Do you experience rising dampness, condensation, and penetrating dampness that causes damage, deterioration, or salt deposits on your home’s foundation or walls? Do you know the signs? The experts at Vochtbestrijding Snel know all about it, which is why they offer knowledgeable advice for moisture control. Here is everything you need to know about how rising or penetrating damp could be secretly ruining your home.
Rising damp is a description used for an upward moisture movement. Because rising dampness travels through microscopic capillary openings, it leads to vulnerabilities in your building’s infrastructure and building materials. The presence of moisture also draws out the soluble salts in materials. When moisture evaporates on porous surfaces, salt crystals form on the material.
Water And Salt Don’t Mix
Salt deposit expansion on any building material will cause surface fractures and peeling to occur. In the long term, clearly defined patterns will form on your walls, which is one of the most common signs of rising dampness. Even if you repair the leak or water moisture issue, salt deposits remain on your wall, which further decays the material and is a costly mistake.
The most likely reason for moisture spots at the baseboard level is surface drainage or soil saturation. It is very likely to occur in any country that has high humidity and moisture from environmental influence, poor damp-proof course (DPC) laying, unstable foundation leveling, rising ground alignment, soil satiation, and a lack of a water drainage system causing water to pool.
Moisture reservoirs are also problematic in the soil under your home. It is a possible problem if you experience water drainage issues or plumbing leaks. Rising dampness starts with moisture in the soil, which differs from penetrating dampness in that it is directly related to rainwater absorption through the walls. The moisture leads to deadly bacteria, fungus, mildew, and mold growth.
Problems Start At The Bottom
Moisture at the lowest levels of your home will lead to specific issues related to rising dampness, which is related to greater condensation activity when it meets the warm air in your home. The water sources that permeate your structure will begin to weaken, which leads to vulnerabilities in the structural integrity of your home that will cost thousands of dollars to repair or replace. Every homeowner should know this, advises RCPM Solutions, as it might help them prevent such problems and save trouble and money.
The location of the dampness is the only difference between penetrating and rising dampness. Intermittent cold and hot surfaces also provide an ideal environment for condensation on cold surfaces like ground flooring. As moisture and condensation in dark, humid, and cool places cause dampness to occur, it is important to inspect any low-lying areas both internally and externally.
Pests Play A Role Too
As rodents and insects feed on the decaying material, the weakening materials are the perfect environment for organisms to thrive. The building materials used in your home will begin to weaken as the decay advances, including wet rot and dry rot. Not only are termite infestations likely, but woodworms and weevils tend to look for damp materials like baseboards to inhabit.
Learning about rising damp and penetrating dampness will help you maintain your home’s humidity with proven moisture control maintenance that will keep your family safe and healthy over the long term.
