Dampness is one of the worst problems that you can get in your home. If you don’t deal with it quickly, it can start to spread. It can cause a lot of damage that is incredibly expensive to repair. The biggest mistake that people make when they’re dealing with dampness is that they’ll clean off the mold from the walls and try to dry them out. But they don’t actually sort out the root cause of it. If you only treat the symptoms and not the cause, it’s just going to keep coming back. Then you will end up spending loads of money. If you’re trying to deal with dampness, you need to look for these potential causes.
3 Causes of Dampness To Watch Out For In The Home
Roof Damage
It makes sense that roof damage is going to cause dampness. Every time it rains, water is going to pour through gaps in the roof. It’ll start to run down the walls and you’ll end up with dampness throughout the house. Roof damage is a particular problem in older properties but if there have been particularly strong winds etc. it can be a problem with newer properties as well.
The key to managing roof damage and avoiding dampness is to catch it early. If you notice a few loose shingles, don’t just leave it and assume that it’ll be ok. It’s cheap to fix a couple of loose shingles but if you leave it, you’ll end up paying a lot of money for expensive roof repairs when it gets worse. And you’ll also have to deal with dampness throughout the house as well. So, the sooner you call a roofing company, the better.
Clogged Gutters
Cleaning your gutters isn’t a fun job and so many people just put it off. But if you neglect it, it can cause you some serious problems. When the gutters are clogged up, the water won’t drain. It’ll just sit in there and start soaking into the walls. This can cause dampness eventually also.
If you really don’t want to do it yourself, you need to call a gutter cleaning service in to do it for you. If you keep on top of your gutter maintenance, it’s not really a big job. It only becomes a problem when you leave it for ages and let them get clogged up.
Leaking Pipes
Problems with your plumbing are another common cause of dampness problems. If you get a leaking pipe behind a wall, it’ll start to soak through over time. Unfortunately, you might not realize it for a while if it’s only a small leak that doesn’t affect the water pressure. The other causes of the dampness we’ve mentioned will cause problems with the whole wall from the top down. But a leaking pipe will cause dampness in a more localized area near the floor.
The best way to avoid this is to have your plumbing checked regularly. It’s a bit of an expense. But it’s far cheaper than getting a big leak fixed and then dealing with the dampness. If the weather has been particularly cold, your pipes are more likely to burst so it’s worth doing an extra check.
If you can deal with the underlying causes of dampness, you can stop it from coming back again and again. Regular routine maintenance can prevent a huge headache further down the road.
5 Comments