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.
