The Menace of DAMP

Damp. Yes, damp is rising. It's the time of the season for the horrible musk, the sweaty walls and the health concerns that come along with this fragrant condition. But what in the hell is it? Why is it a problem? And How do you fix it?

We find out!


What in the blue hell is damp?

Damp is a menace with many forms. It can be a musty smell in the air, mould on the walls, a tidemark (!) on the wall, a cold feeling when you touch the wall (aka sweating), horrible brown patches on the floor, walls or ceiling (which might match your 70s decor if you're into that sort of thing) or... condensation.

There are THREE types of damp to look out for.

1. Rising Damp
2. Condensation
3. Damp


Rising damp is both a sitcom from the long long ago times and a bit of a problem for walls. It only happens on walls that are in direct contact with the ground - internal or external. It's caused by the Damp Proof Course being either missing or only partially installed. It means your bricks are coming into contact with the actual soil below your house. Like a mud hut.

The brickwork sucks up the water, causing the damp marks on the wall. 

You'll probably need to get a surveyor in to get the DPC fixed but the resulting work will be pretty expensive and it will take time to actually happen, with planning and execution taken into account. Obviously it's not ideal to just sit and wait around while the earth reclaims your wall as an irrigation outpost. 

While-u-wait, a dehumidifier is your stop-gap solution. It will dry the air in the room which will mean that the wall will then release the moisture that it's holding in, into the dehumidifier. Although the wall will start to suck water up again from the ground and the process will become cyclical, the dehumidifier will help to control the problem until the DPC can be fixed. It's a quick fix, but well worth the trouble.

Leaking pipes exhibit themselves as a brown patch in the middle of the wall or a wall that's not in contact with the ground. On the plus side, this means that your home isn't slowly turning into a mud hut. On the downside, the wall could collapse. Don't panic! Call a plumber to find the source. Once again, a dehumidifier is the best friend you could ever have in this situation. 


The smell
If you've had it, you've smelt it. Don't worry, the wall dealt it. Once you've fixed the damp through dehumidifier + professional help (and please do get professional help), that horrible odour will disappear and you'll have to go back to blaming the dog. Speed is of the essence here - mould spores released by the damp can be very damaging to your health with prolonged exposure. Be careful.