That musty smell you can’t quite place? The dark spots appearing in the corner of the ceiling? It’s damp. A common problem in British homes, especially over winter, but one you really need to sort out. Damp doesn’t just look bad; it can damage your house and isn’t great for your health. But you can definitely get on top of it.
Find Out What You’re Dealing With
First, you need to work out where the water is coming from. There are three main causes of damp.
Condensation is the biggest cause by a long shot. It’s the result of all the moisture from daily life (showers, cooking, drying clothes) hitting a cold surface like a window or an outside wall and turning back into water. This is why bathrooms and bedrooms are often the worst affected.
Penetrating damp is different. This is water getting in from the outside. Think of leaky gutters, a cracked roof tile, or old window seals that are no longer watertight. It usually shows up as a single, isolated damp patch that gets worse when it rains.
Rising damp is the least common of the three. It’s when groundwater from the soil beneath your house soaks up into the brickwork. This only ever happens on the ground floor, and you’ll see a clear ‘tide mark’ rising up the wall from the floor.
Get Some Air Moving
If condensation is your problem, ventilation is the answer. You have to give that moist air a way to escape.
- Open the windows for 15 minutes each morning to clear the air.
- Always get that extractor fan on when you’re cooking or showering.
- Pop lids on your pans when boiling anything on the hob.
- Drying clothes on radiators is a big no-no for damp, as it pumps tonnes of water into the air. If you must dry them inside, keep them in one room with a window ajar.
Bring in a Helping Hand
If you’re still struggling with damp air after improving ventilation, a dehumidifier is your best bet. These machines are designed to literally pull the excess water out of the air, making your home feel warmer and drier. A decent machine from a company like Ebac can be a game-changer. A small dehumidifier for the bathroom is great for stopping steam from causing trouble, while a powerful dehumidifier for mould creates an environment where it just can’t grow.
Check the Outside of Your House
For penetrating damp, you’ll need to do a quick inspection outside. Are your gutters full of leaves and overflowing? Can you see any loose tiles on the roof or crumbling mortar in the walls? Simple DIY jobs can fix a lot of these. But for bigger problems or if you think you have rising damp, it’s best to get a professional builder to take a look.
Tackling damp is about finding the cause and taking the right action. A dry home is warmer, healthier, and just a much nicer place to be.