Damp walls are a common problem in many homes in the UK. It can cause anything from unsightly areas in rooms right through to severe damage so it’s important that damp walls are not left untreated. In this article we take a look at some of the reasons why walls get damp and how damp proofing walls can help solve the problem.
What Causes Damp Walls? There are a number of reasons why you might experience damp walls in your home, some are internal problems whilst others are external. The most common internal damp problems are caused by poorly ventilated rooms where steam and condensation are common. Typically this tends to occur in the bathroom, shower room, kitchen and laundry room. Although it can be solved to some extent by simply opening a window, it is often an ongoing problem. External damp problems can be more serious and are usually caused by poor property maintenance such as rising damp and leaking roofs or guttering.
What is Damp Proofing? There are a number of ways that you can solve damp problems in your home. The first is to damp proof walls using a damp proofing course. This is the most costly and most intrusive of all the options. It generally involves applying sheets of felt or films made using polymer modified bituminous membranes which are laminated together. This prevents damp from penetrating the walls and is therefore best suited to solving external damp problems such as rising damp.
To solve internal damp problems generally caused by condensation, there are two common options. The first is to use a specially designed damp proofing wallpaper. Doric Anderton is just one brand which offers this type of wallpaper in the form of their Three in one Damp Proof Foil Paper. This is applied directly onto the wall and then overlaid with standard wallpaper. Similar to the way a damp proofing course works, this special foil wallpaper stops the damp from penetrating the walls.
The other option for tackling damp walls is to use a damp proofing paint. These have been specially developed using a number of different chemicals and ingredients to solve damp. Often referred to an anti mould paints or anti mildew paints, they can be applied to walls directly from the tin without the need for much prep work. They are typically long lasting and highly durable. You can choose to paint over the top of them or even apply wallpaper over them, sound in the knowledge that you wouldn’t see any unsightly mould spots in the area again.
So with so many DIY options available, why not find and combat any damp walls in your home today.