Solving problems with damp walls and ceilings. During the operation of the house, walls and ceilings can get wet, both from the inside and outside of the house, and in some cases, the reason for their moistening lies inside them. With increased humidity of ceilings and walls, the materials from which the enclosing structures are made lose their heat-shielding abilities to a large extent, which does not allow achieving the expected thermal comfort indoors. In addition, a significant deterioration in the microclimate inside the premises can adversely affect the health of their inhabitants.
How can dampness be resisted?
- Most of the troubles associated with the appearance of dampness on walls and ceilings can be avoided if you strictly follow the recommendations of manufacturers of building materials and the approved project when carrying out general construction and finishing work. In this case, it is inappropriate to reduce the cost and “improve” construction technology.
- In addition, it is constantly necessary to ensure that all particularly important places in the ceilings and walls of the house are properly executed, with special care, so as not to give the cold the slightest chance of penetrating into the premises.
- We draw your attention to the fact that during construction work it is necessary to strictly observe technological breaks. So, for example, finishing the surface of a wall or ceiling must be started after the process moisture has completely evaporated from the surface.
- In no case should we forget about the need for a waterproofing layer between the walls of the first floor and the basement walls (or basement), as well as about arranging vertical waterproofing on the walls of the basement.
- It is recommended to carry out internal protection of the floor and walls in rooms most prone to moisture formation – in the laundry room, in the bathroom and in the kitchen.
Along with this, it is necessary to take care of the engineering support systems at home (about installations):
- use only high-quality and certified fittings and pipes,
- do not deviate from the installation technology specified by the manufacturer,
- try to avoid making pipe connections in the walls or in the floor, since it is in these places that there is the greatest likelihood of leaks,
- do not forget about the arrangement of good ventilation in each of the rooms. What factors can lead to dampness of floors and walls?
- The absence or obstruction of the ventilation duct for air to enter the premises, as well as in the presence of installed sealed windows, as a result of which more moisture enters the ceilings and walls than necessary.
- Damaged or improperly made roofing, various types of loose fittings in the area of downpipes and gutters, carelessly made and destroyed tin elements of the roof structure can cause drips on the internal and external walls.
- Leakage or damage to the pipes of the hot water supply and central heating system, laid in partitions, can cause leakage to ceilings and walls.
- Slots and gaps in horizontal insulation, its absence between the walls of the house and the foundation (or basement) can cause the walls to get wet by capillary action. As a result, the walls and floor will not only be damp and cold, but will also become covered with fungus after a while.
- Improper arrangement of walls (its layers) or the use of materials unsuitable for these purposes can cause a decrease in its vapor permeability, and, as a result, its condensation in the thickness of the wall structure, which at low temperatures will lead to the formation of cold bridges.
- Technological humidity of stone walls and reinforced concrete floors that occurs during construction work (brickwork, blocks), which gives off moisture and dries for a long period of time (up to two years).
What critical places exist in ceilings and walls that are most prone to the formation of dampness and moisture?
When building a house, there are such places, during the execution of which various kinds of mistakes are most often made, which subsequently become places for the formation of condensate, and at low temperatures, cold bridges.
- Concrete strapping belt (crown) – places in which the mauerlat or ceiling are supported by the wall. In houses with a single-layer wall construction, they are often left without insulation.
- A lintel is a structural element that looks like a beam and is laid above door or window openings. In order for the jumper not to become a cold bridge, it must be additionally insulated.
- A reinforced concrete balcony, usually having a monolithic structure with an overlap, during its arrangement, the protective layer of thermal insulation is interrupted, which, as a rule, is laid either on the inner or on the outer surface of the wall.
- Door and window openings are most often forgotten to be insulated.
In addition, cold bridges can occur in the following places:
- in single-layer walls – if the laying was carried out not on a thin layer of warm heat-insulating glue, but on a thick layer of ordinary masonry mortar,
- in two- and three-layer walls – if gaps were left in the layer of heat-insulating material,
- in the corners of the outer walls – in these places the walls cool much faster, steam condenses on them, and cold bridges also appear.
How can you effectively get rid of dampness in walls and ceilings?
- First of all, it is necessary to get rid of the cause of moisture formation: eliminate cold bridges, repair drainpipes and gutters, efficiently drain water from the building, provide good ventilation, eliminate leaks in pipelines, redo or restore vertical and horizontal waterproofing.
- After that, it is necessary to dry the floors and walls with high quality. In most cases, good ventilation and heating of the premises is sufficient for this. If these measures are not enough, then you can reduce the humidity of the room with the help of additional heating devices (heat sources). For these purposes, electric blowers or air dryers are best suited. Then they begin to eliminate mold and fungus in the room, otherwise their colonies will continue to multiply.
- The final stage is the restoration of the facing covering of healthy and dry walls.
We hope that our advice will help you quickly detect and eliminate the cause of dampness in walls and ceilings, effectively get rid of it, and also reliably protect your home from its further appearance.