Damp Proofing Stevenage Hertfordshire (SG1): Damp problems in your house in Stevenage don't only look unsightly, but they can trigger severe health and structural problems too. More serious issues can also be hidden beneath peeling wallpaper and damp patches, and can cost you thousands of pounds to fix if not resolved promptly. If you have a problem like this there is very little that you can do to solve it yourself, and the wisest thing to do is to speak to a professional Stevenage damp proofing specialist to carry out an evaluation and suggest practical solutions.
Essentially, in terms of damp in the home there are 3 major problem areas:
• Penetrating Damp
• Condensation
• Rising Damp
The following article describes what may cause such damp problems in Stevenage, and the various methods of preventing and solving them.
PENETRATING DAMP
Problems like loose or cracked roof tiles, cavity wall issues, unsound brickwork and damaged guttering are common external causes of penetrating damp. Inside a structure, burst or leaky pipes, cracked shower trays and overflowing basins or bathtubs, can cause penetrating damp. If left to continue leaking these elements enable water to seep into the walls and woodwork, which in time result in blistered or broken plaster, dark damp patches on walls and peeling paintwork.
Roofing timbers which are continually damp due to a leaking roof, can develop wet rot if this isn't dealt with. Although it can't spread into your brickwork, wet rot can cause the timber in your roof to become structurally unsound, and in the worst case scenario you could even need to have a new roof installed - extremely costly! If any of the timbers on your roof feel "spongy" when touched, and a black fungus starts appearing the woodwork, you probably have a case of wet rot in your roof structure. Addressing the issue promptly is essential if you happen to notice any of these wet rot signs, as it can prevent further damage and the potential necessity of costly roof replacement.
Simple actions like examining pipework for leaks, repointing dodgy brickwork and cleaning and checking your gutters and roof for leaks, are the basic preventative maintenance measures. As part of an overall damp proofing program, your local Stevenage damp proofing company will check all of these factors.
CONDENSATION
A common form of damp in many houses in Stevenage, condensation is extremely easy to spot. Tiny water droplets form on cold surfaces when they make contact with warm, moist air. It's often caused because of inadequate ventilation in areas where high humidity is present, i.e. kitchens, bathrooms and boiler rooms.
Easy solutions to prevent condensation involve wiping up any water droplets as they form and making sure there is sufficient ventilation in the main problem areas. The necessary steps may involve the installation or upgrade of cooker hoods, air bricks and extractors, with the intention of redirecting moist air to the outside of your property in Stevenage.
To find circumstances which bring about the situation by drawing in moist air from the outside, a reliable Stevenage damp proofing company will conduct an exhaustive damp proofing survey. It's essential that airflow is correctly regulated, in order to control condensation issues, and you can obtain advice and information on this from a professional damp proofing company.
RISING DAMP
Homes constructed since 1875 in Great Britain have been required to have a damp proof course or membrane to be fitted as standard. You might not have a damp course installed on your home in Stevenage if it was built earlier than this. If you're experiencing rising damp in a house built after this date it might be that your damp proof course or damp proof membrane has been damaged somehow.
It can be rather difficult to distinguish rising damp, nevertheless some giveaway signs are; white powdery deposits being found on floor surfaces or forming on walls, "tide marks" on walls and rotten or crumbling skirting boards. It is plausible that you could have a rising damp problem if you have spotted one or more of these in your property.
Merely checking your exterior walls to find out if you've got a DPM can be one step towards solving your rising damp problems. For adequate protection it ought to be 150mm (about 6") above the level of the ground. If you find that this gap doesn't exist, you can dig the ground away to increase it, or if this process is not possible, a higher damp proof membrane (DPM) will need to be installed.
If this is not the root cause of the problem and your damp proof membrane (DPM) is in order, there may be more problematic issues to deal with caused by the dampness coming up from the ground beneath, up through your floor, and into your walls.
Stevenage damp proofing specialists will swiftly be able to establish the cause of your rising damp, and employing a variety of procedures will quickly solve the problem. Older homes which either have no DPM, or have a compromised one that's damaged over a wide area, can be treated with a damp proof injection cream such as Dryzone. Evenly spaced holes are drilled at intervals along the mortar joint, and a nozzle is used to inject the special cream, which then penetrates into the surrounding brickwork before curing to form an effective, horizontal water-repelling barrier.
If the damp proof cream treatment is not suitable, or the damage is too extensive to your membrane, a brand new damp proof course might have to be installed. This is taking repair work to the extreme, but it might be the only answer to your rising damp issues.
Painting with a bitumen based, waterproof latex emulsion, is yet another potential remedy for minimal areas of damage. Because this is going to be applied underneath your floor coverings, tiles, wood flooring and carpeting will have to be lifted before this operation can commence. In basement areas this is a particularly effectual treatment, and will form an integral part of the tanking process that is used to make rooms watertight. Before the bitumen paint has has dried out completely, your Stevenage damp proofing technician might suggest a layer of building paper (a foil backed specialist membrane), for further protection.
Tanking: The process of coating exposed surfaces with a waterproof paint in a cellar or below ground area is called "tanking". This must be applied on the base surface of walls and floors, therefore any plaster and wall coverings must be removed and the pertinent surfaces properly prepared before any work begins. As soon as this coating has been applied, it must be allowed to dry completely before replastering and decorating over the top of it. This is an incredibly disruptive process since it needs to be applied to a whole ground floor or basement level of a building, and it is preferable to obtain more than one expert opinion about whether this is the only treatment for your rising damp.
DEHUMIDIFIERS AS A SOLUTION TO DAMP PROBLEMS
Condensation problems can certainly be helped through the use of dehumidifiers, which are an efficient way of lowering the moisture content in the air. Owing to the fact that dehumidifiers just hide the cause of the damp and not cure it, there are downsides to this solution. A professional damp proofing specialist in Stevenage will be able to offer advice on the best solution if you are experiencing damp or mould in any area of your home.
FINDING A REPUTABLE DAMP PROOF EXPERT IN STEVENAGE
As with pretty much any project, the best recommendations for a specialist can be obtained from neighbours and friends. Always get at least three different quotes from a variety of companies, and if you are in any doubt you should ask to see qualifications and professional memberships, before hiring any damp proof services.
Keep an eye out for contractors holding the CSTDB (Certificated Surveyor of Timber and Dampness) or the Certificated Surveyor in Remedial Treatments (CSRT) qualifications, or companies who are signed up members of the Property Care Association (PCA) or the Damp Proofing Association.
You can guarantee that your damp proofing provider is suitably qualified and has acquired the necessary working experience to provide a top notch damp proof service, if they are members of either the DPA or PCA. It also offers guarantees on any work supplied by one of their members.
Damp proofing can be carried out in Stevenage and also in nearby places like: Standon, St Pauls Walden, Codicote, Little Wymondley, Broadwater, Datchworth, Dane End, Woolmer Green, Benington, Walkern, Aston, Langley, Ardeley, Knebworth, Graveley, Bragbury End, together with these postcodes SG1 1LL, SG1 1SZ, SG1 1JZ, SG1 1EQ, SG1 1SQ, SG1 1ST, SG1 1EP, SG1 1UG, SG1 1LR, and SG1 1HL. Locally based Stevenage damp proofers will most likely have the postcode SG1 and the dialling code 01438. Checking this will guarantee that you access local providers of damp proofing. Stevenage home and business owners are able to benefit from these and many other damp proofing services. By simply clicking on the "Quote" banner you can obtain damp proofing estimates from nearby providers.
Stevenage Damp Proofing Tasks
There is a wide range of work that can be conducted by your local Stevenage damp proofing specialist including damp course installations, garage damp proofing, leak detection, plaster replacement in Stevenage, cheap damp proofing in Stevenage, property surveys, home damp proofing, efflorescence solutions, mould treatments, damp treatments in Stevenage, chemical DPC injection, retaining wall damp proofing, cellar waterproofing, damp proofing concrete floors, missing DPC installations, damp proofing brickwork, damp proofing services, property preservation, treatments for condensation, flood defence, landlord damp proofing services, rising damp advice, floor damp proofing, damp proofing walls, replacement of faulty flashingsdamp proof course, concrete damp proofing, damp proofing assessments, damp proof membranes, dry rot control, concrete repair, and more. Listed are just some of the duties that are accomplished by those doing damp proofing. Stevenage providers will let you know about their full range of services.
Damp Proofing Near Stevenage
Also find: Walkern damp proofing, Bragbury End damp proofing, Ardeley damp proofing, Langley damp proofing, Datchworth damp proofing, Knebworth damp proofing, Woolmer Green damp proofing, Graveley damp proofing, Benington damp proofing, St Pauls Walden damp proofing, Broadwater damp proofing, Standon damp proofing, Dane End damp proofing, Aston damp proofing, Codicote damp proofing, Little Wymondley damp proofing and more. Practically all of these areas are covered by contractors who do damp proofing. Bespoke solutions to guarantee your home's safety and durability are provided by these local specialists, who understand the particular challenges brought by the area's weather conditions. Addressing problems with damp efficiently and quickly is essential to prevent structural damage and health concerns. To obtain quotations for damp proofing, local home and property owners can go here.
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