Whether your garage is new or old, damp is something that many home owners struggle with in their property. There many reasons why there maybe damp, and a number of solutions that you can take to tackle it. There are three main types of damp that occur:
Rising damp – This is usually visible as damp on lower parts of the wall or floor, and is typically caused by moisture rising from the ground.
Penetrating damp – This can occur in any part of the garage. Penetrating damp is usually due to damage in waterproofing in a specific area, such as damaged guttering, which leads to damp.
Condensation – Caused by moisture in the air settling onto cold environments. Condensation is usually prevalent in environments with sub-par ventilation.
If you notice damp in your garage, the first thing to do is to try and identify its cause. Damp is often more of an issue in the colder months, and different types of damp are generally more common in certain types of spaces.
Rising damp
If you notice that damp is rising from the floor or notice that parts of your flooring appears damp, or if you see mould forming, then this is most likely due to rising damp. Though it may be more visible in the winter months, rising damp never usually dries out completely during the summer months and remedying it should be on top of your home maintenance jobs-to-do.
In newer properties, flooring is usually protected by both a waterproof barrier and membrane under the flooring, so if you have a modern property with this kind of damp then this is most likely due to a tear in this layer.
If you have an older property it may not have sufficient waterproofing in the flooring, and you may need to consider calling a professional to install it to avoid damp. If the damp has not spread up the wall and is instead just visible in parts of the floor, then you could coat the flooring in a bitumen latex waterproofing emulsion.
Penetrating damp
If you notice that damp is more prevalent in a particular spot then this may be a form of penetrating damp. There can be a number of reasons why you may experience this, but the most common reasons are due to either insufficient or damaged waterproofing at some part of your building.
Broken guttering, missing tiles and even bricks losing their waterproof coatings are all things that can cause damp, so treating it is usually a case of identifying the weakness in your garage’s design and finding a new waterproof solution. Corners and joins are particularly common areas for damp.
If you have an older garage and find that there are multiple areas that damp seems to be appearing from, or if you are unable to find a source, then you may want to call a professional to treat your garage. Other smaller issues with damp can be remedied by fixing the damaged area in question or by using waterproofing sealant.
Condensation
Evaporated moisture can cause damp to be a big issue in garages, especially when it is kept locked up for extended periods of time. When humid air settles on a cold surface it cools and condenses, and this can cause damage in areas of garages, particularly, corners, roofs and windows.
Condensation is one of the main causes of damp, particularly in modern buildings, and usually indicates that ventilation in the garage needs improving.
Installing an extractor fan or airing your garage out regularly could greatly reduce the amounts of damp you experience.
Windows are a particular problem areas for garages, as they are thinner and get colder. Better ventilation may help this too, but if the problem persists and you regularly find moisture on your windows, then you may want to invest in double glazing.
