Damp Proofing Barnstaple

Damp Proofing Barnstaple Devon (EX31): Having damp problems in your property in Barnstaple can lead to serious health and structural issues, as well as being unsightly in appearance. Underneath those clumps of flaking paintwork, ugly damp patches and areas of peeling wallpaper, far more serious problems may be lurking, and if they aren't resolved quickly, could be very expensive to repair. To provide a complete damp proofing alternative for your property, it is frequently cheaper in the longer term to contact a professional Barnstaple damp proofing company to check out your home.

In Barnstaple buildings, there are basically 3 principal problem areas where damp can have an impact on your home:

PENETRATING DAMP

Exterior issues like: cracked or loose roof tiles, defective guttering or downspouts, cavity wall issues and porous brickwork, can all be primary reasons behind penetrating damp in a building. Internal reasons behind penetrating damp could be damaged shower trays, overflowing sinks or bathtubs and burst or leaking pipework. If left to carry on leaking these elements enable water to soak into the walls and woodwork, which in time lead to blistered or broken plaster, damp, dark patches on walls and peeling paintwork.

You may get wet rot developing in your roof timbers, if you've got a leaking roof, and it's been left untreated for a while. Wet rot doesn't spread into your brickwork, but having it can mean that in a worst case scenario the timbers of your roof become structurally unsafe, requiring a new roof. If your roof timbers feel "spongy" when touched, and a black fungus starts appearing the woodwork, you almost certainly have a case of wet rot in your roof structure.

You shouldn't panic however, because to prevent these problems occurring, a few simple steps like examining piping for leaks, cleaning and checking your roof & gutters for leaks and repointing brickwork, should reduce such issues. If you contact a knowledgeable damp proofing specialist in Barnstaple, they'll check all these areas, and prepare a plan for both solving your damp issues and forestalling further episodes.

CONDENSATION

One of the most common forms of damp in many properties in Barnstaple, condensation is super easy to spot. Small droplets of water form on cool surfaces when warm, humid air makes contact with these surfaces. Condensation is commonly found in areas with poor ventilation and high humidity, such as in kitchens, boiler rooms and bathrooms.

To prevent condensation problems, easy strategies include ensuring that there's enough ventilation in the main trouble spots, and wiping away any droplets the moment they appear. To help expell the moisture laden air from your home, you might need to install or upgrade cooker hoods, extractors and air bricks.

The most effective way to ascertain the key circumstances that exacerbate the situation, is to have an in-depth damp proofing survey carried out by a dependable Barnstaple damp proofing company. Sometimes moist air can be sucked in from the outside, plainly making things worse. To satisfactorily minimise condensation problems, airflow and circulation needs to be properly regulated. A certified Barnstaple damp proofing technician will be happy to offer solutions and advice in this regard.

RISING DAMP

Homes built since 1875 in the UK have required a damp proof course to be fitted as standard. It's possible that you may not have one fitted if your property or home in Barnstaple was built before this year. If your home was built after this year, but you're still experiencing rising damp issues, it could be that your damp proof course or membrane has been compromised.

If you believe that you may have rising damp, tide marks on walls, a white powdery deposit being found on floor surfaces or appearing on walls and crumbling or rotten skirtings, are good signs that you might be correct. Although the existence of these isn't conclusive, they're all clear indications of rising damp issues.

The initial step towards handling your rising damp should simply be to check whether you've actually got a damp course on the external walls of your property in Barnstaple. For satisfactory protection it should be 150 millimetres (approximately 6 inches) above ground level. You can dig away the surrounding earth to generate this space if it is currently not sufficient, or you can install a damp course higher up if the first option is not feasible.

If this isn't the problem and your DPM (damp proof membrane) is in fact correct, there could be more problematic issues to resolve caused by the moisture coming up from the ground beneath, through your flooring, and into the walls of your home.

Damp proofing experts in Barnstaple can quickly identify and remedy rising damp issues using a number of different procedures. Older homes which either don't have a DPM, or have one that's damaged over a considerable area, can have a damp proofing cream injected into the external walls. This involves drilling holes at intervals along the brickwork and the special cream injected with a nozzle to fill the spaces behind the brickwork down to below ground level.

If the damp proof cream isn't sufficient, or the damage is too extensive to your membrane, a new damp proof course may have to be installed. Though this is of course a pretty extreme course of action, it may be the only way to resolve your rising damp effectively.

Another option for smaller areas of damage could include painting on a layer a waterproof (bitumen based) latex emulsion coating. As this is applied beneath any existing floor coverings, wooden flooring, carpeting and tiles will have to be lifted and moved before this process can commence. This is especially effectual in basements as an integral part of the "tanking" process to make a room that is watertight. For additional protection in such troublesome areas, your Barnstaple damp proof specialist might suggest applying building paper (a specialist foil backed membrane) before the bitumen coating has dried completely.

Tanking: Tanking an area, like a basement or below ground area, is a process of covering any exposed surfaces with a watertight paint. All wall covering and plaster must be removed and the surfaces in question correctly prepared before work commences, because this coating must be applied at the base level of walls and floors. Once this coating has been put on, it must be permitted to dry thoroughly before replastering any wall surfaces and decorating over it. You should always obtain more than one specialist opinion on whether this is really the only remedy for your rising damp problems, as this is a very disruptive job since it must be applied to an entire basement level or ground floor of a property.

SOLVING DAMP WITH DEHUMIDIFIERS

Condensation problems can certainly be helped through the use of dehumidifiers, which are an effective way of lowering the moisture content in the air. The fact that these products merely mask the cause of the damp and don't cure it, is the drawback with dehumidifier use. A certified damp proofing specialist in Barnstaple will be glad to give you advice on possible solutions if you're suffering from dampness in any area of your property.

FINDING A TRUSTWORTHY DAMP PROOF EXPERT IN BARNSTAPLE

The most trustworthy recommendations for local specialists with regards to home improvement projects are usually friends and family. Before signing up for any damp proofing services, always see if you can get at least three price quotes from various Barnstaple companies. If you are in any doubt about any company you could ask to look at qualifications and professional memberships.

Look for qualifications and membership from organisations such as the Property Care Association (PCA) or the DPA (Damp Proofing Association), or contractors holding the Certificated Surveyor in Remedial Treatments or the Certificated Surveyor of Timber and Dampness (CSTDB) professional qualifications.

Membership of the PCA or DPA guarantees your selected damp proofing provider is well qualified and has acquired the appropriate experience to provide a top notch damp proof service. Any work completed by one of their members is also guaranteed.

PIV (Positive Input Ventilation) Barnstaple

For alleviating damp issues within your home in Barnstaple, PIV (Positive Input Ventilation) might be the ideal solution. If you have noticed damp and mould in your property or condensation around the windows then PIV can help to reduce the humidity. To achieve this, a constant flow of fresh air is supplied. Steady refresh and replacement of air inside your house has been demonstrated to improve air quality, reduce odours and pollutants, and decrease dust mite allergens, thus improving day-to-day life for asthma and allergy sufferers. One thing about PIV systems is that it works better when installed in a roof space, and your premises does require to be relatively airtight. When gaps and spaces exist around doors or windows, fresh air can escape while polluted air enters, since air follows the path of least resistance, similar to water.

Barnstaple Damp Proofing Tasks

There is a range of work that can be conducted by your local Barnstaple damp proof specialist including timber surveys, damp treatments, damp proof paint application, rising damp advice, damp proofing in kitchens in Barnstaple, solving condensation problems, positive input ventilation Barnstaple, cellar damp proofing Barnstaple, damp proofing assessments, wood rot treatment Barnstaple, property surveys in Barnstaple, rendering repairs, invasive weed control, treatments for condensation, exterior damp proofing Barnstaple, wet rot treatments Barnstaple, damp surveys, concrete damp proofing Barnstaple, retaining wall damp proofing Barnstaple, plaster replacement, damp proof tanking in Barnstaple, dry rot control, woodworm elimination, residential damp proofing Barnstaple, damp proof sealing, brick damp proofing Barnstaple, damp proofing old stone walls, damp proofing brickwork, replacement of faulty flashingsdamp proof course in Barnstaple, solutions for rising damp, commercial tanking, faulty damp proof course replacement in Barnstaple, damp proofing services, floor damp proofing, condensation control, and more. These are just some of the tasks that are accomplished by people specialising in damp proofing. Barnstaple professionals will be happy to inform you of their whole range of damp proofing services.

Damp Proofing Near Barnstaple

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