Is Damp Lurking in Your Home? 5 Warning Signs to Look For

Many of the household dangers we worry about, like fires and burst pipes, happen in an instant. This causes many homeowners to dismiss the threat of damp, which comes on much slower by comparison. However, it can progress to the point of damaging your home’s structure and posing a health risk surprisingly quickly. Early detection is essential to avoid costly and disruptive repair work. Here are 5 early signs of damp in your home to look for today.

1. Signs on the Wall

While damp can also show up on ceilings, floors, and furniture, the place you are most likely to find it first is on a wall. There are a few different ways damp can appear here. Flaking or peeling wallpaper is a common sign, because the moisture weakens the bond between the paint or adhesive and the wall. Bubbling or sagging walls are also possible, as are discolouration and tidemarks.

2. A Persistent Musty Smell

Even before visible symptoms appear, you might be able to detect this early sign of poor property moisture control. The smell is caused by compounds released by mould and mildew, so you should clean any mould in your bathroom grout to rule that out as a cause. If the smell persists, or if it gets worse after rain, it tells you that damp is likely hiding behind your walls, under the floor, or in other places out of sight.

3. Mould or Mildew Growth

Damp is often accompanied by mould or mildew growth because moist environments are ideal places for these fungi to grow. That is why your house smells musty when there is a damp problem, and it is also why finding mould patches on your walls, ceilings, window frames, and even on your furniture is a reliable sign of damp. Because of the associated health risks, it is important to let mould specialists treat advanced cases of mould growth.

4. Cold or Damp Surfaces

If you touch a wall or floor in your home and it feels unusually cold or damp, this is a sign that it is likely absorbing water from somewhere behind the scenes. If it is on the ground floor, the water may originate in the soil. This is known as rising damp. In other areas, it is likely to be a sign of penetrating damp, which is when water enters the home due to damage or defects on the exterior.

5. Efflorescence

Whether the moisture that enters your home originates in the ground or in the clouds, it will contain dissolved salts and minerals. When the moisture reaches the interior surfaces of your home and evaporates, it leaves these behind in the form of powdery deposits on the walls and floors. These are not harmful by themselves, but they are an indicator of damp and should not be ignored.

While these signs can help you detect damp problems fairly early, they are no substitute for a professional damp survey with specialist equipment. These will detect even the slightest hint of damp and stop it in its tracks before it even reaches inside your home. For a professional damp survey in London, call London Damp Proofing Ltd on 0208 226 6330.