What are the consequences of damp in the house?

Damp in the house can come in 3 different ways; rising damp, penetrating damp and condensation. The consequences of these problems are often greater than many people think. From a high energy bill to a huge dust mite population, the problems go from bad to worse. For a healthy living environment it is important that the house is dry. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in many homes. Damp in the home is never good. Water in the wall can cause serious damage to the home and long-term damp problems can affect your health and that of your family members. Of course some mould in the house is not always preventable. Think of everyday moisture that is released during showering or cooking. While this is normal moisture created by daily activities, you should always deal with serious damp problems that affect the home. Letting any damp problem take its course always leads to aggravation of the problems. It is therefore important to combat the damp in the house or to remove the damp from the house through an expert in damp control.

Health risks in relation to relative humidity.

A stable relative humidity circa 50% in your home is important for maintaining a healthy living environment. Damp problems in the house directly affect the respiratory tract and are therefore very bad for your health. High relative humidity affects health in the following ways:

• Maximum infection by bacteria worsens from 0-30%, to 60-100%
• Maximum infection by viruses worsens from 0-50%, to 70-100%
• The fungus growth increases from 60% – 100%
• The number of house dust mites increases 50% – 100%
• Chemical reactions increase 50% – 100%

Besides the fact that fungi develop in the house, you also have to deal with pests, which can come in different forms. With a relative humidity of 80%, which is quite common for houses in the UK, the dust mite reaches its maximum number.

Musty smell or stench in the house.

The signals of high humidity in the house are not only visible on the floor or on the walls. But often you can also smell that something is not right. The air you smell is a pungent stale smell. Usually this reminds you of an old cellar. Do you smell and notice a musty smell in your home? Then we advise you to have something done about it fairly quickly. Not only is the musty air not pleasant, but it also gets into your clothes and furniture. That’s something you definitely don’t want.

Call in a damp control specialist

Are you unsure whether there is a damp problem in your home? Are various signals visible? Then it is certainly important to call in a damp specialist to find the actual cause. The signals that are mentioned only arise when the humidity is too high. You cannot solve damp problems by quickly opening a window and having the house ventilated. Therefore, call in a specialist in the field of damp control . This way you prevent damage to the home and you can prevent those annoying health complaints. The SmartDry method is durable and ensures that all excess moisture is removed from the house. Want to know more? Feel free to contact us or book a free damp assessment.