Suffering from a damp ground floor?

Do you suffer from moisture in the ground floor? You're not alone: in Flanders many ground floors suffer from moisture problems such as condensation, ventilation problems, rising damp, damp floor, leaks or a musty smell.

Recognise moisture on the ground floor

A ground floor is an important place in your home. It is the place where you live, cook, do your laundry and pee or where you might do your hobbies. In other words, the ground floor is a place where you should like to be and where you'd rather not be moisture problems have.

An ideal humidity level for a ground floor is between 40% and 60%. Is the value greater than that? Then chances are that sooner or later you will experience humidity spots and problems. You can usually recognise an excessively damp ground floor by the following symptoms:

• Coloured stains on the wall
• Mould spots
• Loose paintwork, wallpaper or grouting
• A musty and unpleasant smell
• Dripping on windows and walls
• …

If you notice these issues in your ground floor, it's a good idea to get a moisture expert enable

Consequences of a damp ground floor

If you notice the previous signs in your downstairs but do not intervene, it can lead to all sorts of negative consequences. We list the most important ones:

Causes of an excessively damp ground floor and their solutions

There are several reasons for ground floor dampness, each with its own approach. It is recommended to have a moisture expert in order to determine the exact cause. Once the exact cause is known, a proper solution provided. The most common causes are:

1. Condensation moisture

Condensation moisture is a common cause of damp ground floors, as condensation is often caused by human actions. Think, for instance, of residents breathing or perspiring. Drying laundry or mopping can also lead to increased humidity. In addition thermal bridges be the culprit.

The ideal solution to condensation moisture is to make your ground floor as good as possible ventilate. This can be done by taking action yourself, but also a mechanical ventilation system can help you with this.

2. Rising damp

Also rising damp can lead to moisture on the ground floor. This occurs when there is a problem with or lack of the water barrier, causing groundwater moisture to penetrate the walls of the ground floor.

Rising damp is best tackled professionally by having injecting your walls. Then specialists drill holes in the damp walls to inject them with a damp-proof product.

3. Penetrating moisture

Finally, penetrating moisture to the cause of a damp ground floor. This is moisture that penetrates through the outside of the house due to (heavy) precipitation and seeps through the interior walls.

Penetrating moisture in the ground floor is best combated through facade impregnation, in which a transparent but waterproof layer is applied to the façade.