Damp proofing your home is essential. Although your home is likely to already have some form of damp protection, it is vital to shore up your home’s defences to ward off the threat of flooding.
The aim of damp proofing is to keep moisture out of your home and prevent it from seeping in through the foundations. If you suspect that your home’s damp defences aren’t up to scratch, then you’ll need to act fast. Damp proofing products allow you to tame the weather’s advances and mean if you’re a bit nifty at DIY, you can stave off any moisture without spending a fortune.
Why Damp Proofing is Important for Your Property
Damp proofing might well be the furthest thing from your mind. After all, if you don’t have damp, there is no visual problem there to prompt you. It’s easy to then forget to look at ways to improve your efforts. Once your home is blighted with rising damp, you’d need to treat it before you can up your prevention game.
Below are some reasons why damp proofing is so important and why it’s best to be proactive when it comes to fighting damp.
It Prevents Health Issues
A few years ago I rented a house that had damp in the hallway. I discussed it with the landlord several times, each time they told me it wasn’t damp and that it was just ‘bulging plaster’. I was assured this was completely harmless.
At the time, my son was a young toddler and frequently suffered with asthma symptoms, which usually landed him in hospital. After we left that house and moved into our new (damp-free) place, his symptoms have drastically subsided. He’s only been admitted to hospital once and that was down to a nasty infection. Otherwise, his asthma rarely rears its ugly head.
After a discussion with the health visitor, I learned that damp can make asthma symptoms much worse – especially in children. It can even create breathing difficulties in people who don’t have asthma too. This can affect very healthy people, not just those with weakened immune systems!
If I’d known that at the time, I’d have pushed for a solution. Now I’m very on the ball when it comes to damp protection and think it’s really important for our family’s health to prevent it getting in
Good Damp Proofing Preserves the Value of Your Home
Houses with damp are hard to sell. Most people won’t buy a house with known damp issues. A thorough survey can highlight unknown damp issues too – making it even harder to sell. Although I’ve heard of sellers reducing the price of a house by thousands, just to get rid, it seems like an unnecessary step that could have been prevented.
Staying on top of the best ways to keep damp out will mean you escape any big damp proofing jobs when it’s time to put your house on the market. You wouldn’t want to live in a damp home, so it’s unsurprising other people are unlikely to buy one. Take care of the damp course and the damp course will help take care of your home’s value.
Damp Smells
When a house has damp, you can usually tell the moment you set foot in it. Damp has a strong and distinctive smell that is hard to shift. Mould will grow quickly and leave a musty odour that can’t usually be concealed by air fresheners. If your house smells of damp and mould, it’s important to treat is ASAP and look into ways of preventing its return.
Mould caused by damp will seriously impair your living conditions, as well as contribute to the health problems discussed above.
*Collaborative post