We have some pretty severe winter weather in the UK, and every year it seems to get worse – more rain, more wind, more frost and floods. Our properties, especially the older Victorian, Edwardian, or Georgian London homes, weren’t built with these conditions in mind, and therefore can suffer terribly throughout the darker months.
In order to maintain the integrity, and interior comfort, of these buildings, it is crucial to keep them dry and damp free; that way, we can all enjoy many merry festive seasons for years to come!
Rising Damp
One of the biggest problems that the winter weather can cause is rising damp. Rainfall can saturate the ground around your property, causing the water table to rise. This sends more moisture up into your foundations and walls. Ensure you have a suitable damp proof course in place or an alternative which will stop this moisture from rising into walls and causing damage.
Another way to prevent this rising damp is to ensure that the drainage is suitable, and blockage free. You want the land to slope gently so that water can flow away rather than gathering around the base of the property; the current trend for paving over front gardens to create additional parking can contribute greatly to rising damp. Ground drainage systems need to be put in place to prevent this from becoming an issue.
Condensation
During winter, we are much more likely to switch on the heating, especially if temperatures drop below zero (or 20 degrees, in my case!), and cooking all those healthy warming stews, and soups, adds to the internal temperature too. Warming the property means that there will be more heat in the air and because it has nowhere to go, condensation can form. In other seasons this is much easier to control because you can open the windows and allow cool air to circulate. In winter, you won’t want to do this because of the cold outside.
If your home is prone to excessive condensation, call London Damp Proofing Company for free and impartial advice before winter sets in.
Mould
Both rising damp and condensation can quickly lead to the appearance of mould – black speckles on walls, pipe work, or windows are a dead give away.
Mould is a problem which affects properties everywhere, and its presence in your home can even cause or aggravate significant health issues. From skin problems including eczema and dermatitis to breathing difficulties like asthma, or bronchitis, mould can cause discomfort and even illness to you and your family.
To permanently fix your mould problem, you need to find the source of moisture in your home. Most types of mould grow where there is a water source of some kind, so eliminating rising damp, condensation or any other sources of dampness, is the key to spending a happy, healthy winter.
