How to Treat Damp in the Home

With damp a base problem in Uk homes, we've identified the major causes and found out how to overcome them. Damp can occur in any construction type and is often the consequent of failing to keep up with house maintenance.

What causes damp?

Gutter History

Causes consist of leaking pipes, wastes or overflows, rising damp from the ground caused by a damaged damp proof course, condensation in kitchens or bathrooms that don't have adequate extraction, or water penetrating from face because of a missing roof tile, leaking window frame or blocked gutter.

Luckily damp is easy to identify. Start by sourcing the cause. For example, a damp patch on the wall at the top of a chimney breast suggests a leak from the chimney stack, a wet patch at the top of a wall may indicate a leaking gutter and damp near windows might mean a damaged drip groove below the window sill.

Find out more in our guide on identifying what kind of damp you have, and how to treat it.

How to identify your damp problem

Rising damp is water that enters a structure from the ground, commonly caused by having a damaged damp proof course, or no damp proof procedure at all.

Symptoms consist of decayed skirting boards and floors, stained plaster and peeling paint and wallpaper.

Penetrating damp is when water enters a construction from face and moves through the walls, often creating stains or mould increase at some distance from the leak.

Caused are defects in guttering and pipes, faulty flashings, poor pointing and cracked rendering.

Condensation, the most base form of damp, is often caused by poor heating and ventilation. It occurs when activities such as cooking raise the level of humidity in a building. This air condenses on cold surfaces - windows ans walls.

Running water on windows is the most unavoidable signal of condensation and can lead to stained curtains, decaying window frames or moulding on paint and wallpaper.

How to treat damp

Serious damp problems may wish that you consult a fine surveyor. They will take a moisture reading at your home, identify the cause of the problem and suggest you on the right procedure of action.

Rising damp

Seek the advice of a trained surveyor before you consider installing a new damp proof course. It may be that the problem is more unquestionably remedied.

Penetrating damp

You may need to repair or replace your gutters. It might be your window sill dip grooves - designed to shed rainwater so it doesn't run down the house wall - are blocked and need to be reformed.

If face brickwork has come to be porous, paint over with an face waterproofing fluid to add a new water defiant skin.

Condensation

Quick remedies for condensation consist of wiping down windows and sills every morning. Take off mould as soon as you see it and wipe down walls and window frames with a fungicidal wash.

Insulate your loft and replace or draught-proof doors and windows for more persisting effects.

More serious problems may need a surveyor's attention. Improving your heating and ventilation systems might be the answer. Install extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms to sell out moisture.

How to Treat Damp in the Home