisture meter.
A damp survey does not only help understand the damage caused by damp, but a surveyor also points out the spots in the house that require immediate attention and damp treatment. The surveyor recommends measures to be taken for treatment of the damp damage. Also, it recommends whether or not professional help is required.
This is the reason that it is essential to ensure that a seller offers the latest damp survey report. Purchasing a property without a damp report can be a huge risk because you might end up buying a property that looks damp-proof; however, it might have severe damp issues that could lead to structural problems.
Overall, the damp surveys are essential for not only detecting damp damage but also help in figuring out the best ways to treat the damp damage. Also, the damp surveys can reveal how much it would cost to make your property damp-proof.
Even if selling your property is not on your mind, a damp survey is still essential, and is highly recommended; especially, if you live in an area that receives heavy rainfall and is prone to damp damage. Above all, the damp surveys help in ensuring that damp is not causing any structural issues to your property.
Danford Brewer & Ives are qualified and certified surveyors in structural waterproofing and remedial treatments. All specialist works are covered by long term independent insurance backed guarantees. If you are looking for a trusted company to carry out a damp survey then contact Danford Brewer & Ives today and book an appointment with one of our certified damp surveyors.
What Causes Condensation?
What Causes Condensation?
“In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes,” wrote Benjamin Franklin in 1789. For the purposes of this blog, it’s (very briefly) worth considering whether he dreamt up this line while gazing out of his study window on a warm summer’s morning. Because if he did so in the depths of winter, after noticing patches of moisture on the window’s sill, then he might have added another certainty to the list.
Is there a homeowner out there who hasn’t sighed when he or she opens the curtains and sees such a thing? Or perhaps spotted that wallpaper near a radiator – over which he or she casually drapes clothes to dry during the winter months – has started to bubble and peel.
Add plaster deterioration to the list and it’s clear that the consequences of condensation can be a pain. But when one adds the potential for the growth of bacteria and mould (which may cause respiratory problems) and even rot (which may, if left untreated, cause structural problems) it’s clear that consequences of condensation can – if left unchecked – be significant.
‘But what can I do?’ asks the owner. Well…exactly. Simply living within walls and under a roof creates condensation; the very act of breathing is a contributory factor, as are cooking, bathing, washing and drying clothes. Don’t worry, though: we’re not going to recommend that you always eat out, never bathe or do laundry – all the while holding your breath for as long as you possibly can.
Condensation is basically a dampening of the air until water gathers on cold surfaces such as windows, tiles and walls. And the colder the room, the worse it can be. Yet simple steps can help fight it. For starters, get hold of a dehumidifier and see for yourself how much water it can collect in a day.
Here are a few other ideas:
- Temperatures might be on the low side, but that shouldn’t stop you from opening a window – if just a little – to reduce moisture
- Wipe down surfaces, such as window sills, where moisture tends to collect
- When cooking always use pan lids and open a window to ventilate the kitchen
- When drying clothes, try and do it outside. But if that’s not viable (and, let’s face it, it isn’t quite a lot of the time) use a clothes horse rather than place clothes on a radiator. Better still, set up a dehumidifier nearby
- If you use a tumble dryer that isn’t self-condensing, make sure it’s vented properly
- When running a bath, turn the cold tap on before the hot; it’ll reduce the amount of steam
- After bathing or showering, wipe down the tiles to remove the surface water. Then open the window and shut the door
- When using extractor fans fitted in either the kitchen or bathroom, remember to close all windows and doors so they work more effectively
- A temptation might be to switch the heating off to save money. However, heating set at a moderate temperature tends to be more cost-effective in the long run – while helping prevent condensation, of course
- Always keep your house ventilated (even during the winter) and prevent the blocking of airbricks e.g. by leaves
- Try not to place furniture against walls - particularly outside walls - as this prevents air from circulating freely and traps moisture
The war can never be won; it’s more a case of holding the enemy in check. But what if you’re losing the fight? Say you’ve bought a new property that does have damp and needs treatment?
Danford Brewer & Ives can help you. Damp is a tricky phenomenon to treat effectively – there are different types, misdiagnoses can happen and the wrong form of treatment can lead down a (potentially expensive) blind alley. However, we have the experience and nous to assess each and every situation and suggest an appropriate course of action.
Please contact us if you have any queries – whether it’s about condensation, damp, or any of the other building services we offer, such as timber treatment, basement conversions, extensions or building maintenance. As always, we’re more than happy to help.