Our homes are meant to be places to hide away from the infamously cold and wet weather that the UK throws at us. However, for a significant proportion of homeowners and renters throughout the country, that wet weather can follow you inside in the form of damp. Unsightly to look and bad for your health, damp has been the bane of the UK homeowner’s existence for as long as we’ve been building homes.
It’s also a much bigger problem than you may imagine. According to a study by the government, in 2017, 4% of the total UK housing stock (around 23 million homes) were noted to be suffering with some form of damp problem. That 4% translates to an estimated 944,000 properties, meaning there are millions of people across the UK struggling with this issue. Because of this, it’s not unusual for people to come across problems that stem from damp, yet, what can you do about it?
Your best bet will be to hire a specialist in damp proofing and prevention services. Offering a range of services that can contend with a variety of damp issues, a trained and experienced specialist can ensure that your home is completely protected. If you’re at home wondering whether a damp specialist will be able to tackle your issue, read on to discover the various ways a team like London Property Preservation can help you deal with the damp.
Why is damp such an issue?
If your home is suffering from damp, you may consider simply ignoring the problem and hoping that it goes away on its own. While this may seem tempting, damp problems can pose a host of pretty significant issues both to the structural integrity of your home and to the health of those living within it.
For starters, it’s important to know how damp is created. While there are different types which throw up their own individual problems, damp is simply the result of a home harbouring excess moisture, leading to the growth of mould and other fungi. If it isn’t dealt with swiftly, this issue can evolve into several, more sinister problems. For example, the fungi that damp helps to flourish is known to release spores throughout the home. These spores can be responsible for a myriad of health issues including asthma flare-ups, allergy problems and even serious respiratory problems if left unchecked.
There is also the issue of damage to the structure that damp can cause. Dry rot, while less common than other damp issues, can be especially dangerous due to its damaging effect on structures. As it eats away at timber and can quite easily begin to damage masonry, it can cause serious issues if allowed to exacerbate.
Finally, it has to be mentioned that while damp can be dangerous it’s also not particularly nice to look at. Large wet and black spots around the home can make the place where you should feel most comfortable end up seeming pretty miserable, so why sit and suffer when help is at hand?
Dry and wet rot treatment
As we’ve mentioned, wet and dry rot have the ability to cause real headaches for homeowners if left to their own devices, with this in mind, it’s really important to nip the issue in the bud before it becomes any worse; this is where a specialist can come in.
While both wet and dry rot do cause issues and are primarily down to the growth of invasive fungi, the two work in very different ways, meaning that a specialist requires a different set of skills and equipment depending on which type they’re dealing with.
Wet rot
After an initial survey of your building to ascertain the issue, a technician will begin to look for the source of the excess moisture in order to stop the increase of damp or will isolate the timber before it’s affected. The treatment itself will then focus on applying fungicide during the drying period, eradicating any rot as long as the water source has been properly dealt with.
While dealing with wet rot can be dealt with by someone with a good grounding in DIY, if you’re not completely sure on how to comprehensively carry out the job, it’s important to get in touch with a professional.
Dry rot
The more serious of the two, dry rot will break down the essential timber components of a building, leading to structural instability. While the name ‘dry rot’ may give off the idea that this type of fungus grows in more arid conditions, it actually still relies on excess moisture levels but just at a lower level than wet rot.
If you think your home is suffering from dry rot, it’s essential to get a professional in as soon as possible to mitigate the problem. As the issue can affect both timber and masonry if it’s especially bad, a damp specialist will have the tools to stop it in its tracks using a variety of highly effective dry rot treatments.
There are of course some parts of the house that are much more susceptible to damp than others, with the basement being a prime culprit. If it hasn’t been sufficiently renovated, your basement is probably much too damp for anything other than storing bits and pieces.
However, with a damp specialist, you can begin the transformation of your basement space into somewhere you can actually use using a technique known as tanking. The process of tanking a cellar revolves around the application of a liquid waterproof coating, known as tanking slurry, from the top of the walls to the floor of the space. The slurry is specifically designed to halt excess moisture from seeping into your basement, meaning you can start to use the space more effectively.
Although tanking may sound like something anyone can do, if done incorrectly or without a proper seal, you can end up with more problems than you started out with. It’s for this reason that it’s best to get in a professional.
Woodworm treatment
While rot is caused by the influx of fungi, woodworm is caused by a subset of creepy crawlies with a taste for your property’s timber. Referring to the larvae of wood-boring beetles, woodworm can cause a huge amount of damage if allowed to infest your home, however, they’re not easy to spot.
Hiding in timber throughout the home, from floorboards to wooden furniture, it’s equally important to know which species of beetle you’re dealing with as well as finding where they’re hiding. A professional in the field will have the knowledge to expertly tackle the issue by determining the species and creating a bespoke treatment for your home to ensure the infestation has been completely dealt with.
Wet and dry rot repair
Although treating wet and dry rot is definitely the first port of call to ensure your home is protected, if the damage is significant, you may need to have some repairs carried out. Rot can be especially destructive to the timber components of your home, potentially leaving your property structurally unsound.
Luckily, many damp and rot treatment specialists also carry out quality repairs on your home, replacing any timber or masonry that has been adversely affected. This means you can rest easy in the knowledge that your damp and ro problems have finally been put to bed.
Eradicate damp issues around your home with London Property Preservation
A damp specialist can be a lifesaver when it comes to protecting and treating your property. However, it’s important to remember to hire a quality contractor to ensure that any issues are dealt with comprehensively. If you’re in the London area and are looking for a damp specialist you can trust, London Property Preservation is here to help.
Serving customers from Wandsworth to Lambeth to Streatham, our team of expert damp specialists have years of experience dealing with homes suffering from rot, damp and woodworm. Offering a variety of services, including basement tanking and comprehensive treatment options, you can rest assured that London Property Preservation will protect your home.
For more information on how London Property Preservation can help you, visit our website or get in touch with our team on 020 8689 0073.
