By: Benedict Smythe
Dampness or unwanted moisture in the house is indeed a serious problem. While a little dampness is hardly noticeable, real dampness tends to degrade paint on the walls, and causes molds and other unpleasant growths to further make themselves at home in your own house. Often, dampness is the result of repeated rain during the rainy season, right before the break of summer. Increased moisture in the sky, in the air and on the ground make the task of drying your home a Herculean task.
The checklist
The following steps may be taken to ensure that any counter-measures for the dampness in your home would be done after all non-invasive techniques have been tried. Sometimes, just checking the house in different ways makes all the difference.
1.) Leaks- when was the last time that you checked the integrity of your roof? Sometimes, leaks can make some spots in the house as damp as the outside, because the roof is no longer functioning well. Check the house for small leaks. If you do find the leaks, attempt to patch these first and see what happens from thereon. Chances are, if leaks are your only problem, then the problem has been solved already.
2.) Is condensation the culprit? - Often overlooked, condensation also plays a big part in making the insides of a house as damp as a newborn kitten. How does condensation take place? Condensation is the formation of water droplets- lots of them, when hot or warm air collides with the molecules of cooler air. The collision of two bodies of air that are of unequal temperature creates condensation.
To control condensation in the most parts of the house, simply make sure that there is adequate ventilation (even just during the actual use of these parts of the house) and that thin walls are insulated properly. Insulating retains the heat inside the house, making it harder for cold air to penetrate and cause dampness.
3.) The walls outside might be the culprit- if the walls inside your home can be a contributing factor to the formation of water droplets, then imagine the conundrum you might be already facing if the walls outside have already crumbled. Check the external walls of your home to see if they are still doing their job well. If you see large cracks and holes in your walls, then it’s time for either a general patching up, or a complete replacement.
Let’s face it- walls age through the long, hard and cold years and they deserve to be replaced every now and then. When you do get the installation in place, make sure that you insulate the walls with the best insulation that your budget can afford to buy. Do this, and the moisture level inside your house will start to improve dramatically.
4.) Guttering- if your gutters have been chocked with leaves or what not, then it’s time to clean your gutters. You might be surprised how a few bunches of leaves can cause unsightly leaks inside your house. Manually remove the leaves and see if the condition inside improves.
