How to solve dampness?

Damp is one of the most common problems in homes – it causes one out of every four building pathologies – and is not just a question of aesthetics, but can even compromise the health of the building itself. However, its solution will depend on its type and origin, as not all damp is the same and cannot be treated in the same way. However, its solution will depend on its typology and origin, as not all damp is the same and cannot be treated in the same way. How to solve damp?

Dampness increases the energy costs of dwellings by up to 30%.

Moisture seepage

Thus, according to experts, there are up to four different types of damp in the home. Among them, one of the most common is damp due to filtration, whether through roofs, balconies, walls or walls. The solution to this problem is waterproofing or, in other words, installing a sheet that prevents liquid water from coming into contact with the floor and wall. These sheets, warns Molins, can be discontinuous, and must be installed by specialised personnel, with the risk of not being well joined.

To prevent this from happening, the ideal solution is to use a liquid waterproofing format that allows a uniform film to be obtained, and which is quick and easy to apply by preparing a substrate when adhered. The most suitable films for this type of damp would be flexible cementitious ones, as they are more versatile, compatible and efficient.

Capillary dampness

Capillary dampness can also arise from the ground, mainly in constructions where the walls have not been properly waterproofed. This can occur in both old and modern buildings, as it is a physical process whereby the water present in the ground comes into contact with the construction and diffuses upwards through the pores of the materials.

This causes a rapid deterioration of the dwellings and an unpleasant aesthetic effect, so the best way to act on the inside will be to stop the rise of water by injecting a barrier into the wall to prevent capillary rise. Also by waterproofing the surface of the wall at least half a metre above the highest point of the level where the damp has reached. On the outside, highly breathable macroporous mortars should be applied on the repaired walls to facilitate the evaporation of damp and prevent deterioration and the appearance of stains on the façade.

Condensation dampness

We can also find damp due to condensation. This arises inside dwellings due to moisture in the form of vapour which, when it comes into contact with the so-called ‘cold wall’, produces a thermal shock that transforms into liquid water, leading to the proliferation of fungi and mosses on the wall and other parts of the building.

One way to avoid them is to balance the temperatures between the outside and inside of the house, for example, by opening the windows. However, the technical solution is to cut the thermal bridge with thermal insulation on the outside to avoid this temperature imbalance and energy waste, and at the same time to save energy consumption, which will be passed on in the electricity bill.

Damp due to accidents

Finally, dampness can appear by accident, such as a burst pipe, something inevitable and circumstantial, whose solution will depend exactly on the origin of the water leak and its repair.

A solution for every moisture problem

Precisely, to put an end to all types of damp, Molins has practical solutions that are easy and simple to apply. Among them is Propam Impe Flex, a flexible liquid waterproofing cement for cases of damp due to filtration or Propam Cal Sec, a macroporous mortar that prevents the deterioration of buildings by facilitating the evaporation of damp due to capillary action.

In the case of condensation humidity, whose solution lies in thermal insulation, Molins has Propam Aisterm Impe, a system that allows this insulation to be carried out from the outside without having to subtract metres from the building or carry out any work on the interior.