How to Get Rid of Damp in Your Home

Damp in the home can become a real problem, it can ruin interiors, cause structural damage to walls and wooden floors and pollutes the air with poisonous toxins. Damp is caused by excess moisture in the room, which can be caused by a leak, rising damp or condensation. Damp appears commonly in two forms – rising damp, where water from the ground seeps up the walls, and penetrating damp, where water comes in through the walls. One of the main challenges is knowing how to get rid of damp and how to prevent it from happening again.

It can often make a room look cold, unwelcoming and unkempt, fortunately, getting rid of damp is often an easy task and should not always require professionals. We’ve put together some top tips on how to get rid of damp and how to eradicate the cause:

Identify the Cause

Identifying the cause of damp is the main prevention of damp occurring again. Assess the room and ask yourself: is the room well ventilated? Is it warm? Is there equipment releasing moisture into the room? Once you have discovered what is causing the damp, you can swiftly rectify the issue and hopefully, the damp will stay at bay.

Clean the Area

Once you’ve identified the cause, you can now focus on how to get rid of damp and the resulting mould. It’s important you cover your mouth and nose with a mask and wear protective rubber gloves, as the mould could be harmful. Using a warm soapy cloth, gently wipe the mould from the wall, avoiding scrubbing it as this could release spores. Use a dry cloth to gently pat the area, drying it completely and removing all moisture. Dispose of the rags in a plastic bag.

Apply Solution

One of the most effective ways of preventing rising and penetrating damp is to damp-proof the affected room. Here at Advanced Preservations we can provide a number of services such as the insertion of a damp-proof course injection using silicone creams, applying a layer of damp-proof paint, installing specialist damp-proof membrane, installing surface water drainage systems and many other forms of damp-proofing; head to our damp-proofing page for our full list of services.

Maintain Prevention

Once you have successfully removed the damp and mould, you now need to maintain a healthy supply of air flow throughout the room. If you’re still unsure of how to get rid of damp then there are a number of ways you can be proactive such as keeping a window slightly ajar within the room, ensuring the room is well heated, always cleaning mould as soon as it’s discovered, investing in a dehumidifier if you struggle to keep moisture out and re-applying grout and waterproof sealants around tiles if it has become worn.

If you are still unsure on how to get rid of damp then contact Advanced Preservations on 01252 333 310 or fill out our contact form and we’ll be in touch as soon as possible.