Fix Rising Damp with Sub Floor Ventilation

Rising damp carries soluble salts up into the masonry, known as efflorescence. This dampness affects the quality of air that you breathe while you’re indoors. A damp home with low ventilation has air that contains pollutants which can trigger the development of asthma and other respiratory-related infections, as well as allergic reactions.

One of the main problems when homes are damp is the development of mould, usually on the wall. As a result, allergens are produced. Even if your home is clean and dust-free, you may find yourself sneezing, experiencing itchy eyes or a runny nose when you come into contact with the spores produced when mould grows from a damp area in your property from lack of air flow. Another danger associated with rising damp issues is the fact that it creates an environment for the development and multiplication of harmful bacteria such as mould.

Rising damp can be a homeowner’s worst nightmare as the building structure can be affected by rising damp. The integrity of the foundations can be seriously put at risk due to rising damp.

Another culprit for rising damp is the age of your home. Homes built before 1980 are often found with damp rising in capillary action in the brick work or masonry due to the fact that the walls were either inferior or had no damp course. The internal walls of these older homes have a more common issue with water penetration. Building regulations have since been updated over the years to include items to help prevent this problem from occurring. There is a damp treatment and solution for each reason of rising damp.

What Causes Rising Damp?

Whenever a home has a rising damp issue, the main reason behind it is usually the high levels of moisture in the air and the lack of natural sub floor ventilation. There are many situations that can lead to different house structures having rising damp and therefore creating places for mould to grow.

Reasons include:

• Rising damp originating from the sub floor area creating moisture penetration behind the walls of older buildings or commercial properties.
• Moist building materials used in the construction of a new home can often cause rising damp to creep up the walls.
• Water leaks from water supply pipes.
• Window frames leaking or leaking roofs that allow rainwater into the home or through the walls will cause rising damp.
• Poor movement of air under the floor in the property.

Whenever there is too much moisture in the air, it condenses back into water droplets when it touches any cold surface in the home. The walls or windows may provide this cold surface. As a result, the condensed moisture, which is now in the form of water droplets, will cause rising damp up the walls. Rising damp occurs mainly when there is inadequate air flow.

Rising Damp in the Sub Floor Area

A common area in the home that can create rising damp is under the house – the sub floor area. The sub floor area can easily harbour ground moisture, causing rising damp throughout your home’s masonry structure. Mould, usually on the walls inside your home, is a sign of rising damp. Rising damp can also cause pest problems when located at ground level. The damp conditions can be a magnet for termites who like to eat the damp wood. This occurs especially when there is insufficient air flow. A leaking pipe beneath your floor can also cause the sub floor area of your property to become damp, more so when there aren’t enough vents or a sub floor ventilation system that can facilitate proper circulation of air. Rising damp at floor level can weaken the structure of the wall. Masonry walls can begin to crumble.

Additionally, metallic material will experience corrosion, causing damage to the entire building. Rising damp is a real risk to your property, but sub floor ventilation can easily eradicate and prevent rising damp from developing. It is one of the best rising damp solutions.

Fix Rising Damp with Sub Floor Ventilation

Fresh Ventilation recommends and installs Sub Floor Ventilation Systems to fix rising damp because:

• These systems are very effective in homes that experience a continuing musty odour or where there is mould on shoes and clothes in wardrobes or on furniture in living spaces.
• Sub floor ventilation can remove ground moisture from underneath raised floors, creating a drier and warmer sub floor area.
• Poorly ventilated sub floor areas are often damp. This dampness can result in mould, mildew, musty odours, wood rot and pest infestation in your sub floor area and can also contribute to the spread of mould, mildew and allergies above.

We invite you to call us on 02 4855 1025 to learn more about our premium sub floor ventilation kits. We look forward to solving your ventilation problems.