The external wall looks damp, what can I do about it?

Damp spots on the wall, mould and loose plaster: these are well-known problems when damp penetrates the outside wall. When this happens, the damp is spreading from the outside to the inside wall. Normally, this problem is caused by a porous and cracked outer wall. In combination with poor maintenance, this can cause damage to the house and high costs to repair. Health problems are also common in the case of penetrating damp. What can you do to solve these problems? Read this article!

How do I identify penetrating damp?

Identifying damp problems is not always easy, damp is complicated, especially if you’re not knowledgeable and have little experience with it, it can pass you by. Penetrating damp can be particularly difficult to identify, as this can occur in inaccessible places, like the roof or a small crack in the window frame. However, penetrating damp is characteristically known to leave behind dark and dirty stains on the internal walls, so if you find dark streaks of wet spots on your walls, can you almost be certain it is due to penetrating damp. If you are not sure whether there is penetrating damp, it is advisable to call in a damp expert. They will know immediately whether this is the problem, or whether there is another problem!

Causes of penetrating damp.

Damp penetrating the outside wall is caused by a lack of protection of the wall. Especially in the England where there are regular rain showers which the outer wall is constantly exposed to. If the outer walls are not properly protected, they absorb moisture like a sponge. This moisture then slowly soaks into the inner walls. The most common causes are:

– Porous outer walls.
– Damaged outer walls (cracks)
– Coats of paint that prevent the wall from drying out.
– A rotten gutter.

Fighting penetrating damp with SmartDry®

Water that has penetrated the outside wall and is now trapped in your walls can only be fought by a damp expert after the damaged walls have been repaired. Once the cracks in the walls, or the guttering for example, have been fixed, SmartDry® can help you further! Nevertheless, we can always drop by, to have a look at the problem and to give professional advice. With the patented DryBricks® of SmartDry® the walls are ventilated 24 hours a day by means of natural air flow. Curious about the possibilities of our unique damp control system? Contact us directly by telephone!

Contact us today for more information on how to treat mould on the wall.