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What is Penetrating Damp?
Penetrating damp is a type of dampness that occurs when water enters a building from the outside through defects in the building structure, such as cracks in the walls, damaged or missing roof tiles, faulty gutters or downpipes, or defective window or door frames. The water can seep through the walls and cause damp patches, staining and in some cases, mould growth.
What is the relationship between penetrating damp and mould?
When water enters a building through penetrating damp, it can create conditions that are conducive to mould growth. Mould requires moisture, warmth, and a food source to grow, and a damp wall or ceiling provides all three. Mould can grow on any organic material, including timber, plaster, and paint, and can quickly become a widespread problem if not treated promptly. The NHS links damp and mould in the home to respiratory problems including allergies and asthma, and mould can also damage the structural integrity of a building.
What are the signs of penetrating damp?
The signs of penetrating damp can vary depending on the severity and location of the problem, but may include damp or wet patches on walls or ceilings, staining or discolouration of walls or ceilings, peeling wallpaper or paint, a musty or damp smell, or the growth of mould or mildew on surfaces. In more severe cases, penetrating damp can cause structural damage to a building, including rot, decay or even collapse.
How does penetrating damp affect health?
Mould produces spores and mycotoxins commonly reported to cause a range of health problems, including allergies, asthma, respiratory infections, and in some cases more serious conditions such as lung infections or neurological problems. The NHS notes that children, older people and those with underlying health conditions are more vulnerable to the effects of damp and mould. We assess and treat the property. We don't diagnose or treat people - health questions are for your GP.
How to remove penetrating damp?
Removing penetrating damp involves identifying and fixing the source of the water ingress, such as repairing damaged roof tiles, pointing the brickwork, or replacing faulty gutters or downpipes. Once the source of the problem has been addressed, any affected materials should be dried out, and any damaged plaster or paintwork should be replaced. It is also important to treat any mould or mildew that has grown as a result of the penetrating damp to prevent it from spreading and causing further problems.
What to do if you have penetrating damp?
If you suspect that you have penetrating damp in your home, it is important to act quickly to prevent the problem from worsening. You should try to identify the source of the water ingress and carry out any necessary repairs. You should also try to dry out any affected materials and treat any mould or mildew that has grown. If the problem is severe, or if you are unable to identify the source of the water ingress, you should seek professional advice from a building surveyor or a damp specialist.
How does Pure Maintenance treat mould from penetrating damp?
A mould remediation company like Pure Maintenance will start by identifying the source of the water ingress. The repair itself - roofing, guttering, pointing or plumbing - is something we diagnose and refer to the right trade; we don't carry out leak repairs ourselves. Once the source is dealt with, specialist equipment and techniques dry out any affected materials and a mould treatment is applied to help treated surfaces resist regrowth. Mould must be treated in a way that destroys the mould first before it is physically removed. Even if mould is physically removed before it is properly treated, a colony can regrow from a fragment. If mould is not thoroughly treated before being physically disturbed, it can also release millions of spores into your air. It's important that the colony is treated properly, not just the visible parts, before it is disturbed.
When you pay a professional to come in and resolve a mould problem, you expect them to deliver a service that is beyond your own skillset and expertise. You could buy a fungicidal sterilant and wipe or spray it onto a mouldy surface relatively easily. However, professionals know that even bleach does not kill mould. This is a common misunderstanding. Bleach does not penetrate porous surfaces like tile grout, wood or drywall. The roots of the mould (the hyphae) are inside porous materials and bleach cannot reach them. Bleach also contains a high percentage of water, which can actually encourage mould growth. Professionals also know that 95% of mould is invisible and at the point at which you can see mould on a surface, your property is likely saturated with invisible mould spores; on surfaces, in the air and out of sight within and behind walls, floors and furnishings.
What Pure Maintenance UK brings to the table is a way to address these concerns together. Our patented dry fog technology works by treating the airspace as a whole, in a single application. Our first dry fog is a sterilant that treats the airspace and the exposed surfaces the air touches. Our patented dry fogger condenses our sterilant to a smaller droplet size than is possible with ULV technology. This means three things: First, it is unable to condense on surfaces and dwells in the air; reducing the abundance of mould spores and the mycotoxins traditional methods can’t deal with. Second, our dry fog machine creates positive air pressure, meaning the dry fog fills the volume of the sealed treatment room, bringing the sterilant into contact with every exposed surface the air touches. Third, it reaches into the folds and recesses a cloth or spray can't get to. What we claim is reach and contact, not depth - we don't claim to treat inside or behind building materials.
