Ever noticed in your home a musty scent? Dark patches running down your walls? Is peeling paint merely a cosmetic issue, or is it something much worse?
If you are nodding your head, you are not alone. Dampness, a common problem for buildings in Australia, does not really destroy that much. A small spot of discolouration leads into crumbling plaster, rotting timber, ruined foundations, and repair bills that will make your head explode. And usually, the danger of dampness in the building is not visible until it creates major havoc.
Moisture comes in, but what is at stake? In this article, we aim to give further details on this issue and see what professionals can do to protect your property. You will learn more about different causes of damp walls and moisture in walls, how to identify warning signs, and why calling a damp specialist Sydney is often the best investment ever. We will work through rising damp in brickwork or condensation; your needs are covered. So, let’s get down to business.
Understanding Damp Issues in Australian Properties
What Causes Damp Walls and Moisture in Walls?
Moisture uses various ways to enter properties, and knowing these ways is the first step toward solving the problem. Groundwater could move up through brickwork if the damp-proof course fails or has never been installed. Sydney’s sporadic storms and the resulting external weather provide water the chance to travel downward through cracks in rendering and aging mortar joints.
A very important cause of damp walls is poor ventilation. Modern houses are built as tight as can be, to promote energy efficiency, but in doing so, they trap the humid air inside. In houses, moisture is introduced through cooking, showering, or even breathing. Without adequate airflow to disperse this moisture, it accumulates and condenses on cold surfaces such as external walls and windows.
A leaking plumbing system is also a worthy mention. A slow drop within some pipe in the wall cavity could cause considerable damages long before anything went wrong. The most important lesson here is that there is rarely a singular cause for water damp, which is why a professional assessment is so important.
Common Types of Damp Problems
Rising damp is a form of damp developing in brickwork when groundwater moves upwards through porous masonry materials. The characteristic tide marks on walls, usually not more than a metre above floor height, are often seen. Other classic signs include the deposit of salts and peeling wallpaper.
Penetrating damp comes through the external walls horizontally. Cracked rendering, damaged pointing, or faulty guttering often cause this type. It presents as a localized damp patch, which worsens in wet weather.
Condensation could be said to be the most common form of water damp affecting Australian homes. It is a process where warm, moist air meets cold surfaces. Black mould growth, commonly around windows or on corner walls, indicates condensation problems. These are all different types of damp, which require different solutions to damp rooms, making correct diagnosis all the more important.
What Makes Damp-Proofing Work in Sydney Homes?
It’s the weather, of course. Dampness challenges in cool, humid environments, especially in summer, have a fair share of air. Coastal properties are bombarded with salt-laden air that ages masonry faster, complicating external wall damp-proofing measures.
Most properties in Sydney were constructed in the days when damp-proofing masonry walls was not common. The Victorian and Federation homes in this area may, in fact, have no damp-proofing course whatsoever. Poor construction techniques are still accustomed today, where building in flood-prone land gives a greater risk.
How Does Damp Damage Framing?
Science Behind Moisture Damage
As soon as moisture enters a material, it reacts destructively once again. Water carries soluble salts into the masonry. During water evaporation, the salts crystallize, causing expanded volume and cracks within the material. This cycle is known as efflorescence and so, brickwork and mortar are gradually weakened.
Timber components are susceptible to damage caused by moisture. Wood-rotting fungi thrive where there is above 20% moisture content. Strong component timbers such as floor joists, wall plates, and roof trusses may thereby suffer immense loss of strength with little to no signs of decay visible externally. Meanwhile, wet conditions also attract timber-boring insects.
Steel reinforcement in concrete is not exempt. The presence of moisture leads to forming rust, which expands, cracking the surrounding concrete. This weakens structural integrity while creating a new way for moisture to enter, and so the cycle continues. These processes drastically accelerate damage.
Warning Signs You Need a Damp Specialist Sydney
Should any of the following warning signs be present, pay attention:
– Musty to earthy smells will be noticed.
– Feeling damp walls with cold touch.
– Peeling paint and wallpaper, bubbling of paint and wallpaper.
– White powdery deposits on walls, salt efflorescence.
– Dark mould growth, especially around corners.
– Dewy floorboards or skirting boards.
– Appearance of rust stains on plaster.
If you can see several signs, do not hesitate. Stroke upon rising damp experts to identify the source with their assistance and recommend appropriate damp house solutions before they turn into major headaches.
Damp walls damaging your house structure? Indeed, and this is quite serious then. Foundations depend on soil stability to carry the weight of your home. Constant moisture alters soil composition and load-bearing capacity. Clay soils are doubly troublesome: in wet seasons, they expand, while in dry seasons, they shrink, giving an opportunity for the foundation to begin movement.
Moisture can also bring harm to the foundation materials directly. Concrete absorbs water, while the freeze-thaw cycle (less common in Sydney, though) causes cracking. Stone or brick foundations in older properties are particularly at risk. Repairs to foundations are really costly so it makes much sense to prove damp ahead.
Why should one go for rising damp specialists instead of the DIY approach?
