The 5 Most Common Causes of Damp in London Homes

London and the South East are the wettest regions of the UK, the nation’s capital sits on a bed of clay that stretches across the city and beyond. This means a lot of water retention and that is a breeding ground for rising damp, which can lead to serious damage to your home. Damp comes in many forms and in this short article, we take a look at some of the common causes of damp and mould that London homeowners must watch out for.

1. Rising Damp – The London property owner’s arch enemy, rising damp comes from the ground and unless you have a good DPC installed, rising damp is inevitable. Of course, every building has a DPC, but it can easily be compromised; ground subsidence and decay can cause the barrier to split and moisture can then attack the structure. It takes a while for the tell-tale signs of rising damp to become apparent and a lot of damage can result by that time. Book an independent damp survey from London Damp Specialists to be 100% sure that your home is free from damp and mould.
2. Leaking Roof – The roof is obviously the most important component of any building and any leak is bad news. A few missing roof tiles are all it takes to allow rainwater to enter the internal roof structure and that will eventually lead to damp attacking the rafters and joists. We recommend regular roof inspections for early detection; our independent damp survey includes a detailed roof inspection, using drones to get a close-up of every square inch of the structure.
3. Compromised masonry, render and mortar – Exterior walls have to stand up to the harsh British climate and water can penetrate building materials and damage the interior walls and timber frames. Tell-tale signs include moss growth and crumbling mortar; when inspecting exterior walls, use a screwdriver to poke the material and also inspect the mastic/silicone seals around doors and windows.
4. Condensation – A frequent occurrence in London homes, condensation occurs when cold surfaces meet warm surfaces. Typically, water droplets form on windows in the winter and in some cases, condensation forms on walls and other hard surfaces. There are numerous causes of condensation; running hot water in the bathroom, cooking and drying damp clothes indoors, all of these are causes of excess water vapour in the air. Creating an airflow throughout the building will dry out the air and this goes a long way towards preventing condensation.
5. Floods – If water rises above the DPC, even by a centimetre, damp can cross the DPC membrane, which will allow moisture to climb the structure. A flash flood might only last a few hours but that is enough to cause serious damage to a building.

If you would like to book an independent damp survey with London Damp Specialists, call 020 7205 4886 or fill in the online booking form on this website and we will be in touch shortly.