In this episode of The A-Z of Damp from Atlantis Property Preservation, B is for…..Builders Beware.
Atlantis Damp Proofing recently sent our expert surveyor to survey a local property near Knutsford, Cheshire. The property was a beautifully renovated cottage, which had obviously had a lot of investment put into it. Unfortunately, there were signs of decorative spoiling on the walls, suggesting that a damp issue was present. (more…)
In this episode of The A-Z of Damp from Atlantis Property Preservation . G is for…… Gardens in your Gutter (causing internal damp).
We recently visited a property in Northwich, Cheshire to survey for damp detected on walls internally. A young family had been quoted over £5,000.00 to remedy a reported rising damp problem in their home. They felt this quote was too high and as such were getting some comparisons. One of their friends recommended speaking to us to get a reliable, honest advice from a CSRT expert.
They were right to get a second opinion. There was no rising damp. Using a surface moisture meter, it was identified that there were no readings at skirting board height, or up to a meter high (which would be typical of rising damp). There were, however, high moisture readings. These were in the corners of the rooms at both the front and back elevations on the ground and first floor at ceiling height. An external inspection revealed that the gutters were severely blocked with debris. There was green staining and algae on the wall next to the downspout. This fault corresponded exactly to the dampness that was detected internally.
Furthermore, a blocked gutter can cause damage to your downspouts and water to build up and enter the property. The specialist term for this Penetrating Damp. If not repaired, it could also lead to roofing problems, which can, again lead to damp issues internally. As with any damp issue in your home, this could result in thousands of pounds worth of repairs as if you leave it unchecked. Wood rot in your structural timbers can occur.
Gutter and downspout blockages will always happen in your property, sometimes more regularly if your home is surrounded by trees. If you included clearing the gutters in your annual home maintenance plan it will never become a significant issue. As with all types of damp, if you can prevent penetrating damp through water penetration due to leaking gutters is so much more effective than treating it.
To do their job, your gutters and downspouts must be clear of leaves and debris. If they aren’t, drain outlets will dam up and rainwater will fill the gutters, overflow, and eventually pull the gutters loose. During a rainstorm, gutters route runoff from a very large surface—a home’s roof—to where it can drain away from the house. By doing so, they protect walls, windows, doors, and foundations from water damage and help prevent flooding in basements. If your gutters are blocked, they will fail to do the job that they were intended for – directing rain water away from your house and into your drains.
Depending on how hard the gutters are to reach, you can now contact a company to complete this task for you. If you prefer, and it is safe to do so, you can do it yourself. To clean out your gutters you will need: a trowel, ladder, buckets, garden hose, gutter cleaning attachment and gutter sealant. Next you could watch one of the many youtube videos (try https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zFoynqYkCM) on this subject that you could check out for more information on a DIY job.
Have a chat with a family run business to get to the root cause of the dampness in your home. We feel confident that we can help you by carrying out a survey of your property. Simply contact us at Atlantis Property Preservation for our expert opinion to ensure accurate diagnosis and solutions to your property problem.
The A-Z of Damp & Timber from Atlantis Property Preservation – H is for Hygroscopic Salts
In this episode of The A-Z of Damp from Atlantis Property Preservation , H is for…… Hygroscopic Salts and re plastering a damp wall.
When dampness has been rising from in the wall in your property for some time, the soluble salts (mainly Chloride and Nitrates) become concentrated where the water evaporates from the wall. These deposits of salts are Hygroscopic. This means they attract the everyday moisture found in your home. This ‘dampness’ is not caused by water rising up the capillaries of the building materials. It is due to the dampness in the walls evaporating to the surface and leaving the tell-tale tide mark.
In this instalment of A-Z of Atlantis Property Preservations, L is for Listed Buildings and the use of Electro Osmosis.
Today we went to survey a beautiful sandstone cottage in Tarporley, Cheshire and noticed a very old Electro Osmosis damp proof system in place. It got us to thinking. When would we recommend an Electro-osmosis system to be installed? (more…)
In this installment of A-Z of Atlantis Property Preservation, N is for Nitrates and Rising Damp.
In the vast majority of cases we use our experience and moisture profiling techniques to determine whether the dampness in your home is, in fact, rising damp. It could be from another source entirely. It could be a leak, condensation or penetrating damp. However, if you so wish we can confirm our findings. We do this through what is known as destructive testing. With destructive testing, we can see if there are chlorides and nitrates in the wall sample. Nitrates and Rising Damp are inextricably linked.
In this episode of The A-Z of Damp from Atlantis Property Preservation, O is for Owners can Help Themselves.
With the long weekend ahead of us, we know it should be the perfect opportunity to bring out the patio furniture and stock up on charcoal for the BBQ – but, it’s also the perfect time to give your property the “quick once over” to tackle any issues that may have come apparent during the winter months. Let’s take a look at some of the main problems you should look out for. (more…)
