Damp in the home is a big problem and it can be incredibly expensive to fix. Once it sets in, it’s difficult to get rid of and unless you get to the root cause of it, it will just keep coming back again and again. The autumn/winter period in particular is a time when damp can really set into homes.
When you start getting mould around the house, it can cause health problems, so you need to sort it right away. The first step to solving the problem is working out where it came from in the first place, and there are a few common sources. Below we look at some of the main causes of damp around the home.
1. Roof Damage
If your roof is damaged and there are large holes in it, rainwater will leak through and start running down the walls. When this happens, you will end up with severe damp problems throughout the house and drying out all of those walls can be very difficult.
You can avoid this in the first place if you check the roof regularly and patch any small gaps, especially after a lot of bad weather. This will stop any big holes from forming and you should be able to avoid damp. If it’s already too late for that, your priority should be getting the roof fixed.
Once the roof is repaired and the problem isn’t getting any worse, you can look at drying out the interior walls.
2. Blocked Drains
If your drains are blocked, water can sit for a long time instead of draining away. If it is sitting close to the house, there is a chance that the water will begin to seep through the walls and you will have a problem with damp.
If you have blocked drains, you will most likely notice a bad smell around the house alongside the damp issues. Hopefully, if you get the drains unblocked, the water will drain away and you should be able to dry out the damp.
3. Clogged Gutters
In the autumn, when the leaves start coming off the trees, it’s easy for your gutters to get clogged up. But it’s very important that you get up there and clear them out because it can cause you some serious damp problems. If the water cannot drain from the gutter, it will sit and seep into the walls.
That’s why cleaning the gutters needs to be part of your regular home exterior maintenance checklist, even if it isn’t a very fun job.
4. Leaking Pipes
If you notice that you have a lot of damp around the bottom of walls, that’s probably down to a leaking pipe. If you don’t do something about it now, those leaking pipes will eventually burst and then you’ll have a much bigger problem on your hands.
It’s always a good idea to check your plumbing on a regular basis to make sure that everything is in good working order and you don’t have any leaks. If you do spot anything, get a plumber to come and fix it for you. It’ll be much cheaper to make a small fix now and avoid a burst pipe in the future.
If you have damp in your home, it’s most likely to be caused by one of these things. It will be a lot easier to deal with once you have identified the root cause.
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Until next time, thanks for reading.
Helen, Nial and Lewis
Welcome to Pikalily, an award-winning food, travel and lifestyle blog. We are Nial and Helen, a happily married couple from Northern Ireland, who share a passion for food and travel among many things. We became parents to our beautiful boy Lewis in 2017. Follow our adventures through the blog.
