Sort out damp problems now – before Christmas

With UK clocks going back an hour on Sunday (October 25) from 2am to 1am many people are starting to plan for Christmas.

But this month is also is the time to check your home for any problems with damp as it may be too late to call for help over the festive holiday.

That’s the advice of Midlands green energy expert Ron Fox who said according to the English Housing Survey more than 920,000 of the 23,000,000 homes in England had rising damp or other condensation problems in at least one room of their home.

He advised all householders to make the following checks outside the home over the next few weeks.

• Damaged or blocked pipes, gutters or downpipes.
• Broken seals around windows or ill-fitting windows that do not close fully.
• Visible structural or facade defects, such as cracks in render or the foundation, missing or broken roof tiles.
• Bridged or compromised damp proof course.

He also said people should check for the following danger signs inside the home.

• Peeling wallpaper.
• Visible damp or staining on walls or other obvious condensation.
• Defective plaster.
• Consistently high relative humidity, as assessed using a moisture meter or environmental monitors.
• Low levels of loft or wall insulation.
• Low internal wall temperature.
• Damaged, blocked, absent or switched off mechanical ventilation (for example, extractors in kitchens and bathrooms).
• Ineffective or broken heating systems.

Ron said the situation is much more serious if mould has started to grow around the home for tenants and householders as it can affect the health of the people living there, particularly children and the elderly.

People can suffer from nasal stuffiness or wheezing to eye or skin irritation while those with skin or respiratory conditions are particularly at risk.

He explained the five different types of damp:

Condensation damp happens when moisture generated inside the home cools and condenses on to colder parts of the buildings (for example window frames, corners and low points on walls behind sofas or wardrobes). This is the most common form of damp.

Penetrating damp is water that gets into the building from outside due to defects in the walls, roofs, windows or floors.

Rising damp is moisture that rises up through parts of the buildings in contact with the ground such as walls and floors. It is usually found in older properties and is often misdiagnosed. It can be identified through inspection, but chemical testing is the most appropriate way of confirming it. Often it is due to defective damp proof courses and membranes.

Traumatic damp can be caused by leaking water from waste and heating pipes, overflowing baths or sinks, burst pipes or defective water storage vessels inside the building. Traumatic damp can also originate from outside the property, for example from another building or from environmental flooding.

Mould is a type of fungus which grows in moist environments. Mould can cause adverse health effects as well as damage to buildings.

“It is important these problems are sorted out as soon as possible, so if in doubt get expert help,” concluded Ron, of Noreus Ltd on the University of Keele Science and Innovation Park.

For those wanting more professional advice about dealing with damp and mould call Ron on 0845 474 6641 or contact us here.

This article raises some important questions, said Ron. Do you check your home regularly for any damp problems as some of our readers do? Would you be interested in finding out more about dealing with damp by having a visit from an expert? Did you know there are five different sorts of damp? Send your views to Ron Fox at [email protected]

Caption: Now is the time to look for tell-tale signs of damp. Picture: Ron Fox.