What Causes Damp Walls?

Last Updated 7 months ago by Kenya Engineer

Dampness is gradually becoming a major concern for many house owners and tenants. It has marred the beauty of houses and made some edifices unpleasant to watch.

Common effects of dampness include; Plaster and paint can deteriorate and wallpapers tend to loosen. A visible stain and bubble-like surfaces often appears on the wall. The nuisances of dampness begs to question how and why it occurs. The propellers of dampness transcend the popular belief of water rising from the soil. There’re many houses that have DPM yet, dampness occurs.

INSUFFICIENT DAMP PROOFING

The number one common cause of damp walls is the absence of a damp proof membrane/course, or the insufficient presence of one. If you never used DPM, then you need not to be surprised seeing what you’re seeing. Others use the normal polythene as Damp proof membrane, and even before the building is completed, the rubbers are damaged. Use quality and approved DPC/DPM

EXTERNAL GROUND ABOVE POLYTHENE LAYER

Sometimes we fill the surroundings of our house to create room for lawns, or bury pvc pipes. In so doing, we fill the outside environment above the joint where the DPM was installed. But the essence of fixing DPM is to create a barrier between soil moisture and the blocks. So, filling the surroundings above the polythene layer will serve as a conduit for Water to easily enter the walls, defying the whole purpose of fixing DPM.

It’s just like mounting a police barrier on the highway and creating bypass for drivers. Everyone will escape the checkpoint. This is one of the reasons why we advise you to elevate your footings. Let your foot be visibly above the ground. Stop making dwarf footings.

PLASTERING

Many of us plaster both interior and exterior walls the same way. But you need to know that, plastering itself can become an accomplice for dampness. When the “normal” mortar plastering goes down into the soil, it absorbs and transfer moisture. To avoid that, add Damp Proof Agents to the mortar and plaster the bases (just few feats above) of the exterior walls. When it reaches an appreciable height, then you continue with the ordinary mortar.

POOR ROOFING

If your roofing system was/is poorly designed, you’re likely to experience dampness in your home. This is more common in homes that have slab roofs. Improper slopes in the slab can cause stagnation of water. For hip roofs, when rain water from the roof hits your walls, you’ll have a problem. You’re advised to fix rain gutters.

PLUMBING ISSUES

You might be thinking that a small drip isn’t significant, however, even the tiniest leakage can cause big damage. Specifically for those who plant pvc pipes in their walls without proper supervision. When there’s leakage, your walls will communicate to you.

SOAK AWAY AND LEAKING GUTTERS

Leaking gutters can lead to damp walls. Check the directional flow of your septic tank’s soak away. They’re mostly a good supplier of moisture, and it can feed your building with more than enough water to cause dampness.