When left untreated, dampness in your home can pose a significant health risk to you and your family. It is sometimes difficult to detect dampness. In some cases, it may appear slowly and only show signs after several years, in others it may appear quickly after heavy rain.
For the correct diagnosis, it’s imperative that you get assistance from a specialist since no two damp cases are alike. By eliminating solutions that may not solve your underlying damp issue, you will save time and money. The following signs may indicate dampness in your home:
- Musty, damp smell
- Mould on walls
- Moist walls
- Peeling wallpaper, paint bubbles or stains
- Dark patches
- Salt stains on external walls
- Plaster discolouration and cracking
- Wood decay by wood-rotting fungi
- Mortar crumbling on the outside of the property
Depending on the type of damp, signs may look different. Here are some signs of rising damp:
- Rusted nails or screws on skirting boards
- Damaged or rotting skirting boards in the home
- Peeling paint and wallpaper due to wet patches
- Floors with damp patches or coverings that are lifting
- The ground is covered with a white powdery substance
- Your lower wall is stained brown or yellow above the skirting board
You can prevent damp in your home by doing these three things:
- Proper ventilation will keep condensation from building up in your home.
- Dehumidifiers can help. Using a dehumidifier is an easy way to decrease the humidity in the air.
- Decrease the amount of moisture in your home. Cooking with lids, only boiling the kettle when necessary, air-drying your clothes instead of using a tumble drier and wiping down the shower or bath can help.
Hydrostop SA can determine if there is a damp issue in your property and suggest the most suitable solution. Their primary goal and passion is waterproofing and damp proofing properties in Pretoria and Johannesburg, so you can be sure you are in good hands! Please get in touch with the team today.