DAMP WALLS IN YOUR HOME. HOW TO CORRECT ?

Are you observing damp walls in your home. Damp walls could be due to various reasons like rains getting in through the walls, moisture being absorbed from the ground, condensation settling on cold surfaces. You need to identify the correct reason otherwise you will be spending more than the required and you will not get the benefit of all the time, effort and money being allocated to this repair jobs.

Damp patches may also be the result of leaks in plumbing work embedded in the wall or from poorly sealed bathrooms. A few examples shared to understand various reasons for dampness in wall.

• Initially when I saw damp patches on the wall in my house I assumed it was due to external impact of rains. Rains came and went away and I’m still observing the wet patches on the wall. This is severe in the mornings and by evening the patch fades away. The dampness leaves stains on the walls. The musty smell and the damage that damp can cause is awful.

After a few days the damp areas in the wall bloated and powdery crust started to fall from the surface. There was a webby covering over the bloated surfaces. The wall had a light connection and a window.

The plumber and his team were informed , they came and checked and gave us a quote for fixing the problem. The plumber and his workmen mentioned that the window sill had a shade , which was damaged. They completed the repair jobs in a weeks time. After a fortnight the inside walls were chipped off and painting was done .

The rooms were back in shape. There were some unexpected rains in mid November and the dampness started to surface again. We realized it was not due to the window shade defect. I forgot to mention we had one more floor above our apartment. We called for a professional in this field . He checked the walls, observed the exterior walls and suggested we have a look at the house above ours.

We were in fact shocked to see the extent of damage in the bathroom floor. The filling between tiles –white cement was totally peeled off from the edges and there was a high chance of water getting trapped in the area between the tile and the main concrete. Collected water was trying to leak out from the weak areas in the wall.

The realization came in then that the apartment above ours was mostly vacant round the year. Usage was a few days in a month. That was the time the water penetration in the walls were observed. A new quote was taken and the work was completed by keeping the bathroom unused for the treatment and curing. Now the problem is fixed. The water already penetrated inside the walls will take time to dry.

• Another classic example: A huge amount was invested in beautifying my cousins house after purchase and after a years time one side of the drawing room started to be damp and had a shabby look.  They contacted the builder for further help. Since it was not long after purchase and with new upcoming projects in the vicinity, the builder agreed to have a look at the problem. and upon investigation it was identified that the problem was water seepage through the walls. Main reason cited was that water collected on the roof – be it rain water or overhead tank overflowing water from the roof had to pass down through tubes embedded in the wall. The workmen did a faulty job. The tube length was short, they did not bother taking a longer one. The cement work was completed with this gap in the pipeline. When heavy rains came the flow of water escaped thru’ the gap and seeped into the walls.

The wall was partially broken and the pipe work corrected. This caused a lot of inconvenience to the inmates , after all the rework the room looks good now.

Exposure to microbial contaminants is clinically associated with respiratory symptoms, allergies, asthma and immunological reactions. Dampness has therefore been suggested to be a strong and consistent indicator of risk for asthma and respiratory symptoms such as cough and wheeze.

Few precautionary measures to be adapted:

• A regular check up and proper maintenance is required for the home to be in good shape. Fix cracks on walls and on the floor too.
• Do not dry clothes in the rooms to avoid excess moisture on the walls. Do not cook in such rooms that have a history of dampness as the steam can cause wetness later. An example of condensation would be bathroom mirror becoming foggy after a hot bath. After some time the moisture condenses as water droplets.
• Check for any damage to windows and doors. The frames are very important as they are close to the walls and the dampness may result in wood rotting.  This will prevent pests infestation too.