Damp Proofing Cottenham

Damp Proofing Cottenham Cambridgeshire (CB24): It's not simply the fact that problems with damp look unappealing, they can also induce health issues and result in major structural damage. Nasty damp patches and peeling wallpaper can conceal much more serious problems which, if not repaired quickly, could result in extremely expensive repair bills. To get the best damp proofing remedy for your home, you should get hold of a competent Cottenham damp proofing specialist to check your property for issues.

In Cottenham dwellings there are three primary problem areas of how damp can affect your property:

PENETRATING DAMP

Common exterior issues like: defective drainpipes or guttering, blocked cavity walls, cracked roof tiles and cracks in brickwork, can all be key reasons behind penetrating damp. Inside, the causes can be burst or dripping water pipes, overflowing basins or bathtubs and cracked shower trays. If water continues to soak into the woodwork and walls, the obvious signs in time are going to be broken or blistering plaster, peeling or bubbling paintwork and dark, damp patches on walls.

If neglected over a long period of time, a leaking roof can cause wet rot in your roof timbers. This could prove to be extremely expensive, because in the worst case scenario your roof timbers become structurally unsound, meaning that you are going to need a new roof. Wet rot can be identified by the appearance of black fungus on your woodwork and a "spongy" feel to the timbers, along with a unique musty smell from the rotting timber.

You should not panic however, because to stop these problems happening, a few straightforward steps such as inspecting piping for leaks, cleaning and checking your roof & guttering for leaks and repointing unsound brickwork, should avoid such concerns. An experienced Cottenham damp proof specialist will check these areas in order to help prevent any further complications, as part of resolving your dampness issues.

CONDENSATION

Super easy to identify and the cause of damp in a lot of Cottenham properties, condensation is extremely common. When colder surfaces make contact with moist, warm air, tiny droplets of water form on those surfaces. Condensation is usually found in areas with poor ventilation and high humidity, such as in bathrooms, boiler rooms and kitchens.

Some of the more basic solutions to condensation include wiping droplets away as they appear, and ensuring that troublesome areas have adequate ventilation. You can minimise the quantity of moist air which is present in your house by updating or installing cooker hoods, air bricks and extractor fans.

A damp proofing survey from a trustworthy Cottenham specialist might also find circumstances which give rise to the situation by sucking in damp air from outside. So as to manage condensation problems, it is essential that airflow and circulation within the home is regulated effectively, and by talking to a specialist in this field, you will get guidance and advice for fixing these issues.

RISING DAMP

Houses built since 1875 in the UK have been required to have a damp proof course to be installed as standard. If your property was constructed before this period it's possible you might not have one installed. It is possible that your damp proof course or damp proof membrane might have been damaged somehow if you are experiencing rising damp issues in a property built after this year.

If you suppose that you might have rising damp in your home, a white powdery deposit being found on floor surfaces or forming on walls, crumbling or rotten skirting boards and "tide marks" on walls, are good indications that you may be right. Whilst the existence of these isn't conclusive, they are all clear indications of rising damp.

The first step towards resolving your rising damp problems should simply be to check whether you've actually got a damp course on the outside walls of your property in Cottenham. For satisfactory protection it should be 150 millimetres (approximately 6 inches) above ground level. You can dig the surrounding ground away to create this gap if it's currently not sufficient, or you could install a higher DPM if the first option is not feasible.

You could have more problematic issues if you find that your damp proof membrane is fine, and it could be that the dampness is seeping up from the ground, through your flooring, and into your property's walls, which is going to be even more worrying.

Damp proofing technicians in Cottenham can quickly identify and remedy rising damp issues using a variety of procedures. A damp proofing cream (such as Permaguard or Dryzone) can be injected into your walls if you've got an older house with no DPM, or it is damaged over a wide area. This cream is injected with a special nozzle into holes drilled along the mortar joint, and before the cream sets it diffuses into the adjoining brickwork forming a barrier that is water-repellent.

In situations where damp proofing cream is not an appropriate solution, or when the membrane is too seriously damaged, putting in a complete new damp proof course might be neccessary. Though this is naturally a fairly drastic plan of action, it could be the only method to solve your damp issues in an effective way.

For minimal areas of damp course damage, another possible option could be to coat with a bitumen based, waterproof latex emulsion paint. Tiles, wood flooring or carpets must be lifted before any work can be carried out, since it's applied underneath your existing floor coverings. This is particularly effective in basements as an integral part of the "tanking" process to create a room that's watertight. Before the bitumen coating has dried completely, your Cottenham damp proofing expert might advise laying building paper (a specialist foil backed membrane), for added protection.

Tanking: Tanking an area, like a basement or below ground space, is the process of covering exposed surfaces in a watertight paint. Any plaster and wall coverings must be removed and the relevant surfaces correctly prepared before the commencement of any work, as this waterproof coating has to be applied on the base surface of walls and floors. Once this coating has been put on, it must be permitted to dry completely before replastering the walls and decorating over it. This is a very disruptive job as it must be applied to a whole basement level or ground floor of a property, and it's recommended that you obtain more than one expert opinion about whether this really is the only answer to your rising damp issues.

SOLVING DAMP WITH DEHUMIDIFIERS

To help ease condensation problems, you could always try dehumidifiers, which for reducing the moisture content of the air, are very efficacious. The fact that these gadgets only alleviate the cause of the damp and don't cure it, is the main downside with the use of dehumidifiers. A professional damp proofing company in Cottenham will be glad to advise on the best solution if you're suffering from damp or mould in any part of your house.

FINDING A RELIABLE DAMP PROOF COMPANY IN COTTENHAM

The best recommendations for professionals with regards to home improvements are normally friends and relatives. Before signing up to any damp proofing services, you should always see if you can get at least 2 or 3 estimates from different Cottenham companies. If you have any doubts about any particular damp proofing company you could ask to look at professional memberships and qualifications.

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

If your selected Cottenham damp proofing providers are members of either the PCA or DPA you can be sure they will be suitably qualified and have acquired the appropriate experience to offer a high quality service for your damp proofing problems. Furthermore, it offers guarantees on any work undertaken by one of their membership.

PIV (Positive Input Ventilation) Cottenham

If you're looking to reduce damp problems within your home or business premises in Cottenham, Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) might be the ideal solution. PIV can aid in reducing humidity levels, which can alleviate mould and damp in your property or condensation on your windows. A constant flow of fresh air is supplied to achieve this. By constantly refreshing and replacing the air inside your property, air quality can be improved, odours and pollutants can be reduced, and dust mite allergens can be decreased. PIV systems work better when installed in a roof space, and it is important that your property is reasonably airtight when considering this option. Any spaces and gaps around windows or doors can cause fresh air to escape while allowing polluted air to enter, as air follows the path of least resistance, much like water.

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Damp Proofing Near Cottenham

Also find: Impington damp proofing, Milton damp proofing, Aldreth damp proofing, Landbeach damp proofing, Chesterton damp proofing, Fen Ditton damp proofing, Stretham damp proofing, Earith damp proofing, Rampton damp proofing, Horningsea damp proofing, Willingham damp proofing services and more. The majority of these areas are served by companies who do damp proofing. Cottenham business and home owners can get damp proofing quotes by going here.

Cottenham Damp Proofing Tasks

There is a range of work that can be conducted by your local Cottenham damp proof specialist including concrete damp proofing Cottenham, structural waterproofing Cottenham, home damp proofing Cottenham, pressure grouting Cottenham, damp proof paint applications in Cottenham, damp proofing concrete floors in Cottenham, solutions for black mould, rising damp advice, damp proofing floors, garage damp proofing, the treament of efflorescence Cottenham, damp proofing a cellar in Cottenham, flood defence, condensation control, rising damp treatments, foundation damp proofing, missing DPC installation, damp proofing a garage, timber treatment, positive input ventilation Cottenham, vapour barrier installations in Cottenham, cavity wall construction, dehumidifier installation, leak detection, cellar tanking in Cottenham, treatments for penetrating damp Cottenham, commercial damp proofing Cottenham, solving condensation problems, injection damp proofing, property surveys, plaster replacement, damp control, rising damp prevention, dampproofing surveys, brick damp proofing, and more. Listed are just a small portion of the activities that are performed by those specialising in damp proofing. Cottenham professionals will be delighted to keep you abreast of their full range of services.

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