In our topic today, we will discuss what Damp and Mould is, and tips on how to get rid of the Damp and Mould in our homes.
Damp develops when Water, Moisture and Condensation are present within the home or property. Damp musty smell, black spot mould or in most cases, dry rot and wet rot grows on the walls, these are the signs of Damp in your home.
Mould is a Fungus that thrives in damp areas where it soaks up nutrients from the dead materials. It can also grow rapidly in areas of a home with poor airflow ventilations such as behind furniture or colder quiet rooms that are less used.
If you are struggling with damp and moulds on the internal walls of your home, it could be a sign that your property is suffering from penetrating dampness. Dampness & Mouldiness in homes is a common problem often found in older homes, if not quickly sorted out, it can seriously affect one’s health.
It is not generally enjoyable for people who live with mould and dampness in their homes, most of the time it can cause serious illness and breathing issues due to the smell and dust zooming out.
HOW TO EASILY IDENTIFY DAMP AND MOULD, THE CAUSE AND THE CURE
The exterior walls, foundations, windows and roof of your home, if maintained nicely, will give years of trouble-free existence and help in fighting against damp or mould appearing. If it is not maintained in the home, getting Damp in the home is inevitable
Damp normally comes in two forms:
- Rising Damp
- Penetrating Damp
Rising Damp is where the water in the ground that would normally be stopped by the damp proof course, somehow makes its way past that and upwards into the house.
Penetrating Damp is where the water comes in through the walls.
Rising damp always appears at the Lower parts of the wall, higher than 5 feet, which is due to the water table.
*Water Table is an underground boundary between the soil surface and the areas where ground water saturates spaces between sediments and cracks in rock.
Rising damp is caused either by a bad/faulty DPC or lack of one. It is normally caused by blocked air bricks and mud piled up against the home or breaching the DPC.
To cure a rising damp, an injection can be done with a chemical compound into the lower part of the wall after drilling a long section of holes, spaced around 5 inches apart with a special machine. The chemical, when injected will dissipate around the DPC level and settle inside the wall, giving a barrier against damping rising up again. You need a Professional or a Handyman to do this.
GETTING RID OF DAMP AND MOULD IN THE HOME
- HOME VENTILATION: Mould spores don’t like fresh air, even while it is cold outside, you can start up by opening the air entrances to get some fresh air into the homes by opening your windows inside the bathroom or other places, it drives mould. If your bathroom has mould or other places, this is an indication of bad ventilation inside the bathroom
- LOOK OUT FOR A GOOD MOULD CLEANER: Always invest in a good mould cleaner, if you use spray bleach to clean damp and mould on a wall, it will create more damp because the water contained in the bleach will be sucked up into the wall, giving the damp the water it needs to start growing up again. To remove mould from interior walls in your home, use a mould remover kit which also includes all protective wear needed.
- BUY OR RENT A DEHUMIDIFIER: Buy or rent a dehumidifier, it is a short term solution for getting rid of the moisture and dampness in the air inside the home. It should be used when you have had the work done, to stop the cause of the ingress.
- SEALING OF THE TILES AND GROUTING: It is very common to find mould growing in bathrooms, wet rooms, kitchens and other habitant places and utility rooms. There’s a lot of moisture in the air in these rooms that’s great for mould. Whenever you dry wet clothes for example, the radiator will make the water in the cloth evaporate into the air or sometimes the water settles on a cold wall and that’s when the mould appears. To prevent it from happening in your home or properties, spray the walls with a dedicated antimicrobial treatment and then seal the grout lines around the tiles with two coats of grout sealers.
CONCLUSION.
After reading all of the above and you still find DIYs difficult, it’s best to consult a Handyman or a home maintenance professional to come in and fix/maintain your property to ensure your peace of mind.