To many of us it’s the million pound question that seems like it has so many impossible answers, and yet everyone else seems to tell you it’s simple.
How can they be so sure? Well, they’re either just burying their head in the sand, or they’ve hired a team of experts like the folks here at Advanced Damp.
Before you decide which approach you want to take, let’s talk you through all the basics you need to know.
Then you’ll be in the perfect position to make the right choice first time, every time when it comes to the troublesome world of damp.
Get A FREE Quote Now
Get a no obligation FREE quote now. Our team is here to help. Take the first step towards a guaranteed solution by filling out our form below.
The secret way we know how to get rid of damp
As professional house painters, we encounter the annoyance and stress of damp at plenty of the jobs we undertake.
And we’re also homeowners ourselves, which means we know how easy it is to forget about all the little bits and pieces you need to do to make the house tick over nicely.
Our top tip for getting rid of damp is to be proactive, not reactive. What are we talking about? We’re talking about making sure your home is well ventilated, dry and has plenty of air circulating so you can disperse any buildups of moisture and condensation.
Granted this isn’t something you can do to instantly solve damp problems if it has already taken hold, but it’s still worth doing so the issues never return.
Preventing damp in the first place is simpler than you might think. Opening your windows at least once a day, particularly when it’s a little chilly and damp outside, will allow moisture that’s built up inside to leave.
You’ll also want to do simple daily things like boil your pans with lids on and make sure to turn on the extractor fan in the kitchen at the start of your meal prep.
It may sound like a small thing at the time, and that’s the point — these things have a habit of building up much quicker than you might think.
Disperse the moisture little and often and you’ll be saving yourself all manner of headaches, costs and stress in the near future.
Now that we’ve covered the basics of prevention, let’s move over to the cure.
How to get rid of damp in the bathroom
We thought we’d start in the wettest, and often smallest, room in the house for a very good reason: it’s one of the main places for damp to break out and start causing havoc.
One of the first signs of damp in the bathroom is water running down the walls, soon there’s black mould growing in the silicone sealant and eventually you’ll have crumbling plaster.
Obviously no one wants that so we want to give you a few simple things to check and put into place:
- Leaving your windows open overnight will allow all of that nice warm steam from your long soak in the tub to go outside away from your precious paintwork. Start making it a daily habit and you’ll be able to make some progress before you know it
- Next up, get an electrician round to check that your extractor fan is working correctly. In the meantime, you’ll want to reach for your hoover’s crevice attachment and give the grate a good clear out
- Consider adding a dehumidifier to your bathroom that you can run when you’re not in the bath. Have it going as long as you feel is necessary, taking care to empty the water container periodically, and you’ll be sucking moisture directly out of the air
Now, you’ve read this far, you’re convinced your bathroom is fine, and yet the rest of the house is losing the battle against damp. Don’t worry, we have you covered there too.
If you know how to get rid of damp, what’s your next step?
In our day job as house painters we come across peeling wallpaper, washed out paint and mould which tarnishes even the most luxurious finish in no time at all.
The problem here is that it’s all too tempting to try and paint over the tarnished surfaces and have them looking as good as new in a couple of afternoons.
Of course they’re going to look great, but it certainly won’t last folks. Before you know it the damp will have penetrated your new finish and all that time, money and effort will have been for nothing.
If it were up to us, the first thing we would do to get rid of damp is to dry the place out as thoroughly as possible.
It’s one of those steps that feels like you’re going backwards at times because the aesthetics seem further away than ever, but it’s the only way to get the perfect foundation you need.
Get all the basics sorted like better ventilation by opening your windows, and dryer air thanks to a dehumidifier, and periodically survey the state of your walls.
A handheld damp meter is one of the tools of our trade and something our skilled painters can perform for you.
After all, if your walls are too damp, we certainly don’t want to charge you for work we know for a fact simply won’t last.
Get A FREE Quote Now
Get a no obligation FREE quote now. Our team is here to help. Take the first step towards a guaranteed solution by filling out our form below.
Next steps for banishing damp once and for all
Taking existing wallpaper off so you strip your walls back to bare plaster is one approach that is often necessary with more severe cases of damp.
You may feel like you’re going backwards, but if you don’t do this step, you’ll never be able to apply the paint or paper you want — it’s bound to keep peeling and flaking off.
In more extreme cases your damp issues might be caused by something called ‘rising damp’ where the unwanted moisture is being sucked up through the foundations, causing your walls to effectively act like giant sponges.
In this case, a skilled local builder will be able to advise you on the best course of action.
Try not to lose your patience or get stressed by some of the horror stories you’ll find online. Make your first step a quick message to the experts here at Advanced Damp and we’ll guide you through everything you need to know.
