How to deal with penetrating damp
Credit where it’s due, water is a persistent player and relentless in its determination to invade your home through the smallest of cracks or joints. Once it’s made its way in you’re left with the unenviable task of first locating its entry point (or points), then embarking on a programme of treatment involving remedial work.
Dealing with penetrating damp
Buy an electronic moisture meter to check damp readings particularly near windows and corners of walls
Prevention is always better than cure so be vigilant!
A stale, musty smell usually means poor ventilation and consequently damp
What is penetrating damp?
Penetrating damp is classed as any water that finds its way inside from the outside. It occurs at all levels of the building but is more prevalent higher up and on south west facing walls. Overflowing gutters, missing roof tiles, downspouts, leaking pipes, badly fitting windows or doors and damaged pointing, cladding, flashing or render are all sources of penetrating damp.
If air bricks are covered that too can cause problems because it prevents the building “breathing” by restricting the flow of air and trapping moisture which in turn leads to damp.
What are the symptoms of penetrating damp?
You’d think it would be fairly easy to locate the ingress of water into your property but the problem is that it can often be weeks or months before any problems appear.
Typical signs of penetrating damp are:
•growing circles of damp on walls or ceilings
•blotchy patches on walls
•wet and crumbly plaster
•signs of spores or mildew
•drips and puddles
How is penetrating damp treated?
The first step to fixing a penetrating damp issue is to identify and fix the source of moisture that is causing the problem. Once the source of the moisture has been fixed, consideration can be taken to repairing any plaster damage or timber damage and where it is necessary to install a membrane to ensure the affected area remains dry.
Please see below for the example of the Slimline Mesh procedure
For more information about treating penetrating damp, click here Slimline mesh data sheet.pdf