Damp in the home 2

Fresh from his encounter with the snow, Menasche Scharf returns to the house to examine the problems caused by excessive moisture. 



Independent of penetrating damp, but just as much of an issue, is condensation, which again thrives in poorly-ventilated rooms with moisture sources. WCs are particularly vulnerable here. For example a WC with a double radiator installed and no window is a recipe for disaster. Why? Because the cold water pipe from the mains, which passes through this room, creates a clash: the warm air hits the ice cold pipe, causing the air to condensate. If this happens 24/7, you will see a wet pipe with a puddle on the floor. Eventually the walls near this pipe will start showing signs of mould; plaster starts becoming powdery, paint peels off from the pipes and/or the wall - which turn a green colour - and water seeps through the wall underneath wall tiles.

 

Condensation affects other rooms, too. Kitchens are especially vulnerable, as are bedrooms (if not ventilated) and any rooms in which clothes are hung to dry, particularly if they are hung over radiators to dry. You may notice in these rooms plasterboard becoming 'blown up', and chipboard starting to "rise".

 

All buildings must be allowed to breathe. This means ensuring rooms are well ventilated, have low moisture content and do not have moisture 'sealed in' to the walls courtesy of non-breathable surface coverings.

 

So what should you do? In the first instance, landlords and homeowners must be proactive in checking external walls for signs of damage. Regular checks and preventative / repair work should be carried out to keep brick faces and mortar free from penetrating moisture.

 

Inside the property, homeowners and tenants must take responsibility for controlling condensation. For example, in small rooms, radiator valves should be turned down and doors left open to keep the air from stagnating. Where possible, open a window or skylight to promote better movement of air around the rooms. You could also consider installing dehumidifiers in some of the worst affected rooms.

 

If the problem occurs in larger spaces, check if there is a window / skylight that has been left open or is not properly sealed. A continual supply of cold air could be interacting with the warm air created from the radiator and together they "stick" to the cold water pipes and surfaces in these rooms.

 

To deal with condensation problems in larger spaces, turn the radiator(s) in the rooms down to a minimum and fit lagging to the pipe. For our purposes, lagging a pipe means to wrap a pipe that conducts hot or cold water. The material is a rigid foam available from your local DIY store. It is tubular in shape and is scored across its length. The score opens up to a slit, which then allows you to insulate the pipe. 

This protects the pipe from coming into contact with air at different temperatures and with different moisture content."