Damp Proofing Bexley

Damp Proofing Bexley Greater London (DA5): It's not simply the fact that problems with damp look unappealing, they can also induce chronic health problems and lead to major structural damage. More significant issues can also be hidden by damp patches and peeling wallpaper, and could cost thousands of pounds to fix if not remedied swiftly. To get the best damp proofing treatment for your house, you should speak to an established Bexley damp proofing company to check out your property for problems.

In Bexley homes there are three principal problem areas of how damp can affect your property:

PENETRATING DAMP

Common external factors like: cavity wall problems, unsound brickwork, cracked roof tiles and damaged guttering or drainpipes, can all be key reasons behind penetrating damp. From within, burst or leaking pipework, damaged shower trays and overflowing baths or basins, can lead to penetrating damp. If water is allowed to continue soaking into the walls and woodwork, the obvious signs over time will be blistered or broken plaster, peeling paintwork and dark, damp patches on walls.

You could get wet rot developing in the timbers on your roof, if you've got a leaky roof, and it's been neglected for some time. If worse comes to worse, you might even need to rebuild the whole roof, because wet rot can cause severe problems with the structural integrity of your roofing timbers. If a black fungus starts to appear on your woodwork and the roof timbers feel "spongy" to touch, you could have the beginnings of wet rot.

Preventative maintenance can be basic, such as cleaning and checking your roof & rain gutters for leaks, inspecting pipework for leaks and repointing dodgy brickwork. An experienced Bexley damp proof service provider will check all these areas to help avoid any future problems, as an integral part of resolving your dampness issues.

CONDENSATION

Among the most common causes of dampness is condensation, and many houses in Bexley suffer from this. Tiny droplets of water form on cooler surfaces when moist, warm air makes contact with them. Where high humidity is present, as in bathrooms, boiler rooms and kitchens, condensation is often caused by poor ventilation.

There are two basic ways of dealing with condensation issues, and these are making sure that trouble spots have plenty of ventilation, and wiping droplets of water away as they appear on surfaces. You may need to update or install cooker hoods, extractor fans and air bricks, in order to eliminate excess humid air from your house in Bexley.

The most effective way to find out the main circumstances that exacerbate the problem, is to have a detailed damp proofing survey carried out by a trustworthy Bexley damp proofing company. Sometimes damp air can be sucked in from outside, simply making matters even worse. To effectively control condensation problems, airflow and circulation needs to be properly regulated. A professional Bexley damp proofing company is well qualified to offer advice and solutions in connection with this.

RISING DAMP

A damp proof course has been installed as standard on houses built in Great Britain since 1875. If your property was built before this time it's perfectly possible you might not have this installed. If your home was built after this date, but you're still suffering with rising damp issues, it may be that your damp proof membrane or course has been impaired.

It can be tricky to identify rising damp, nevertheless some giveaway indications are; white powdery deposits appearing on walls or being discovered on floor surfaces, tide marks on walls and rotten or crumbling skirtings. If you see or think that you may have any of these signs, it's possible that you have a problem with rising damp.

The initial step towards fixing your rising damp should be to simply check whether you've actually got a damp course on the outside walls of your home in Bexley. In order to get an adequate degree of protection the DPM must be above ground level by at least 150 millimetres (around six inches). If this isn't the case you can dig the ground away to generate this gap, or if this is not possible, you could install a higher DPM (damp proof membrane).

You might have more problematic issues if you find that your DPM (damp proof membrane) is okay, and it could be that the damp is creeping up from the ground, up through your flooring, and into your property's walls, which can be even more worrying.

Using a number of different procedures, damp proofing specialists in Bexley will quickly detect and eliminate your rising damp problems. Older houses which either don't have a damp proof membrane, or have one that is damaged over a substantial area, can be treated with a damp proof injection cream. This involves drilling holes at intervals along the brickwork and the cream injected with a special nozzle to fill up the spaces behind the brickwork.

In instances where damp proofing injection cream isn't a satisfactory treatment, or when the membrane is too severely damaged, installing a complete new damp proof course might be neccessary. Whilst this level of repair work is a fairly extreme way to solve rising damp issues, it may be the only solution in the end.

For minimal areas of damp course damage, yet another potential solution would be to coat with a waterproof (bitumen based) latex emulsion paint. Laminate flooring, carpeting or tiles will need to be lifted before any work can be done, because it is applied underneath your existing floor coverings. In basement areas this is an especially efficacious treatment, and will form part of the tanking procedure which is used to make rooms watertight. For added protection in such trouble spots, your Bexley damp proof expert might advise the use of building paper (a foil backed specialist membrane) before the bitumen paint has has dried out completely.

Tanking: In below ground areas for example basements or cellars, tanking is a process where surfaces that are exposed are painted with a waterproof coating. All wall covering and plaster must be removed and the surfaces properly prepared before work commences, since this waterproof coating must be applied on the base surface of walls and floors. You can replaster and decorate over it, after the coating has thoroughly dried out. As it has to be applied to an entire ground floor or basement level of a building, this is a highly disruptive process. It's therefore a good idea to bring in at least two or three damp proofing professionals to make sure that this is really the only possible option.

SOLVING DAMP PROBLEMS WITH DEHUMIDIFIERS

To help with issues with condensation, you could always try dehumidifiers, which for removing moisture from the air, are quite efficacious. The main issue with dehumidifier use in trying to prevent mould and damp is that they just mask the cause of the damp, not get rid of it. If you are suffering with mould or damp in any part of your home in Bexley, you can call on a certified damp proofing specialist for the most reliable advice.

FINDING A RELIABLE DAMP PROOF COMPANY IN BEXLEY

As with just about any project, the most trustworthy recommendations for a local specialist can be gleaned from friends and relations. When possible you should always see if you can obtain at least 2 or 3 different quotations from a range of companies, and before hiring any particular damp proofing providers, you can ask to see professional membership certificates and accreditations, as evidence of their credibility.

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

If your selected Bexley damp proofing specialists are members of either the PCA or DPA they'll be well qualified and have the necessary working experience to provide a first class service for all your damp proofing issues. Furthermore, it offers a guarantee over any remedial work undertaken by one of their members.

Positive Input Ventilation

PIV (Positive Input Ventilation) could be an ideal solution for reducing damp problems within your house in Bexley. If you have noticed mould and damp inside your dwelling or condensation on your windows then Positive Input Ventilation can help to reduce the humidity. It achieves this by constantly circulating fresh air. This regular refresh and replacement of the air inside your house increases air quality, reduces odours and pollutants and has been proven to improve the day to day life of asthma and allergy sufferers by reducing the number of dust mite allergens. Some considerations for PIV systems is that it works better when installed in an attic space, and your property does have to be relatively airtight. Air, like water, takes the path of least resistance, and any gaps and spaces in windows or doors will let the fresh air get out, whilst bringing possible contaminated air in from the outside.

Black Mould

Black mould is a common issue in homes in Bexley, especially those with lots of wood. This fungus is considered to be toxic. It produces conidia and slime heads, which are a signal of its presence. If you discover this form of mould in your property in Bexley, it's vital to remove it straight away. If you think you might have black mould, it is important to have it checked by a professional. Licensed damp proofing specialists in Bexley can conduct surveys and provide you with a free quotation. If you're concerned that this mould problem is impacting your health, a damp proofing service will provide you with a survey to determine the magnitude of the issue.

The first step in removing mould is to clean the area with soapy water. You should also use a disinfectant such as bleach, which should kill any mould spores. White vinegar and hydrogen peroxide are also effective disinfectants. However, you must be very careful when using bleach, because it can irritate or even burn your eyes. Also, make certain there's adequate ventilation in the space where you are working, to avoid inhaling the fumes.

Black mould is a highly infectious fungus. It can cause life-threatening infections in individuals with weakened immune systems. Often, it grows in cracks and other areas where the air does not circulate. Symptoms can include cauliflower-like lesions on the skin and large warts. The area may also be red and swollen. It can even affect the nails. (Tags: Black Mold Bexley, Black Mould Bexley, Black Mould Solutions Bexley, Black Mould Treatment Bexley)

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Damp Proofing Near Bexley

Also find: Chislehurst damp proofing, Barnehurst damp proofing, Blackfen damp proofing, Northumberland Heath damp proofing, North Cray damp proofing, Crayford damp proofing, Welling damp proofing, Coldblow damp proofing, Slade Green damp proofing, Leyton Cross damp proofing, Albany Park damp proofing services and more. All of these areas are served by companies who do damp proofing. Bexley home and property owners can get price quotes by going here.

More Bexley Tradesmen: Obviously, when you're doing home improvements in Bexley, Greater London, you'll probably be in need of all types of different tradesmen and aside from a damp proofer in Bexley, Greater London, you could additionally need home insulation in Bexley, loft conversion in Bexley, a scaffolder in Bexley, an odd job man in Bexley, screeding in Bexley, carpenters in Bexley, painters & decorators in Bexley, plumbers in Bexley, a building contractor in Bexley, a bricklayer in Bexley, SKIP HIRE in Bexley, electricians in Bexley, stone & brick cleaning in Bexley, tilers in Bexley, rendering in Bexley, a flooring specialist in Bexley, waste clearance in Bexley, and other different Bexley tradesmen.

Bexley Damp Proofing Tasks

There is a range of work that can be accomplished by your local Bexley damp proof specialist including damp proofing services, rising damp advice, damp proofing brickwork Bexley, brick damp proofing in Bexley, rising damp prevention Bexley, damp proofing walls in Bexley, industrial damp proofing Bexley, damp proof injection cream applications, property preservation, commercial tanking, japanese knotweed control, damp proof membrane installation, treatments for penetrating damp Bexley, timber surveys Bexley, floor damp proofing in Bexley, property surveys, condensation control in Bexley, damp proofing assessments, damp surveys, external damp proofing Bexley, damp proof coursing, flood defence, retaining wall damp proofing Bexley, mould treatment, home damp proofing, wall damp proofing, damp proofing old stone walls, damp control Bexley, timber preservation, basement damp proofing Bexley, pressure grouting, basement tanking Bexley, wood rot treatment, invasive weed control in Bexley, positive input ventilation, and more. These are just a few of the activities that are handled by those specialising in damp proofing. Bexley providers will keep you informed about their full range of damp proofing services.

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