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Why There Is Damp In Your Home?

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Having damp in your property is a serious problem and one that most people underestimate. While it might not seem like the end of the world to have moisture on your windows in the morning, this can actually be a sign of much more severe problems and can lead to a number of other issues. Here we will look at why there might be damp in your home, where it comes from and what you can do about it.

Cold

One of the biggest causes of dampness in the home is cold. While the cold doesn’t actually attract moisture as such, it can cause it to condense in the air thus meaning that a slightly damp atmosphere can become wet walls and windows. In this form the moisture is much more noticeable and much more likely to cause problems – and it can quickly become a vicious cycle too as the moisture on the walls and windows begins to ‘steel’ heat energy from your property in a bid to evaporate.

If you want to reduce moisture in your home then, one of the most important things to do is to make sure that you are using your heating properly and not trying to save money by leaving it off for too long.

Integrity

The integrity of your property can also be the cause of moisture problems, and there are many ways that dampness can get in from outdoors. For instance, if you have a leak or some kind of seepage in any of the walls or ceilings, then this can of course allow water to directly enter your rooms where it can begin to cause damage.

If you have any such problems, then the best thing to do is to use a waterproofing service which will help you to stop such leaks and seepage. Note as well that certain aspects of your property might be making it more likely to develop leaks – for instance a flat roof can encourage water to collect and pool which can then create a lot of weight. Likewise single glazing is less effective at keeping out cold and water.

Steam

Not all the moisture in your property is necessarily coming from outside though – some of it may be coming from indoors and from the way that you are living. If you often have hot baths and showers for instance and don’t then open the windows or run an extractor fan, the steam created can settle all around your property.

Likewise you can also generate steam in a number of other ways – whether that’s boiling the kettle or even just breathing. This is why it’s so important to occasionally open the windows in order to allow your property to ‘air’. As you get some movement in the air you will find it helps to clear moist patches that form in ‘air pockets’, and that it prevents the formation of mould as well.

Make these changes and you should find that you start living in a drier property. If this doesn’t help, add a dehumidifier and consider calling in the experts.

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Daniel Lorenzo is a freelance writer and blogs about a number of home improvement techniques. He writes on behalf of City Wide Group, a leading waterproofing company and suggests that they are the most reliable companies in the field.  He likes to take part in different sports activities like football and rugby.

5 Home Repairs You Must Make Before Next Winter Strikes

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 Winter has nearly disappeared and it won’t be back for a long time. That means you can concentrate on getting ready for summer. You want your home to be beautiful, but first you have to do something. When the cold weather was here it’s possible it could have damaged your home. Especially if you had lots of snow and heavy storms. It’s better to fix the faults soon so you can forget about them and your home will be safe next winter.

It’s entirely up to you if you want to do it, but just remember if there is damage there it could get a lot worse next winter. If anymore damage is caused it could multiply the price of the repairs. Before you do anything you will obviously need to know what could have gone wrong because you might not be able to see anything from where you’re standing. Here are a few of the big ones you need to have checked so you can put your mind at ease.

Seal your driveway

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Go outside and have a look at the ground. You should be looking for any cracks that appear in the driveway. The good news is that cracks don’t mean it’s falling apart, but the bad news is that it needs to be resealed. Think about all that water that would have got into the cracks during winter. Because it was so cold the water would have turned to ice and it makes the cracks worse. If you don’t get them fixed now the cracks will get even bigger next winter and the drive could fall apart.

Fix your roof

tuiles givrées / frosty tiles

The roof must be checked because anything could have happened to it and you would never know. If it’s not rained heavily since winter you would not know if a large section of your roof had been destroyed. If tiles have cracked or fallen out it’s now going to be easy for the rain to get inside and do even more damage. It’s a good idea to get someone out straight away so they can give the roof a once over.

Clean up inside

If anything did happen to your roof you can’t just stick some new tiles on and forget about it. You need to go and look at the damage inside your attic because anything could have happened. Maybe there is a huge puddle of water that needs to be dried up straight away. You don’t want mold growing inside your home and that can happen when there is enough moisture. Take up a huge cloth and make sure all the water is soaked up.

Deal with the fence

all roads lead to home

When the wind is strong enough it’s hard for your fence not to have suffered any damage if it’s old. That isn’t to say the wind would have ripped it out of the ground, but it could have broken it in some places. You must go and check, especially if you have any pets that run around the garden because it’s easier for them to escape. You also want to secure the fence in case it falls down in the future and lands on someone.

Unclog the gutters

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You won’t want to do this on your own because the smell will give you nightmares, but all the crap needs to be taken out of the guttering because if it’s not kept clean you will eventually pay the price. It will be full of leaves and everything else that somehow ends up there and it doesn’t let water get away. You might have survived this winter without having it cleaned out, but make sure you don’t get into next winter without them being empty. They could fall down when blocked water freezes up and it becomes very heavy.

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Lance Abraham is an interior designer by profession and is an integral part of the top brass of Baybrook remodeller Inc which is a leading company providing replacement windows in CT.  He has vast knowledge in this field and shares his thoughts with people on his blog.

Zip it Up–Top Tips to Protect Your Plants from Winter’s Cold

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With winter at its peak, you’ve probably never thought of tending to your garden. However, keep in mind that the cold temperatures this season brings can be difficult on your plants. So to make sure that they’ll make it through the winter, it’s never to late to zip them up so that they can brave the cold. You can also do other gardening chores this season that will ensure you’ll have a healthy garden as spring approaches. Here are some of the best tips to accomplish such things.


Around the garden

If there are remaining potted plants outside, wheel them in a sun room, shed, greenhouse or garage. Although they may not be at their best indoors since they won’t be receiving sufficient sunlight, the shade will ensure that they’ll make it long enough to survive through the winter.

Don’t forget to rake around your garden for fallen leaves because if you leave them be, they can cause heavy damage and may even serve as a breeding ground for diseases come spring time. Likewise, it might be the worse chore for winter, but you still need to do some weeding since weeds don’t take vacations. Most weeds are undergoing their flowering and seeding stages during winter, so before they spread their seeds, uproot them to save yourself from future weeding.

Trees and Shrubs

For your trees and shrubs, it’s all about covering them up against the cold and pruning. If snow has built up on the branches of the trees, make sure it doesn’t turn into ice by knocking it off from the branches using an upward motion to prevent the limbs from breaking. After you’ve done this, you can prune most of the shrubs and deciduous shade trees around your garden, but avoid pruning flowering trees.

Check around if there are newly planted trees, especially those with thin barks, and shrubs that you forgot to wrap. If there are, cover their trunks from the base up to keep moisture at bay. Then, build wind breaks around trees and shrubs that are not protected. Position poles on the ground, making two sides of a triangle. The triangle’s tip should be positioned on the spot that receives the most wind. Then attach a burlap or cloth around the posts, but make sure that it doesn’t touch the leafy parts. This will protect the trees and shrubs from freezing.

Indoor plants

Although your houseplants may not be totally exposed to the perils of winter, they still require special attention so that they will not succumb to the cold. Hence, check all of your plants for pests or diseases. If some of them are affected, treat them with organic products to prevent the pests or diseases from spreading.

When watering the houseplants, do it minimally. The water should just be enough to saturate the soil and drain through the container holes. Make sure not to over water the plants, or else they’ll end up soaking in standing water that can damage their roots. Also, take the time to turn plants every other week so that all the foliage will receive sufficient sunlight. And during extremely cold nights, draw down the curtains or blinds to protect the plants on your windowsills against the cold.

This guest post was penned by Ericka for http://www.steelbuildingsdesign.co.uk/. Ericka is passionate about learning and sharing information about gardening. She is also fond of writing articles about home improvement.

I’m freezing!

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Brrr It’s getting cold! I’m absolutely freezing right now!

Actually I don’t think I can really complain as we’re having a much warmer than normal winter here in Toronto than normal. They were actually saying on the news today that we might break a record for warmest January since the 1930’s or 1940’s!

I can’t complain about snow either. I think it’s only snowed three or four times – snow that stayed on the ground for a few hours or a day or more I mean – or that had to be shoveled.

Still … right now .. I’m freezing … I’m eying some american eagle flannel shirts and seriously considering buying them and having them shipped next day. LOL Of course I could also just wrap myself up in my snuggie and see if I warm up that way too. Yeah .. that might work.

So what kind of winter are you having? Is it warmer than normal in your area too or is it cold and snowy?

Waiting for Spring to warm up

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I can’t believe how much rain we’ve been getting here in Toronto. It seems that every time I try to go outside with the dog it starts pouring! Oh and our dog is a Lab .. a dog that traditionally loves water, but for some reason not rain drops. Uh huh … strange dog.

When we come back inside she goes to her crate where we keep a folded towel and she jumps up to stand at the side of the crate to look at it, indicating to me that she wants me to get the towel to dry her off … even if she’s not really all that wet because really she just wants to play with the towel. My dog is just too smart.

It’s been raining so much or other wise so miserable for the last few days that we really haven’t been out as much as we normally are. I took advantage of a break in the rain this afternoon and took the dog out for a long walk. While I was out I ran into one of my neighbors, a lady who just loves my dog and always stops to pet her and gives her a treat every time she sees her, and I guess she’s working from home these days. She told me she was just taking a break from working on her computer. She was busy trying to install inetsoft performance management software for her company and then it was back to work for her.

It seems more and more of my neighbors are working from home. I’ve worked from home (being sick on medical leave) for five years but when I first started blogging and doing some work from home I was the only one in the neighborhood that I know of working from home … now just about every house seems to have a person staying home doing work.

Anyway … I’m hoping that the rain will stop soon and Spring will start to warm up to normal temps. It’s been cold, wet and just kind of miserable. How has it been in your area?

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