Damp Proofing Buckden

Damp Proofing Buckden Cambridgeshire (PE19): Having issues with damp in your house in Buckden should cause you a fair bit of anxiety, because together with the fact that damp looks unsightly, it often also has structural and health implications as well. If not resolved immediately, some of the more critical issues could cost you thousands to repair, and might be concealed beneath patches of damp and peeling wallpaper. The best alternative if you've got issues like this with your property in Buckden, is to speak to a competent damp proofing company, and get them to have a look.

In Buckden buildings, there are basically 3 fundamental problem areas of how damp can affect your home:

PENETRATING DAMP

Issues like damaged downpipes or guttering, cracks in brickwork, blocked cavities and loose or broken roof tiles are external causes of penetrating damp. In the interior of your home it can be due to burst or leaking water pipes, overflowing basins or baths and cracked shower trays. If left to carry on leaking these factors allow water to soak into walls and woodwork, which in time result in broken or blistered plaster, flaking or bubbling paintwork and dark, damp patches on walls.

If you have a leaky roof and it has been neglected over a period of time, it can cause wet rot to develop in the timbers of your roof. Even though brickwork isn't affected by wet rot, your roof timbers can experience severe consequences, and the whole roof may need to be replaced if it becomes structurally unsound. A musty, unpleasant smell of rotting wood, the presence of black fungus, and a "spongy" feel to the timbers on your roof, are all warning signs that wet rot is already an issue.

Preventative measures can be relatively basic, such as repointing unsound brickwork, inspecting pipes for leaks and cleaning and checking your gutters & roof for leaks. If you get hold of a professional damp proofing specialist in Buckden, they'll check all these areas, and put a plan together for both dealing with your damp issues and preventing further episodes.

CONDENSATION

There are many factors that cause damp, but condensation is one of the most common and easily noticed. Water collects as droplets on a cold surface, when warm, humid air makes contact with it. Where a high level of humidity is present, as in kitchens, boiler rooms and bathrooms, condensation is often caused by poor ventilation.

Wiping up any droplets of water that appear, and ensuring you have enough ventilation in the worst affected areas, are amongst the simplest answers to such problems. You might need to upgrade or fit air bricks, extractors and cooker hoods, in order to eliminate excess moist air from your house in Buckden.

By carrying out a comprehensive damp proofing survey, a professional Buckden company will identify any places where damp air is sucked in from the outside, simply making things worse. A specialist on this topic will be able to offer solutions, guidance and information on this matter, because for condensation problems to be controlled, any airflow and circulation within the home must be properly regulated.

RISING DAMP

A damp proof course or membrane has been fitted as standard on houses constructed in the United Kingdom since 1875. You might not have a damp proof course installed on your house in Buckden if it was built prior to this period. It's possible that your damp proof course or membrane may have been damaged in some way if you are experiencing rising damp issues in a home built after this year.

Although difficult to identify, rotten or crumbling skirtings, white powdery deposits being found on floor surfaces or appearing on walls and "tide marks" on walls, are all giveaway signs of rising damp. Although the existence of one or more of these is not conclusive, they're all indications of rising damp.

Fixing rising damp issues can be as simple as checking your property's external walls and seeing if you can spot a damp course. For satisfactory protection it ought to be 150 millimetres above ground level. You can dig away the surrounding ground to generate this gap if it is currently not enough, or you could put in a damp proof course higher up if the former is not plausible.

If your damp proof membrane is in fact correct and the gap isn't the explanation for the problem, dampness could be coming up through your floors and into your walls, which could be a much more challenging issue.

Damp proofing specialists in Buckden can swiftly identify and remedy rising damp using a range of techniques. Older homes which either have no damp proof course, or have a compromised one that is damaged over a significant area, can be treated with a damp proof injection cream such as Dryzone. Evenly spaced holes are drilled at intervals along the mortar course, and a special nozzle is used to inject the cream, which then diffuses before curing to create an effective, horizontal water-repelling barrier.

In cases where damp proofing cream is not an appropriate treatment, or when the damp course membrane is severely damaged, installing a complete new damp proof course may be neccessary. Though this is obviously a fairly extreme plan of action, it might be the only way to remedy your damp problems effectively.

For less severe areas of damage, yet another possible solution could be to coat with a waterproof (bitumen based) latex emulsion paint. As this will be applied beneath your existing floor coverings, wood flooring, carpets and tiles will have to be lifted before this operation can commence. In basement areas this is an especially effectual treatment, and will form a part of the "tanking" process which is used to create watertight spaces. Your Buckden damp proofing specialist might advise the application of building paper (a foil backed specialist membrane) before the bitumen paint has completely dried, added protection in such trouble spots.

Tanking: The process of covering exposed surfaces with a watertight paint in a basement or below ground area is referred to as "tanking". This has to be applied at the base level of walls and floors, and so all plaster and wall covering must be removed and the surfaces prepared properly before work commences. When this coating has been applied and dried, it's then possible to replaster and decorate on top of it. As it has to be applied to a whole ground floor or basement level of a building, this is a really disruptive process. It is therefore a good idea to bring in at least 3 damp proofing companies to make sure that this is really the only effective resolution.

SOLVING DAMP WITH DEHUMIDIFIERS

To help with issues with condensation, you can always try dehumidifiers, which for removing moisture from the air, are quite effectual. The fact that these gadgets simply hide the cause of the damp and not cure it, is the main drawback with dehumidifier use. To get the most reliable advice if you are experiencing damp or mould in any area of your home, you should speak to a professional damp proofing specialist in Buckden.

FINDING A DEPENDABLE DAMP PROOF COMPANY IN BUCKDEN

Friends and relatives should always be your first choice when you are looking for recommendations for local specialists. When possible you should see if you can obtain at least three different estimates from a range of companies, and before hiring any particular damp proofing services, you should ask to see professional membership certificates and qualifications, as proof of their trustworthiness.

Keep an eye out for qualifications and membership from trade bodies such as the Damp Proofing Association (DPA) or the Property Care 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 that your selected damp proofing provider is suitably qualified and has acquired the required experience to carry out a top notch damp proofing service. Any work supplied by any one of their members also comes with a guarantee.

Black Mould Issues

If you happen to be experiencing signs of black mould in your Buckden property, you may have a problem with Stachybotrys chartarum. This fungus is extremely toxic and produces a slime head called conidia. It is known as a leading cause of indoor air pollution and is considered a health hazard. If you see signs of this form of mould in your dwelling in Buckden, you need to call a competent damp proofing company right away, to get the best treatment.

The first step in eliminating mould is to clean the area with soapy water. You should also use a disinfectant such as bleach, which can kill mould spores. White vinegar and hydrogen peroxide are also effective disinfectants. However, you must be careful while using bleach, since it could burn and irritate your eyes. Also, make sure there is good ventilation in the area where you are working, to avoid inhaling the fumes.

Another solution is the use of a water and baking soda paste to treat mould. This solution has a pH of 2.5, making it an effective antibacterial. Hydrogen peroxide is another solution that can be beneficial for getting rid of black mould. It is a natural, three-in-one solution that is safe to use, especially on porous surfaces.

Positive Input Ventilation (PIV)

With its ability to reduce damp issues within your home or business premises in Buckden, PIV (Positive Input Ventilation) could be the perfect solution. By reducing the humidity, Positive Input Ventilation can alleviate mould and damp in your property or condensation around your windows. It achieves this by continuously supplying a flow of fresh air. Asthma and allergy sufferers can benefit from improved day-to-day life as a result of constantly refreshing and replacing the air inside your home, which leads to improved air quality, reduced odours and pollutants, and decreased dust mite allergens. Installing PIV systems in a loft and ensuring that your dwelling is relatively airtight are important considerations when opting for this solution. Gaps around doors or windows can cause fresh air to escape while allowing polluted air to enter, as air, similar to water, takes the path of least resistance.

Buckden Damp Proofing Tasks

There is a range of work that can be undertaken by your local Buckden damp proof specialist including rising damp advice, the treament of efflorescence in Buckden, basement water-proofing, damp treatments, cavity wall construction, condensation solutions, damp proofing services, dehumidifier installation in Buckden, treatments for rising damp, solutions for penetrating damp in Buckden, property preservation, damp proofing brickwork, structural waterproofing, damp proofing floors in Buckden, cellar tanking, damp proofing inspections, rising damp prevention, damp control, damp proofing a cellar, exterior damp proofing Buckden, leak detection in Buckden, wet rot treatment, chemical DPC injection, concrete repairs, dampproofing surveys, defective damp proof course replacement, cheap damp proofing Buckden, damp proof paint applications Buckden, damp proofing walls, cavity wall tie replacement, vapour barriers, floor damp proofing, landlord damp proofing services, garage floor damp proofing, concrete damp proofing Buckden, resolving mould problems, and more. These are just a selection of the duties that are conducted by people specialising in damp proofing. Buckden professionals will inform you of their whole range of damp proofing services.

Damp Proofing Near Buckden

Also find: Ellington Thorpe damp proofing, Perry damp proofing, Great Paxton damp proofing, Staughton Green damp proofing, Sothoe damp proofing, Diddington damp proofing, Duck End damp proofing, Offord D'Arcy damp proofing, Offord Cluny damp proofing, Grafham damp proofing, Dillington damp proofing and more.

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