Is damp a common problem in your locality in London? If yes, then you are among the millions of city residents who have to deal with this problem in their homes. Having said this, a damp problem isn’t always easy to solve. It’s crucial to properly find the causes for the damp problem, in order to eradicate it from your property.
But why do so many London homes have this problem? To answer this question, let’s first understand why it rarely gets fixed by previous property owners and where the root causes arise from, in the first place.
What’s Been Fueling the Rampant Damp Problem in London Homes?
Even though the damp problem can affect just about any type of a home with the right kind of conditions for the damp to spread, there’s a huge bunch of properties that are pre-disposed to developing damp-related issues – “period homes”, or properties over 100 years of age. There’s no dearth of such buildings in London.
Did you know the country has more than a few million homes that belong to the Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian eras? These properties were built in the early 20th century or way prior to that, and a vast majority of them require damp surveys quite way more often and regularly than the relatively newer buildings.
With the government and researchers warning about the ever-increasing amounts of flash floods and heavy rain across the country, the damp problem isn’t expected to get any better for most London residents either. According to a 2016 Shelter survey, 39 per cent (or more) of private renters in the city have had damp or mould problem in their homes.
What types of residences face the most issues with damp?
What Are The Top Causes For Damp Problem in London Homes?
Based on our work experience with conducting countless damp and timber surveys in London, spanning over multiple decades, here are the top 3 causes of damp that we have come across so far.
Lack of Proper Regular Maintenance
Majority of damp problems are caused by poor maintenance of the property, especially the issues like:
- Leaking roofs
- Damaged chimney stack
- Damaged gutters
Basically, if the water or moisture can find a way to penetrate your walls, it will cause damp to build in your home.
Lack of Proper Ventilation
Proper ventilation is highly critical to prevent damp problems from arising. Lack of proper ventilation is a very common problem, especially in London homes that are retrofitted or built to be more airtight. If there’s a moisture buildup in enclosed and windowless spaces, such as basements, or the air circulation isn’t proper in the area right outside of the building walls, it will lead to structural damp.
More often than not, this moisture buildup is caused in London homes by:
- Obstructed or damaged air ducts, vents, or bricks
- Poorly installed energy-efficiency retrofitting
- Overhanging trees
Use of Improper Building Materials
Less commonly noticed in modern homes and contemporary buildings, this problem is found in most older houses, especially the ones from the Edwardian era (or prior to that). Since the buildings were constructed using much different building materials back then, the damp proofing of such a property requires a different approach too.
Final Thoughts
Based on a report published by the LAEC (London Assembly Environment Committee), the solutions are more readily available and inexpensive than what most Londoners would believe. However, the causes of the damp problem are often misdiagnosed by homeowners and even some inexperienced damp surveyors and damp proofing companies in London. This is why it’s crucial to hire the right damp proofing company for the damp survey and damp proofing work.
A well-qualified damp specialist will thoroughly check for even the less obvious (and noticeable) sources of the damp, often discovering underlying problems which you never knew even existed in the first place.
We are a damp proofing company in London that specialises in dealing with all types of residential properties, new and old. Even if the homeowners have been unable to pinpoint the underlying causes of damp in their property, our team of expert damp surveyors is well-trained to check for all the possible factors leading to the damp problem in London homes.
No matter what’s causing the buildup of damp in your property, Damp Proof London is here to help! To correctly determine the causes of damp and finding the most effective solutions to eradicate it from your home, you will need to get an in-depth damp survey completed first.
So, don’t wait for the damp problem to turn into a health hazard! Book a damp survey right away by calling our damp experts on 0203 092 5022.