Damp can damage your home and provide a safety and health hazard to you and your family. It is moisture which seeps into the home from the outside and then starts to crack the walls, floors and foundation of the home. It will lead to mould and mildew and this can cause serious health implications to the inhabitants of the home.
There are different types of damp. These types of damp can be identified by their specific characteristics. Some of the different types of damp include the following:
- Rising damp: This type of damp is caused by the moisture which moves up through various porous materials such as bricks. This is done through capillary action. This would usually occur when a home does not have a damp proof course installed in it or if the course is broken. A damp proofing course is actually a layer of slate, plastic or another type of waterproofing material which is placed horizontally between the various layers of bricks close to ground level. It will act as a barrier which will prevent the moisture from being able to travel upwards
- Penetrating damp: This type of damp will be caused by issues with the exterior of the property. You can easily spot this type of damp. Should you have a leak in a specific area of the home then you should inspect the outside of your home. An example of this could be your roof leaking due to a burst pipe or leaking guttering
- Condensation damp: This type of damp is frequently caused by really rather simple things that we do each day in the home, such as the drying of wet clothes on your radiator, cooking or running hot water. These activities can cause a lot of heavy moisture and hot air in the home which will be trapped inside the house should the home not be well ventilated
These are only some of the various types of damp that can enter a home and damage the property. You should be on the lookout for any of this and deal with it straight away to prevent any further damage from occurring to the property.