How to Damp Proof a Wall?

A lot of people had some encounters with damp in their houses, and it’s not a pleasant thing.

Damp is one of several things you do not want to see in your homes. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a landlord or a tenant, damp isn’t a desirable thing.

This can make the house feel dark, uninviting, and unhealthful, and at worst it can contribute to the architectural and structural problem. It may destroy your home furniture, including paint flaking, deteriorating plaster, and wallpaper including cracking skirting boards.

It is important to identify the origins of any damp because mistreatment will sometimes complicate things. It’s often recommended to seek the advice of a damp specialist to survey the damp and to locate where the trouble originates.

If the cause is exterior or outer walls, the issue may appear to be penetrating damp. When the origin of the moisture is internal or directly impacts the inside of the walls, the issue is likely to be condensation or maybe rising damp.

How to know when you have a damp

You can typically see or smell if you’ve got damp, mostly during winter, but then you can check any time of the year for warning signs. Keep an eye for the following:

Roofs and Rainwater Fittings

In rainy and windy conditions, inspect the roof if the damp ceiling patch is contributing to roof leak and perhaps even the condensation. Any debris on the floor or sunlight throughout the lofts suggests that there are potential issues in the roof.

The most noticeable of all during torrential downpours will be the damaged rainwater fitting, plus more clues if there are wall stains and plant growth. Remember to check for ground-floor gulleys.

Plumbing

Exceedingly large bills of water or refilling tank constantly might indicate a leak

Basements and Storage Spaces

The first hint of a damp issue is undoubtedly a musty and moist smell. Check on stained walls and woodworking while you are there for staining and mold.

Bathrooms and kitchens

Watch for traces of black mold on the grinding and panel. Search for similar damage to windows and ceilings. Check through the cabinets and cupboards to see if there are stains and mold growth as well as damp smells.

Walls

Does your hand feel so cold or wet while placing it against the wall? Locate for indications of mold or fungal accumulation which can be seen on walls, woodwork, and wallpapers as black patterns or grey growths. Curling wallpaper or flaking paint can be a sign too.

Problems with damp walls

The damp walls pose numerous problems. First of all, the house becomes less pleasant and comfortable because of damp. It destroys your interior décor and furniture and emits a nasty damp smell.

Damp walls also reduce the home’s energy efficiency and will cost you even more to operate.

Also, there are adverse health effects linked to living in a house with a damp problem, especially among younger and elderly people as well as patients with asthma and other respiratory problems.

What Causes Damp Walls?

The very first step in the repairing of damp walls is to locate the cause of moisture. You will have to perform internal and external searches in your home.

Damp marks on walls may be triggered by a mixture of underlying problems, including:

– Poor ventilation
– Defective sealing of windows and doors
– Leaking plumbing
– Defective roofing
– Damaged damp proof course
– Rainwater penetration
– Rising damp

How to Damp-Proof a Wall

Using Damp Proof Membranes

The damp proof membrane is a product primarily made of polyethylene and comes in a sheet pattern. It is placed under the floor or inside the wall and enables the moisture to dissipate, prohibiting the moisture from being transferred to the interior of the house.

Also, it is highly adaptable, which implies that it can endure motion from within the building structure.

Damp Proof Paints

When damp proofing walls using damp proof paint, the desired effect is obtained by applying the material to the underlying layer and then coating it with a render or concrete. It, therefore, establishes a sandwich structure that keeps the damp proof sheet within the wall make-up, trapping the moisture at bay.

Damp proof paints could also be effectively applied to the outer edge, but by trying to lock dampness into gypsum-based material, the gypsum may gradually disappear.

We wouldn’t recommend that damp proof paint is used on a salt-contaminated area because this can eventually remove the coating.

Tanking Slurry

Tanking often referred to as cemented tanking or tanking slurry. It is yet another method of damp proofing. It tends to obstruct water by creating a barrier to the structure of the property. It also helps to prevent moisture from flowing into floors and walls. Tanking hardens as well as produces a vapor-permeable component. Although commonly used during basement waterproofing cases, tanking works very well to suppress damp beyond the surface too.

Tanking slurries could not be coated with a spot and dab finishing or with a direct plaster coating. Included is a minimal level of 10 mm cement-based render over the exterior layer.

Replastering Damp Walls

In several instances, you can easily manage the original brickwork or concrete wall by adding a new waterproof render as well as replastering the damp wall.

This would retain any remaining moisture within a wall to avoid it from flowing across to fresh finishes while leaving the wall to dry completely.

Cavity Wall Damp Proofing

Cavity walls are increasingly common in houses built in the 1920s. These were first introduced to avoid the leakage of water into the interior of the house.

Damp penetration is rarer with the advent of cavity walls, but it may still occur if not managed properly.

But, cavity walls may also have challenges with the damp proof course/DPC being bridged. This may arise when the outside ground level is elevated above the DPC, or when structural systems are overlapping.

The best way to fix this is to empty the cavity of the wall. It will require lifting a variety of bricks to obtain entry to the cavity. It is strongly recommended that a specialist be consulted before performing this project.

Remedial Measures

Efficient remedial steps rely on correct evaluation, however, the implementation of step-by-step solutions could also be a component of understanding the cause of a damp issue.

Before choosing on more extensive damp problem solution, the first workaround could require little more than simple maintenance, such as removing a jammed rainwater passageway.

Solutions may very well eradicate dampness by addressing the root cause, e.g. improving drainage, or act on it by dealing with the symptoms, e.g. adjusting washing or cooking practices.