How to locate Dampness

Dampness is a silent killer. It attacks in the most unsuspecting ways. It usually shows up with conspicuous signs and symptoms such as water leaking through your wooden floor or foul smell of rotting wood. So, before you actually figure it out that dampness is affecting your home, it has already eaten up a majority portion of your wall.

One of the biggest causes of dampness is a poorly ventilated house. Wooden structures and houses require a constant flow of air so that they can breathe in and out. If the flow of fresh air is disrupted it will result in moisture build up inside the house and will ultimately cause dampness. So you need to properly ventilate your house.

Dampness spreads fast and therefore it is very important to look for early signs and symptoms of dampness. But how you are going to locate it? In this blog we will tell you how to identify the telltale signs and symptoms of dampness.

Moisture Accumulation

Window panes covered with steam, stripping wallpapers, water droplets making its way through the walls and the accumulating patch of mildew are some obvious signs of dampness in wood. These can be avoided by providing proper ventilation to your room, using non-porous paints, or by using waterproof plywood like Marine Grade plywood during construction.

Rising Dampness

Wet patches in the wooden walls and furniture are signs that water has already begun to creep through the wooden surface. This rising dampness can seriously affect wooden structure. If left untreated, this rising moisture will eventually eat up your wooden furniture or walls. So, you need to keep an eye on areas that are vulnerable, particularly window sills and the outside edges of the doors. To counter this, damp proof your walls so that there isn’t any kind of moisture. Waterproofing your furniture can be a good option or you can always use waterproof plywood like Marine Grade Plywood for your house and furniture.

Leakage

Leakages can be easily spotted and can be treated on an immediate basis; however, there can be small leakages that might get unnoticed. What you need to do is look for patches of water or drippings from places where they should not occur such as walls, roofs or decks. The areas around wash basins and pipelines are some of the obvious places to look for. To treat this, check on to your pipe works regularly.

Watch for these signs and symptoms of dampness and find out the root cause behind it. Once you have figured it out, fix the problem and take proper preventive measures otherwise dampness might turn into a much bigger problem than you have ever imagined.