Damp can cause serious damage to your home. If left unchecked for long periods of time, it has the potential to cause lasting structural damage to a property.

Damp issues need to be dealt with rapidly. If you’ve noticed problems in your home, you might be wondering: does home insurance cover damp?

The short answer to that question is generally no, but this depends on the type of home insurance you have. In this article, we explain why home insurance often doesn’t cover damp, and how much you might expect to pay to fix damp issues. 

Does Home Insurance Cover Damp?

Home insurance is a necessary protection for any household. Unfortunately there are limits as to what your average policy covers. Here at Atlantis Damp we’re often asked, ‘does home insurance cover damp?’ This depends on the terms and conditions of your home insurance policy, but in most cases the answer is no.

Home insurance is designed to cover unexpected damage to a property. While damp might, at first glance, seem to fall into this bracket (particularly if you discover a damp problem out of the blue, which is often the case), home insurance providers generally consider the issue of damp to be one of maintenance.

Do You Need to Let Your Home Insurance Know If Your Property Has a Damp Problem?

Damp problems caused by rising damp, penetrating damp or condensation will usually be classed as ‘wear and tear’. This means that the onus is on the property owner to ensure that their property is damp-proofed, as damp problems are often caused over time and are due to a deterioration of the property’s damp protections. 

However, you should make your home insurer aware of any existing damp problems before taking out a policy, and if damp problems arise it’s worth talking to them anyway. In certain circumstances, if you have either a specialist insurance policy or if a damp problem can be proven to have been caused by some sudden or unexpected event (such as a flood, or leak), you may be covered.

How Much Does It Cost to Fix Damp When Your Home Insurance Won’t Cover It?

The cost to fix a damp problem varies considerably from one home to the next. The sooner you notice a damp problem, the easier (and cheaper) it will be to fix. 

If you believe you have a damp issue, we recommend booking a professional survey. This will identify the type of damp causing the problem, the extent of the damp problem and offer an estimate of costs. 

Contact Atlantis Damp for More Information on Damp Problems in the Home

Identifying damp early can help you remove the problem before it causes serious damage to your property. This is particularly important when we consider that home insurance rarely covers damage caused by damp. 

If you believe there might be damp in your home, our expert team is here to help. Our family-run business can assist with problems arising from all forms of damp in the home, and we can provide damp-proofing solutions that ensure your house is well protected in the future. Contact Atlantis Damp today for more information. 

What Is a Damp-Proof Course?

A damp-proof course is one of the most effective ways to protect your home against the dangers of excess moisture rising from the ground. 

A damp-proof course – or DPC – is primarily designed to create an impermeable barrier, which stops moisture from rising up into a property. This solid waterproof barrier thereby helps to prevent damage that can be caused by damp. 

In this article, the expert team at Atlantis Damp explains everything you need to know about damp-proof courses. 

What Is a Damp-Proof Course?

A damp-proof course – or DPC – is essential, and modern homes are always fitted with some form of DPC as standard. In fact, DPCs have been a legal requirement in parts of the United Kingdom going as far back as the Victorian era. 

Damp-proof courses have evolved over the years, and today there are many different types of DPC that can be fitted. The function and purpose of a DPC has not changed however, with the main goal of a damp-proof course being to protect a property against the dangers of excess water.

A damp-proof course consists of some form of waterproof material, which is installed 150mm above ground level. 

Types of Damp-Proof Course

There are a variety of different types of damp-proof courses that could be installed in your home.

The type of DPC that’s fitted will depend on a number of factors, including the age and design of the property. 

While a damp-proof course could be made from slate, plastic or other materials, a modern DPC is more likely to be a damp-proofing cream that’s injected into the bricks and mortar of a building.

It’s common for a damp-proof course to be installed alongside a damp-proof membrane – or DPM – which is a thick, waterproof sheet of plastic that can be placed below the floors.

The most popular types of damp-proof courses include:

• Chemical damp-proof course injection: Holes are drilled into the brickwork of a wall, and a chemical damp-proofing cream is injected into the masonry to create a waterproof barrier.
• Mortar damp-proof course injection: A chemically enhanced type of mortar is injected into the walls, where it fills any holes or gaps in the masonry to seal the wall against moisture.
• Electro osmotic damp-proof course: Metal wiring is installed to create an electric charge, which polarises the wall and therefore repels water away.

At Atlantis Damp, we only use Chemical injection, using market leading Dryzone creams, installed directly into the mortar bed, which is in line with best practice standards.

While a damp-proof course should be installed in your home, it can fail over time. If you’re experiencing damp problems, then you may need to have your DPC replaced. A professional damp proofer can identify the best way to fix or replace your DPC, to ensure your home is well protected against damp and excess water.

Where Does a Damp-Proof Course Go?

A damp-proof course is intended to protect a home against rising groundwater, which means it needs to be installed in the walls on the ground floor of a property. 

But rather than being installed directly at ground level, regulations stipulate that any DPC should be at least 150mm above ground level. This ensures that rain splash or stagnant water can’t bridge (go over the top of) the DPC. DPCs go into the bricks and mortar of a wall. A chemical DPC for example will be injected directly into the mortar bed bricks after holes have been drilled into the wall. 

Why Should You Have a Damp-Proof Course Installed in Your Home?

It’s important to have a DPC installed in your home, as it helps to damp proof your property and protect the building against problems that can arise from excess moisture. Here are the most important reasons to have a damp-proof course installed:

• Ensure your home is thoroughly damp-proofed
• Protect your house against rising damp
• Protect against associated damp problems, such as mould and wood rot
• Protect against health issues caused by damp
• Increase the value of your property and save money on repairs in the future

How Much Does Installing a Damp-Proof Course Cost?

There are several factors that will affect the overall cost of having a damp-proof course installed in your home. 

Depending on the age of your property, your home is likely to already have a damp-proof course installed, so a specialist will need to first assess how much of the property needs to be reproofed in order to stop any damp problems. If damp has already taken hold in your home as a result of a failure of the existing DPC, this first needs to be fixed. 

The primary factors that will affect the overall cost of the work include:

• The size of the property and the area that needs to be damp proofed.
• The type of damp-proof course that will be installed.
• Any repair work caused by damp that needs to be carried out first.

For an accurate cost estimation, you’ll need to have a survey carried out by a damp-proofing professional. They’ll be able to identify if your DPC is failing or absent, and the best way for a new DPC to be installed. 

Having a DPC installed is essential, and it will save you money in the long run by protecting your home against serious damage that could be caused by damp problems. 

Contact Atlantis Damp to Find Out More About Damp Proof Courses

A damp-proof course is an essential feature of any property. If you’re concerned that your DPC might be failing, it’s important to contact a professional for further assistance. 

Our family-run business can assist with problems arising from all forms of damp, and we can provide damp-proofing solutions that ensure your house is well protected in the future. Contact Atlantis Damp today for more information. 

Condensation on windows is a common problem for homeowners. When hot air collides with the cold surface of a windowpane, condensation quickly forms. If left unchecked, this mild form of damp can cause unnecessary damage to your property.

Condensation on windows becomes more pronounced during the winter months, but luckily there are a number of simple but effective fixes you can employ to alleviate the problem before it leads to complications.

If you’re struggling to deal with condensation on windows, the expert team at Atlantis Damp is here to explain what causes condensation and how you can prevent it from forming. Here’s everything you need to know about condensation on windows.

What Is Condensation on Windows?

Condensation on windows is the most common form of damp, and it can occur in any property or household, regardless of the age of the building.

Condensation is a natural process that results from warm air colliding with a colder surface. Air naturally holds moisture, but when hot air hits a colder windowpane, the air rapidly cools down and releases that moisture.

The result of this collision is condensation, which you’ll see in the form of moisture or water droplets collecting on the windows. Condensation is a very mild type of damp, but if there is a lot of condensation and it’s not removed, it can start to cause problems.

Condensation can cause mould to form, it can damage windowsills or the surrounding décor, and it can lead to more serious damp problems if left unchecked.

What Are the Causes of Condensation on Windows?

Condensation on windows can be caused by a number of factors, but the overriding causes will be either too much humidity in the building or poor ventilation.

Condensation can form on any window in the house, but it’s most commonly found in kitchens and bathrooms. In order for condensation to form, you need hot air and a cold surface, so it’s easy for it to quickly form when you’re running a hot shower or have the kettle on. If the windows and doors are closed, the humidity levels in the room can rise – and if the windows are cold, you’ve got the perfect conditions for condensation.

Condensation on windows can occur whenever you have the necessary conditions, but it’s a problem that’s seriously exacerbated in winter. As outside temperatures fall, windowpanes remain cold while the central heating inside the building is turned up. When the hot air inside hits the windows, you’ve got condensation.

Tips to Prevent Condensation Forming on Windows

Condensation is a mild form of damp, but it can still cause problems and damage if it’s not dealt with properly. The best way to prevent damage is to stop the condensation from forming in the first place.

Luckily, it’s often quite easy to prevent condensation on windows, and it can be as simple as opening a window to ventilate the room or running a dehumidifier in your house.

Here are a few of our top tips to help prevent condensation from forming on your windows:

• Open the windows, particularly when cooking or running hot showers or baths
• Turn on the extractor fan, if you have one installed
• Keep pots and pans covered when cooking, and remember to turn on the extractor hood
• Keep your kettle away from the windows
• Ensure that internal doors are closed to stop hot air from moving from one room to the next when cooking or showering
• Make sure your home is well insulated, to stop cold patches from forming on surfaces
• Install a dehumidifier if problems persist

Signs That Your Home May Have a Moisture Problem

If you’re starting to notice condensation on windows, it’s a sure sign that you’ve got a moisture problem in your home. While condensation on windows isn’t always dangerous, it can be a sign that there are wider moisture or ventilation issues in the building.

There are also other signs to look out for. If you notice any of the following, there’s a high chance you have a moisture or damp problem:

• Musty smells
• Mould
• Wood rot
• Peeling plaster
• Damaged wallpaper
• Damp patches
• Salt marks on walls

How to Find and Fix a Moisture Problem in Your Home

Moisture problems aren’t just caused by condensation, which is usually the easiest damp issue to locate and fix in your home. Excess moisture can also result in more serious issues, including penetrating damp and rising damp.

These two other forms of damp can cause serious structural damage to your home if they aren’t removed, and they are often caused by leaks, floods, rising groundwater and other sources of excess moisture.

If you notice any of the above signs of excess moisture, whether it’s a musty smell, growths of mould or visible damp patches on walls or floors, it’s highly recommended that you call in a professional to survey your home. Excess moisture often causes the most damage when it’s in hidden or hard-to-reach places, so it’s important to have your entire property thoroughly checked in order to find and fix all potential moisture problems.

If you’re unsure as to what the cause of condensation on windows is, it’s a good idea to speak to an expert. A damp survey can help to identify the cause of condensation and other damp problems, while providing solutions to the issues.

Contact Atlantis Damp for More Information on Preventing Condensation on Windows

Identifying the source of condensation on windows in your home can help you to remove the problem before it begins to cause any serious damage to your property. If you’re having difficulty keeping your house condensation free, our team of damp experts are here to help.

Our family-run business can assist with problems arising from all forms of damp and condensation, and we can provide damp-proofing solutions that ensure your house is well protected in the future. Contact Atlantis Damp today for more information.