Whether your home is a period property or not, it can be susceptible to damp. It’s the UK after all; we’re used to things getting a little cold and wet. Regardless, damp is incredibly frustrating and can cause damage to your home so, how do we tackle it? 

In this blog, we’ll take a look at how you can manage it in your home, discussing prevention techniques and ways to remedy it if you’re unlucky enough to be faced with it. 

What is damp?

Damp is where there is too much moisture in a space. It can be caused by rainwater, poor ventilation, or, in some cases, an issue with the home like a defective plumbing system. If left untreated, damp can cause damage to your home. 

The main signs of damp are:

• Discolouration or ‘damp patches’ on your walls
• Peeled paint or wallpaper 
• A lot of condensation throughout the house
• A stale or musty smell 
• Cold walls even if your home is well heated
• Rotted woodwork, floorboards or skirting boards
• Efflorescence – where salt appears on a surface in deposits 
• Structural damage to areas like your fireplace
• The presence of mould 

How can you prevent damp in your home?

Ventilation 

The best way to prevent damp in your home in the first place is to ventilate the space properly. This should be done as regularly as possible.

We’d recommend opening the windows and doors in your home once a day for a maximum of 20 minutes to get air circulating in your home. You could also air out a room after you turn off the radiators to avoid condensation. This will be tough in the height of winter but worth it to protect your home. 

Home hacks

Especially in the spring and summer, you should dry your washing outside to prevent any condensation in your home.

You can also ensure that when cooking, you use lids with your pots and pans when appropriate and utilise your extractor fan (which will easily remove moisture in a kitchen so needs to be installed if you don’t have one).  

For added protection, a dehumidifier could help too. They filter and clean the air in a room, removing excess moisture which is obviously very helpful when preventing damp and mould. If you’re unable to dry your washing outside, lots of dehumidifiers also have indoor laundry modes to help dry your clothes faster, and more efficiently, without allowing excess moisture into your home. 

Smart renovations 

When renovating your period or damp-prone home, you may want to take some precautions to prevent damp. 

We recommend considering the materials you’re using, for example: 

• Instead of using cement or gypsum, try lime plaster which is more breathable 
• Use a primer with polymers before you apply paint or wallpaper 
• Try to use natural or damp-proof paints where possible 
• Apply bitumen to existing cement or brickwork 
• Butyl rubber and copper are also great waterproof options to use in a house 

Try to avoid the use of plastic coatings, paints and membranes plus silicones, epoxy resins and polyurethane insulation as these aren’t the most breathable material options.

Professional assistance 

It isn’t essential in most cases, but you can hire a professional to inject damp-proof cream into the masonry walls of your home. This will create a water-resistant barrier that should prevent damp damage.  

A professional could also install ground-level and basement waterproofing or, even more importantly, a Damp Proof Course (DPC). A DPC is a barrier that stops rising damp. There are multiple types so, a professional may be a better choice for deciding which kind will work for your home. 

What should you do to remedy damp in your property?

If you’re already struggling with damp, there are ways you can combat it so don’t panic. Dehumidifiers and proper ventilation, just like with prevention, can be incredibly helpful but, there are other methods.

The best ways to tackle damp in your home are:

Repair cracks

Cracks are easy access for rainwater to get into your home so, whether you have damp or not, getting them repaired as quickly as possible is important. Doing this is quite simple.

1. Clean the crack – Use a brush to gently remove any dust or dirt. It is unlikely that you will need any water or cleaning solution for this 
2. Prep the crack – A primer or bonding agent being applied to the crack before filling it can make a world of difference. The repair will then hold and look better 
3. Fill the crack –  Using caulk, epoxy putty or spackling compound (depending on the wall), you can then fill in the crack 
4. Seal the crack – To finish the job, you can then apply damp seal paint (wait to dry) before painting the wall properly. This will help to further prevent damp coming through 

Remove debris

Water ingress can occur when your downpipes and gutters become clogged with debris. Check and clean them regularly, especially if you have noticed damp already. 

It’s also best to check for cracks in your gutters and tend to them quickly with a sealant. 

Check the roof

Water can build up on your roof, especially after heavy rainfall. While you’re checking your gutters, check your roof to see if that’s where excess moisture is coming from. 

You can place tarpaulin over this temporarily before you clear that area and use roof tar to seal the damaged areas. An alternative fix could be applying a roof patch and sealing the edges with caulk. 

Tackle the mould

With damp can come mould and when you spot the first signs of this in your home, it needs to be dealt with because it can negatively affect your health if left untreated and begins to spread. Use a mould spray or diluted vinegar to remove it – you may also need to gently scrub the area with a sponge.

After removal, paint that wall with a damp seal to help prevent it returning.

Fix your heating 

Heating your house properly can help to prevent damp but if you already have it, that’s even more of a reason to change how you heat your home. Consistent low heating (around 18 degrees) during the winter can reduce damp significantly in your home because it is more common in cold conditions because of condensation. 

Bring in professionals

If the damp is bad, you could look into professional treatment. We have mentioned preventive treatments they may use above but when it comes to remedies, there are a couple of methods you could use:

• Electro-osmosis damp proofing – Where anodes in your walls and a copper cathode in the ground, plus a power regulator, are used to send an electric current that repels moisture. This is especially good for rising damp 
• Installing a damp-proof membrane – This can be used to prevent future damp and helps to remove fungus and mould from a space 

For those of you who are about to commit to buying a property but want to double-check on the damp situation (or any other issues), you can pay for a homebuyer surveyor (make sure they’re Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) approved). They take a look at the visible parts of a house and then give you a report which will include evidence of any existing damp. This will prepare you for any future treatment if you go forward with purchasing that property. 

Insuring your Victorian Home

However you tackle damp in your home, you may also be considering what insurance will work for your property. Adrian Flux is a broker who understands this and will help you find home insurance to suit you.

Call 0800 369 8590 for a quote or book a callback at a time that works for you.