Many homes experience damp issues. Older homes in particular will have suffered from the wear and tear of the elements for many years, leaving them exposed to small drafts of air and tiny breaches in the outside perimeter of their structures. Over time, these can cause water leaks that result in areas of damp. Damp might also come from inside your home – from a leaking pipe or from something in your kitchen or garden that’s not working properly. Many areas of damp can result in lasting damage, so it’s worth investigating them further when you spot them. Here’s how you’ll do that.
Photographs
If you spot a small area of damp in your home, you should immediately take a photograph of it. That way, you’ll be able to reference a photograph over the coming days and weeks to see if that patch of damp is growing or staying the same size. You can also use this photograph to send to plumbers or friends with a knowledge of how house leaks develop. These individuals will be able to give you their take on the damp before you pay for someone to come and take a look at it.
Electrics
You should also immediately move any electrical items that could get wet as a result of the damp patch that you’ve discovered. This could include light fixings, which you should turn off at the fuse box, and plug sockets that might be vulnerable to drips from the leak as it develops. Be responsible in this way to avoid electrical fires, electrical issues, and the risk of electrocution if you accidentally touch something that is electrified and covered in water.
Expert Advice
Usually, a damp patch is a sign that something’s wrong with your home. That’s what your friends will say when they see the photo of the damp patch you’re concerned about. You’ll only know how worried you should be about the damp patch that’s bothering you if you bring in the experts. Happily, there are specialists who are experienced in diagnosing leaks and damp patches in homes. Such a leak detection service will help you both understand where the damp patch is coming from and how much it’ll cost to be repaired. The best services will be able to perform that repair immediately so that you won’t have to worry about the issue developing and damaging your home further.
Mold
If an area of your home develops damp and has been damp for some time, there’s an increased risk that mold will develop in your home. This can develop into a health risk for anyone in contact with that mold and is especially dangerous for those who have asthma. Even if you have no breathing difficulties, it’s obviously a little disgusting to have mold growing within your home. After all, it should be a safe, secure, and comfortable location that shuts out the dangers of the outside world. You can deal with mold yourself by cleaning the area of damp in your home, or you can bring in experts who can give your walls a deep clean and seal them so that no more mold develops.
Dehumidifying
Another way to reduce the level of damp and mold in your home is to purchase a dehumidifier. These devices are simple: they’re a little like small radiators, except that they’re focused on pulling in damp air in the room in question and pushing out dry air. If you leave a dehumidifier on for a handful of hours next to your damp patch, it should at least make the room it’s in more livable and less damp. It may not solve your damp patch issue altogether, but it’s a good fix until the time that you get the repair work done on your home.
Avoiding Disaster
Remember that while some damp patches are a sign that there’s something very minor wrong with your home, some others can be a sign that there’s about to be a catastrophic failure in your home. That could be related to a leaking pipe or a faulty system in your home. If that leak develops into a break, you’ll find that your damp patch becomes something a lot more dangerous and devastating, leaving a part of your home flooded and you left to pick up the pieces as well as the cost. To avoid these domestic disasters, you should always prioritize getting to the bottom of a household leak – even if that means spending a little cash to give you confidence that you’re not going to experience a disaster.
These tips are key for anyone who discovered areas of damp in their home.
