If your home is suffering from damp, it can be tempting to find a quick fix to get rid of it, but it’s often not as straightforward as that.
We thought we would write a bit about how we find and cure damp, some of the info you can do yourself, you don’t need a builder or a damp proofing company to do it.
If you despair about having to have your property painted each year, here is the answer!
In the course of our work we get to meet a range of people and time after time they tell us that they have had problems with damp, condensation, mould or mildew.
Damp can be a nasty thing to have in your house, and it can be a total nightmare to get rid of it, and I have to tell you, dear reader, that people come up with some bizarre thoughts about why the house is damp and then wonder why the damp doesn’t go away after their attempt at treatment!
Exterior wall coatings, applied by us, will not only give the external appearance of any house the “wow!” factor, people choose them over masonry paint as the coatings stop damp, but paint doesn’t.
Ways to cure damp that don’t actually work
OK, first and foremost, and as we said above, if your house has damp it will NOT go away on its’ own.
Black mould releases invisible spores, like toxic pollen, into the air in the house and they get inhaled by the occupants, and then the toxic bits stick to the linings of the lungs and throat, eventually causing breathing problems.
Here are some ways that do not work and why.
Stain blocker/interior damp spray:
This product is often supplied in a aerosol spray can and is relatively cheap, if you consider wasting money as cheap.
The damp is coming in from the OUTSIDE so if you block a patch internally, the water in the walls will just find somewhere else to leak in to.
Dehumidifiers:
These machines can be hired or bought for as little as £150 (Screwfix.co.uk WDH-210DB-16R 16Ltr Dehumidifier. Product Code: 49718) and they work by sucking in the air in the room, and then freezing the moisture that is contained the air.
It does this by a condensing process (If you don’t remember your science classes at school!), and then drains the water away into a reservoir.
They can HELP in controlling damp and moisture but they will NOT cure the problem and you could end up with a big electric bill with heavy usage.
Drywall or dry lining plasterboard:
This method is often used when converting cellars or basements from water ingress, however a damp proof membrane (a waterproof sheeting) is often used as a belt and braces method.
However when using drywall to cure damp in internal rooms, once again you are faced with the issue that yes, the damp may be covered over…. but it’s still there!
You haven’t cured it, once again, it will move to another part of the wall where the flow of water can find a new route inside the house
Painting the exterior:
NO! Most paint you can buy yourself, yes even ones promising weatherproof qualities, are more often than not, actually no more than coloured water.
Painting a damp wall from the outside will not cure damp at all, in fact if the wall has problems then the paint will not actually last a very long time anyway so that’s a complete waste of your money.
Bleach:
Finally, we have to tell you that if you spray bleach on the inside walls, to get rid of mould, you are making the damp problem WORSE!
Why?
Because household spray bleach contains WATER and if you spray that onto your wall and then wipe away the black mould, you have done two very bad things.
1. You have made your wall wetter and therefore more susceptible to damp, by adding something containing water, which gives that mould more moisture that it needs to grow, so it will come back, guaranteed.
2. After spraying the bleach and then wiping it away with a cloth or kitchen paper, you have released more toxic mould spores into the air of your house, potentially to be breathed in by the occupants.
Not good.
SPRAY BLEACH WILL NOT CURE MOULD INSIDE YOUR HOUSE.
How to actually cure damp in your house.
So with the above borne in mind, curing damp is not as easy at it looks and in most cases, it does require professional help and attention.
We have 2 types of spray applied wall coatings, painted and clear, of which both stop damp permanently, whilst also making the exterior of the house look great! Just one look at our gallery page using the menu at the top of the page will attest to that.
This treatment is available via ourselves, 12 months of the year and is a cost effective way to cure damp for good.
We have so much confidence in that, we offer a 20 year warranty, which can also be a handy sales tool if you plan on selling as the certificate stays with the house.
This no quibble warranty is passed on to the new owners of your home if you sell it in the future, who will have peace of mind that they are not going to find hidden horrors after they buy the place form you.
Even if you do plan on staying put, we can cure the damp once and for all
Get in contact with us today for a free quote to cure damp