• Rising damp
• Condensation
• Penetration of rainwater owing to poor construction, ageing or awkward location of the buildings (east side condensation and/or west side rain).
  
  

INSULATION

Increasingly, problems arise because of wall insulation in newly built as well as existing houses. Cavity insulation can have a dramatic impact on the ventilation within the cavity. Ventilation is essential in order to prevent condensation within the wall. Therefore it is of the utmost importance to use insulation materials that are porous to water vapour when insulating a cavity wall, as these enable the wall to breathe in a natural way. Cavity insulation is not the only cause of trouble; double glazing and tightening all chinks and cracks in the house also frequently lead to an enormous increase in the relative humidity indoors. One of the most noticeable effects of a substantial increase in the humidity level inside the house is a saturated wall. Wet walls are very good transmitters of heat and therefore have a negative impacts on your energy bill while insulation is actually meant to reduce your bills.

VISIBLE EFFECTS

The first signs of an over-abundance of damp are usually visible in the house. Condensation on windows, peeling wall paper, fungus and mould growth on walls, flooring and furniture, visible wet spots on walls and ceilings, rotting carpets and an unmistakably musty smell throughout the house. The paintwork is usually affected and the decay of floors and wooden window frames is irreversible.

Replacing windows frames and redecorating, plastering or painting walls is expensive. Moreover, these are temporary measures if nothing is done to tackle the source of the problem - damp. For years people have tried to find solutions for these problems. This has resulted in all kinds of damp causes, the application of waterproof coatings on walls and injecting or impregnating walls with chemical solutions. These methods however have one big disadvantage: they obstruct the natural circulation of moisture in the wall. This causes the relative humidity in the house to rise, which in turn causes problems in other areas. There is also an increased risk of frost damage, loose pointing and cracks appearing in walls. Moreover, these methods are usually geared towards removing a single cause of the problem, while ignoring the fact that damp is often caused by a number of factors.

For everyone, it is important to feel warm and comfortable in our home. Warmth in a property depends on both air and wall temperature. Damp walls are good transmitters of heat, making your home feel cold. As your walls dry out they become better insulators, making your home feel warmer. In short, dryer walls not only mean a healthier living environment, lower repair costs and are more pleasing to the eye, they can also offer savings on heating bills.