What Causes Damp In Your Home?

Having damp in your house can cause a wide range of problems, including damaged furniture, cold rooms, structural damage to your home and respiratory problems. As such, it’s extremely important to avoid damp, and we can do this by discovering the reasons why damp can arise and then tackling these issues. Keep on reading to discover the main factors that can cause damp in your home.

Missing or broken roof tiles

Damp is simply an excess of water that can’t escape your home, so it can either be caused by a sudden increase in water or a gradual build-up over time. Often, a gradual increase in moisture leading to damp problems can be linked to issues with your roof, such as broken roof tiles. If the damage isn’t severe, you may not notice it until your damp problem gets worse, but if the damage is severe (e.g., you have several missing roof tiles), you could have a more rapid build-up of water. 

If you have a problem with your roof, you’ll need to hire a professional to fix it for you and perhaps damp-proof it as well. To find the best tradesperson in your area, visit Checkatrade to read reviews and request a quote. 

Rising damp

On the other hand, the damp could be rising from the ground rather than coming in through a damaged roof. Rising damp refers to moisture rising up through the ground and then through your walls – if you have rising damp, you’ll probably notice mould or damp patches starting to get higher and higher on your walls. Modern homes have a damp-proof course installed to prevent rising damp, but if this damp-proof course is damaged or absent, you could face this damp problem in your home.

Leaking pipes or appliances

Rising damp is a long-term issue involving a build-up of moisture over time, but damp can also be caused by a sudden influx of water. Often, leaking pipes and appliances will be the cause of these kinds of damp problems, and you can discover this by seeing where the damp patches appear. 

Porous masonry

If your home’s brickwork is too porous, this can lead to the build-up of moisture in your home and the start of a persistent damp problem. This issue is particularly bad as the entry of water into the brickwork can damage the structural integrity of your home over time. Therefore, if you have a long-standing damp problem and you can’t figure out why, you need to consult a professional by visiting Checkatrade.com.

Lack of ventilation

Damp problems can also be caused by everyday activities. If you don’t have adequate ventilation, showering, cooking and drying clothes can all lead to a damp problem. Therefore, you need to improve your ventilation by opening windows, turning on extractor fans and potentially buying a dehumidifier if needed. If these methods don’t help, then this could indicate that there’s a leak or structural problem in your home.

Damp can cause a wide range of health issues and also structural issues in your home, so it’s important to pinpoint the main causes. If you have a damp problem in your house, use the information in this helpful article to help you discover the potential reasons why.