The Unexpected Difficulties Of Damp In Your Household
We all think we know what dampness can do to a household. It can rot the walls, it smells awful, can lead to mold, and may even strip the paintwork around it. For that reason, if you notice damp, it’s important to address it as capably as you can. That might even require reapplying the drywall or cutting out sections for replacement.
But of course, if we’re to address an issue, it’s important to know all of the consequences it might have caused. That’s not because you’re lacking in motivation to care for your household, rather that if you’re returning after some time, or if an issue has gone undetected for a while, it’s good to know what the second and third-order consequences of this could have bene. That way, you can treat the entire issue at once.
With that in mind, consider this:
Damage to Electrics & Wiring
Moisture and electricity are never a good mix, which means if the damp has spread through the walls where wiring is housed, it could lead to problems that don’t show up until you’ve got flickering lights or sockets that occasionally stop working. That’s where having an electrician check out your wiring is essential, especially in more severe cases where you may experienced tripped circuits, shorted out appliances, or cause safety concerns around fire risk.
Moreover, wiring that’s been exposed to water for a long time often needs to be replaced, even if it looks alright on the surface. It’s good to be thorough, because this is absolutely a safety issue, not just an inconvenience.
Potential For Pest Infestation
Damp environments are lovely breeding grounds for pests, and especially insects like silverfish, termites, and rodents that look cute, but still aren’t welcome. Unfortunately, these can sometimes often go unnoticed until they’ve made themselves at home, and they rarely help out with household chores or pay you rent either. If you’ve got continual dampness in certain areas, it might not just be the structure that’s at risk. Small creatures can burrow into the wood and enjoy eating away at it, or they might find easy access to the insulation behind your walls. All of that adds a big question mark to your household maintenance capabilities.
The moisture also tends to attract things like mold mites, which can be unpleasant to deal with putting it mildly. If you’ve noticed an increase in creepy crawlies around the damp spots, it’s a good sign to act quickly and address both the moisture and the potential infestation simultaneously.
Impacts On Insulation & Energy Efficiency
This rarely gets brought up, but damp can often impact our insulation, because when they’re wet and rotting, your walls lose their ability to properly manage temperature, which means your heating or cooling systems may end up working overtime to keep things comfortable, and you’ll lose money from heating.
Moreover, if water has seeped into your insulation, it can lose its efficiency completely. This not only leads to an uncomfortable environment but might also significantly increase your energy bills. It can stop cooling in the summer too. Damp insulation often needs to be replaced, which could mean tearing out parts of your wall to get to it. It’s a good reminder that keeping on top of moisture problems is just as much about maintaining comfort and energy efficiency as it is about mold or any other immediate and obvious impacts.
With this advice, you’ll be certain to manage the effects of dampness in your home, knowing what all the risks are about.
