Many home owners who struggle with damp mould on their walls are now trying the do it yourself approach to solving these issues by damp proofing their walls themselves. This is not always an effective approach to the problem however. It is very easy to be tempted into trying to do this yourself, there is a ton of information on the subject available on the internet and it just seems to makes sense to try and save money where ever possible in this bad economy.
The whole job seems simple enough but if you do not have a great deal of experience in diagnosing types and causes of damp in walls and ceilings you could very easily get it wrong, end up buying the wrong product and not solving your damp issues at all. In most cases damp is caused by condensation, meaning too much moisture in the air in your home, simply creating more ventilation by increasing circulating airflow throughout the house may solve the problem.
One can also install extractor fans particularly in areas such as bathrooms and kitchens to reduce condensation and also make sure that all the plumbing in your bathroom and kitchen have been done correctly. If your house is new it should already be adequately damp proofed because your building contractor should have applied a DPC or damp proof course into the structure during the building phase.
If your house is older then it may be a different situation, it is always best to get a professional expert in because determining the nature and source of damp is a skill learnt through years of experience. Always be sure to only use a contractor that can offer you a guarantee against future damp.
If you still decide to rather do it yourself then you first need to determine whether you need to make sure that your property is all above ground, if you have a basement then it is again an entirely different scenario and you will most definitely require professional who can diagnose, design and install damp proofing specifically for your needs guaranteed. If your property is all above ground then the first step is to establish if you have an effective DPC or damp proof course. You can check this by inspecting your eternal walls, there should be a slate or HDPE course visible about 150 mm from the ground. If this is not there or broken then you can apply an external damp proofing solution to effectively damp proof your home. There are a number of choices available to you including injection creams, paint on bitumen, cavity membranes and various other fluids.
If your home is face brick then a damp cream is often the best solution because the cream will mix with the cement or mortar and create an effective prevention for dampness rising above that level. If your home is made with stone, in uneven patterns it is better to use a dimpled meshed membrane. These are also the most effective permanent solutions for damp issues.
Sometimes what is cost effective may not be the best thing to do in terms of the quality that you get. When you are unsure about the kind of quality that you are going to deliver, get the professionals like Paintfellas to help you.