5 Top Tips to Prevent Damp & Mould in Your London Home

Many London homeowners are concerned that damp and mould can impact their property; the nation’s capital sits on a bed of clay, known as the Thames Valley Basin and this causes water retention.
Here are a few top strategies to prevent the onset of damp and mould in your London home.

1. Generate ventilation – Creating a positive airflow is one way to prevent damp and mould from forming in your home. This can be achieved by opening a few windows in key locations or you can install a few extractor fans, which can be used to generate strong airflow throughout the interior. When we carry out an independent damp survey, we do a ventilation flow test to accurately determine the level of air movement, which is essential information to help you manage damp.
2. Heating the entire house – Increasing the indoor temperatures dries out the air and mould cannot survive. Of course, energy costs are ridiculously high and no one wants to waste money, but heating all rooms for a few hours per week will go a long way to keeping damp and mould at bay. Don’t think that you are wasting money by doing this, as it is one strategy to prevent moisture from building up inside your home. Of course, you won’t have to do this during the summer months when temperatures are higher.
3. Inspect the damp proof course – Known as DPC in the building trade, every building in the UK would have a layer of DPC installed near ground level. This acts as a moisture barrier and should it be compromised, rising damp is likely to occur. You can see the black DPC is you look closely at the first couple of brickwork courses and it should encompass the entire structure. If the DPC cannot be replaced, a chemical foam can be injected into wall cavities, which helps to keep moisture at bay. Cavity wall insulation makes total sense for London properties for numerous reasons.
4. Regular damp inspections – London Damp Specialists have been inspecting London homes for many years, providing homeowners with accurate data relating to damp, mould and timber rot. Early detection is critical in the battle against damp and mould; many London property owners have their home inspected on an annual basis, which gives them a heads-up if damp is present.
5. Inspect the roof and loft – A leaking roof can cause damp issues and it only takes a single roof tile to lift to allow rainwater to enter the internal roof structure. Damaged fascia and soffit boards let rainwater into the attic and that would cause damage to joists and rafters. An essential aspect of our independent damp survey is the roof and loft inspection and the customer receives a detailed report the day after the survey.

If you even suspect that you might have damp in your London home, don’t hesitate to call London Damp Specialists on 020 7205 4886 or complete the online survey booking form at the bottom of this page.