Added Protection Against Damp

Thanks to the UK’s somewhat changeable weather, many home and building owners suffer from the damage that damp can cause to their property. Even the most sound of properties can cause problems to their owners over time and many homes and buildings throughout the UK cause their owners to spend thousands of pounds in trying to fix the damage this can cause.

Although some moisture in a property is not only to be expected but is also necessary, problems can be caused when this damp is allowed to penetrate. Penetrating damp can be caused by any number of reasons such as poor guttering, roofing and windows which fail to seal property but the majority of problems are caused by wear and tear to the bricks, mortar and any existing wall coatings.

For this reason, many homeowners look towards protective wall coatings to add a further layer of protection to their home in the fight against penetrating damp.

The Problem with Damp

The biggest problem for many homeowners with damp is that they can cause long lasting and significant damage to the property in question. In addition to the way that damp makes a room look and smell, the structural damage can be significant. Although damp is reversible, it is not easy to fix and once it sets in, it can have major consequences for the homeowner who may find that in addition to fixing the actual problem, has difficulty in raising a mortgage or securing any borrowing on the property because of the risk it represents to a money lender.

The Cause of Damp

Penetrating damp is most commonly caused when rain water and natural moisture in the air is absorbed by the outer layer of the wall which is often porous. Once it has been absorbed through, it displays as a wet patch on the inside of the room in question, often as a black or dark mark.

Although all bricks must be porous in order to allow for the escape of moisture from the home and to result in a clean and warm atmosphere inside the home, over time, bricks become more porous and as such are more susceptible to long term damage from damp.

Further problems are caused when existing wall coatings such as older renders or stucco are allowed to dilapidate and allow the moisture to be drawn in through them.

The Solution

For this prevention and treatment of penetrating damp, many of the installers of protective wall coatings take a variety of special measures when applying their wall coating to ensure that they provide a breathable yet unyielding surface against damp.

Silicone is an ingredient in many modern protective wall coverings and provides an insulating and water proof layer for the property which allows for the escape of moisture but in a single direction, meaning that rain is unable to penetrate into the home. Furthermore, this silicone provides a water proof base which repels surface water and prevents it from sitting on the surface of the building.