One of the worst things to happen to your home is for it to develop damp. Damp really takes a damper on your home, it can make rooms cold and strips your home of all its cosiness. Not only is damp bad for your aesthetic, but it is bad for your health too. To put it simply, it needs to be eliminated as soon as possible. If you want to know how you can get rid of damp fast, keep on scrolling.

How to identify damp

First and foremost, you need to diagnose your home with damp, here is how to do that. 

Smell

• The smell is a dead giveaway of damp, so if you notice a musty odour in your home it’s time to check the walls and ceilings. 

Temperature

• A cold surface can be a telltale sign that you have damp

Fungal growth

• Look for black specks and grey growth on your walls, wallpaper, and woodwork. If the paint is flaking or the wallpaper is curling up, that is a sign you have damp

Colour change

• Is the surface discoloured or stained? Brown patches, in particular, indicate damp

Condensation 

• If you find small splashes of water on your window sills, this can be a symptom of damp. 

Mould

• Black mould can appear on your window frames and curtains, as well as inside cupboards and cabinets. Remember a musty smell signifies mould and damp. 

How to treat damp

You’ve confirmed there is damp in your home, now what? Well, the first thing to do is to call a professional company to tackle the issue. If you’d like to resolve this problem yourself you need to adhere to the following:

• Use a squeegee to scrape the damp away
• Apply a sealer to prevent further moisture from leaking through 
• Get a mould killer and follow the instructions required 
• Open the windows to ventilate the house

Preventing damp

Here are simple steps you can take to dampproof your home and prevent future outbreaks:

• check roof regularly for damage 
• Clean your gutters frequently 
• Get loft and wall insulation 
• Set your thermostat to a lower temperature 
• Open windows to allow ventilation 
• Don’t dry washing inside (use a tumble dryer or hang clothes on a line outside)
• Buy a dehumidifier 
• Turn on the extractor when cooking
• Invest in some dampproof products (see everbuild) 

Health complications of untreated damp

It is important to get rid of damp as soon as possible, if left untreated unpleasant illnesses can manifest as a result. Research has shown that those living in damp homes are twice as likely to develop asthma, and are at significant risk of other respiratory ailments such as bronchitis and chest pains. Damp can affect the skin and cause nasty skin conditions like eczema to break out. Scottish researchers also demonstrated that damp is strongly associated with fever. This gives you all the more reason to get scraping those walls and ceilings pronto. 

To summarize

Damp can be stubborn but is easy to get rid of if you adhere to the advice above. If all else fails, don’t hesitate to call in the professionals.  

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