Toucan Property Maintenance are Damp Proofing Specialists covering Sheffield and it’s surrounding areas. We cater for all of your potential damp problem requirements, keeping your home in top condition.
Moisture control is applied to building walls and floors to prevent moisture from passing into the interior spaces.
Damp problems are one of the most frequent problems encountered in homes throughout South Yorkshire. Almost all buildings and structures that are exposed to the elements will be prone to water ingress at some point in time. If this water ingress is left unchecked and untreated, it can cause severe damage to your property, possibly causing structural failure, and thus leading to major repair costs. Specialist damp proofing products are used for the prevention and control of water ingress into a structure.
Without adequate damp proofing a building or structure will naturally deteriorate due to one or a combination of the following effects:
Whether this water ingress is above or below ground, we are able to protect against or cure these problems:
Rising Damp is caused when moisture from the ground rises up through the walls. This is quite typical of older houses where the original damp proofing course has become broken and failed. Over time, the failed damp course allows moisture from the ground to rise inside your brick work or through the mortar joint that holds your brick work together. This moisture often contains soluble salts that deposit on the surfaces of the walls as they dry out. These salts draw moisture from the atmosphere giving a permanently damp, or wet feeling to the wall.
As damp proofing specialists, our team can inject chemical damp proofing into masonry to create a new damp proof course “DPC,” and stop rising damp. Additionally, damp proofing membranes, waterproofing additives and pre-mixed renders can be applied onto the walls after the new chemical DPC has been inserted.
Rising Damp Within a Wall
Penetrating damp, also known as lateral damp, is a result of water penetrating from the exterior walls of a building and entering a property. Unlike rising damp, penetrating damp can occur at any wall level of the property, even including ceilings, roofs and cellars. Penetrating damp is often the result of leaking pipes within walls or poorly maintained brickwork. These allow easy access for water to penetrate the area.
Chemical damp proofing including silicone water repellents, damp proof paint, and waterproofing membranes, are all forms of damp proofing that externally protect a structure from penetrating water into the substrate of the building.
Condensation mainly occurs when warmer, damp air comes into contact with a cooler surface or cooler air conditions. All air contains a large volume of water vapour and its capacity to do so is related to its temperature – warmer air holds a greater amount of moisture than cooler air. This can generally be seen on cold glass windows after taking a shower or boiling a kettle close by. The excess water left on cooler surfaces such as walls, window surrounds or ceilings can turn to dark mould if left untreated.
Passive ventilation units, heat recovery units and whole house units can be used to alleviate condensation. Also, products to cure mould and protect against future outbreaks are advised by our specialists when viewing a property.
Salt neutralisers and cement additives are used for the protection of internal surfaces against hygroscopic salts.