Most people are familiar with damp, but not a lot of people are aware that there are different types of damp and different ways to treat each type.
We hope that your home isn’t affected by damp, but if it is, here is a guide to each type of damp, what causes it, and how you can treat it.
Rising Damp
Rising damp is the most common type and the one you are most likely to have heard of.
This type of damp, as the name suggests, occurs when water transfers into a building from the ground. Rising damp is more common in older homes, especially in those built before 1875, as after this time regulations were put into place that demand a damp-proof membrane and a damp-proof course being installed in every house in the UK.
If your house was built after this date but is still showing signs of rising dampness, it is likely because there is an issue with either of the two treatments above.
Signs of rising damp include damaged skirting boards, peeling/blistering paint, tide marks on walls and a musty odour.
To help prevent rising damp you should ensure all guttering is well-designed and maintained, so that it doesn’t allow the ground to become saturated. You should also make sure the level of soil in the garden directly next to the house does not rise any higher than the damp-proof barriers.
Penetration Damp
This is the most concerning type of damp. Penetration damp is when water leaks into a building through the walls, roof or ceilings. This could be because of an external leak or because of an internal plumbing fault.
Signs of penetration damp are damp patches/brown stains on walls/ceilings, wet and crumbly plaster and large bubbles appearing under plaster.
The best way to prevent penetration damp is to keep your home well maintained, fixing any plumbing or roof problems as soon as they occur. Also, make sure your air bricks are not obstructed.
Lateral Damp
This happens when groundwater enters your home through cracks in the building. Lateral damp is the reason most basements feel damp. If your house is in a location with high water levels, it is more susceptible to lateral damp.
To help prevent lateral damp your home should have a reliable tanking system that fits building regulations.
Need Help Identifying Damp?
Our damp experts can help identify and treat all types of damp. Just get in touch so we can help you.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
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Do roofers use drones?
Yes, roofers increasingly use drones to complete roof inspections. Drone roof inspections save time because they don’t require scaffolding, ladders, or roofers to physically climb onto the top of the roof. This means the process is also safer. Moreover, high-tech drones can identify roofing problems even from a distance, making roof inspections faster and more accurate.
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What is a roof survey?
When carrying out drone roof surveys, roofers inspect your property’s roof covering to check its age and condition, and make recommendations on the need for repairs or replacement, either now or at some point in the future. They can also compare the condition to roofs of other similar properties.
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How do you survey using a drone?
Here are the broad-brush steps to using a drone for surveying:
- Select the right drone for the task.
- Purchase appropriate software.
- Plan the flight.
- Check the settings on the camera.
- Fly and review the area to be surveyed.
- Process the resulting images.
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How accurate is a drone survey?
The more sophisticated the equipment, the more accurate the survey will be. The best equipment can produce sharp, crisp images that are accurate down to the very last millimetre. At Environ Property Services, we use state-of-the-art drones that can offer a high degree of accuracy, much more so than doing the job manually with ladders or scaffolding.
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Can drones measure roofs?
Drones are capable of getting a clear, aerial view of your rooftop and take detailed images of it. They are also designed to take precise measurements of your roof. Nowadays, many drones used in roof surveying are equipped with roof-measuring apps and programs that can provide highly accurate roof measurements.
