Do you have humidity problems and would like an expert opinion?
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The different causes of humidity..
Do you have humidity problems and would like an expert opinion?
Contact us without obligation!
Do you have humidity problems and would like an expert opinion?
Contact us without obligation!
#humidityfromthefoundations
The proximity of the water table, the passage of underground water courses, the presence of springs, broken channels, absorbent soils and above all acid rain (which forms sulphates and nitrates which expand up to 14 times their volume) , create enormous pressures which cause the disintegration of plasters and paints.
In the case of non-breathable waterproof finishes, the crystals form invisibly within the wall (subefflorescence) and visibly on the surface (so-called saltpetre).
All these causes mean that in the absence of isolated foundations there is the risk of capillary rise.
It is the most harmful form of humidity, as it contributes to making homes unhealthy and threatens their solidity by affecting their foundations.
Water rises in the masonry due to the presence of capillary vessels.
By physical principle, the consequent adhesion force between water and capillary walls prevails over the surface tension of the water, and the equilibrium is higher than the hydrostatic level.
We therefore have the well-known hollow meniscus inside the capillaries.
In the case of restoration of old buildings, priority must be given to the capillary rise, without whose treatment a real improvement in the comfort of the home cannot be achieved.
The biggest and most common mistake that is made in the presence of rising damp is to consider the phenomenon as a simple passage of only water from the ground through the wall, which can therefore be resolved with a simple re-plastering (possibly aerated and hydrophobic), not considering so that the rising water is a solution of salts, more or less concentrated, which are formed due to acid rain.
An important factor, in case of capillary rise, is the decrease in thermal insulation:
a damp wall loses up to 80% of its resistance to the passage of heat.
In the case of renovating a property, the elimination of rising damp is the first intervention to be carried out, especially in preparation for a thermal insulation project; otherwise the humidity would rise and greatly worsen the condition of the internal walls, nullifying their effectiveness.
In addition to a problem of rising damp, there is the humidity that the retaining walls can absorb due to a lack of external waterproofing or damage to it.
Also in this case it is necessary to restore the masonry with suitable systems in order to avoid the crumbling of paint and plaster as well as the continuous evaporation of humidity in the rooms.
In many cases, to renovate an underground room it is still necessary to block its rise because they are often connected.
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#humidityfromtheoutside
When rain wets a façade made of exposed brick, concrete, exposed stone and cement or lime plaster, and in any case in all cases of porous and absorbent materials, it penetrates more or less deeply causing these inconveniences:
• Slow and progressive deterioration of the support
• Risk of cracking due to freeze-thaw periods
• Formation of whitish spots due to salts present in rainwater (acid rain)
• Persistent traces of dark damp patches
• Mold formations
• Detachment of coverings
• Significant reduction in the insulating power of the wall: the thermal conductivity can be greater than 25 times compared to the dry surface
Treatment with external water-repellent impregnating products gives facades of any type the characteristic of not allowing water to penetrate the pores and not causing the alterations described above.
The duration of these treatments depends on their more or less high quality chemical composition.
The peculiar characteristics are the protection permeable to water vapor and the respect for the integrity of the treated material, without there being chromatic alterations.
Find out how we can protect your home from rain, request a no-obligation INSPECTION
#humidityfrominside
Moisture attack from the inside is the least visible form. In these cases, the water appears in the form of vapor and can only be detected when it comes into contact with a cold wall. A cold wall can be due to the presence of humidity (both from rising and from outside), due to poor thickness and therefore lack of insulation, due to the difference in temperature between inside and outside, and due to poor ventilation of the rooms.
In practice, the so-called dew point, i.e. the change of state from gaseous vapor to liquid water, occurs not inside the structure but on the surface (Glaser diagram).
The inconveniences caused are:
formation of surface mold, unpleasant odor, possibility of attack on clothing and furniture as well as causing discomfort for those who live in those environments.
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