A house is perhaps the single most expensive thing you have ever purchased in your life. This is why it can be worrisome to see signs of damp in your property. After all, damp is not an issue you can just dismiss. When left untreated, it can cause major damage to your house which can be very expensive to repair. Moreover, it can make you sick and even cause you to develop chronic illnesses.
Unfortunately, damp is a fairly common problem in Irish homes. It affects all kinds of houses – old, new, period or traditional, modern, one-storey, two-storey, etc. However, in terms of house age, it tends to be more prevalent in older properties. One reason for this is that damp proofing is now a part of the house construction process of most builders.
Yet, even new properties still experience damp and other related problems like mould growth. Why does this happen? For one, damp proofing is not mandatory. Hence, some companies who probably want to scrimp on construction expenses forego damp proofing the houses they are building.
Another reason why a new, “damp-proofed” house may still be affected is because of improper damp-proofing. For example, an injected damp-proof course needs to completely dry and cure properly for it to serve its purpose. If it is introduced to a wet wall, this would not happen; instead, the wall can become even more saturated with water.
It could also be the case that the damp proof membrane was not properly installed by the builders. It is also possible that the damp proof course has cracked or become defective because of wear and tear or other factors like movement of building subsidence.
However, one of the top causes of dampness in houses is a plumbing defect. This can include failing waste pipes in old bathrooms, corroded pipes in walls and damaged seals in showers, amongst others. Although water released from a plumbing defect is minimal, it is still capable of causing big damp patches which are very conspicuous. This is because, while the amount of water coming out is small, the flow is consistent and it hits the same spot.
Poor ventilation is another common cause of damp. Even without leaking pipes, it is possible for your house to have excess moisture. How? For one, it is because of people living in the house. In fact, much of the moisture present in the house comes from humans. Reports say that one person loses about 8 pints of water in just 12 hours!
When your home is not properly ventilated, excess moisture is unable to escape out of the house. This leads to condensation damp, the most common type of damp problem, which can be dangerous as it promotes the growth of moulds and bacteria. As you may already know, these organisms can cause various kinds of diseases.
Suffice it to say, damp is a common occurrence in many houses. Nevertheless, it is still a problem that should not be taken for granted.
To avoid costly repair expenses and health problems, make sure that you immediately call a damp proofing company if you suspect damp in your house. Furthermore, take the necessary measures to minimise or prevent moisture build up in your home, i.e., regularly check pipes and gutters and install an efficient ventilation system. Meanwhile, if you are building a house, make sure that the damp proof course is properly installed.
Need a damp proofing specialist to find out what is causing the damp in your house? Call us at 01 – 8417716 (telephone) or 086 – 7907555 (mobile) today.