Damp Proofing London
Types of Damp Proofing Issues That Affect Londoners
The good old British weather. Love it or hate it, it’s what we all talk about most of the time.
The maritime climate of the UK gives us our famously humid environment. This can leave buildings prone to problems with dampness. London in particular, with its old buildings, low lying basin geology and proximity to the river Thames can be a nightmare for damp problems.
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Without suitable damp proofing, dampness can not only spoil decorative finishes such as paintwork and soft furnishings, it can cause more significant damage too, destroying plaster and woodwork and ultimately undermining a building’s structural integrity. Dampness can adversely affect your health too and damp buildings can cause respiratory infections and other problems, aggravate asthma and trigger a number of allergic reactions usually through condensation build-up.
In general there are three main damp problems that affect London’s buildings. They can all cause damage that you would normally associate with dampness, but it is the way that the dampness gets into the building that differs.
Firstly, and perhaps the most well known, are the problems caused by rising damp. Rising Damp is the name given to dampness that affects a building by rising up from ground level. Because most building materials are porous, dampness is sucked up through them by the process of capillary action. Because ground water is actually a solution of minerals (such as chlorides and nitrates), when the water evaporates from the surface of affected walls it leaves behind a residue which not only stains, but can become hygroscopic itself, leaching humidity out of the atmosphere and causing even more damage to the building.
Rising damp is generally caused by either a missing Damp Proof Course (DPC) or a DPC that has been compromised or broken in some way.
Rooms may be treated by redecorating or replastering, but unless the seat of the problem is tackled this is merely a cosmetic measure and it will only be a matter of time before the damp is once again visible.
Another main cause of damp in London is penetrative damp. This is where dampness enters a building laterally through the walls. This most often occurs when there is a building fault, such as a broken gutter or drainpipe, which causes water to pool against the exterior of the building and consequently seep through to the interior. Another main cause of penetrative damp is via an earth retaining wall (that is to say a wall whose exterior is below the level of the ground such as a basement or a building built into a slope).
Although the method of entry for penetrative damp differs to that of rising damp, the results are the same; stained decoration, mould and mildew, rotten skirtings and woodwork, salt crystallization on walls, crumbling plaster and that overpowering mouldy stench of decay.
Condensation problems are another leading cause of issues with dampness. However, unlike rising and penetrative damp, condensation can be more easily dealt with. Condensation occurs when warm moist air meets a cold surface and the most common causes of condensation in domestic situations are bad ventilation and fluctuating temperatures. One of the worst culprits for condensation is gas fires, in particular the old style portable gas heaters.
All of the above damp problems have one thing in common: treating the symptoms will not cure the problem. You can spend a lifetime, and large amounts of your hard earned cash, applying bleach and mould resistant paints and sprays. Unless you tackle the roots of the problem your damp will keep returning, often with more vigour each time as water builds up within walls and woodwork that are out of sight.
If you have problems with damp contact the professionals for a free, no-nonsense, no-obligation survey.
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Contact us today on: 077 0908 4010
Unit 142 Culvert Court, Culvert Road, London, SW11 5AU