Unique in Flanders: have your basement poured with ceramic tiles
Unique in Flanders: have your basement poured with ceramic tiles
When soil moisture enters your basement, problems such as a damp basement floor, damp basement walls, musty odours and fungi. You obviously want to avoid this. One possible solution to this is basement waterproofing. Where basement waterproofing previously only possible with concrete, AquaConsult offers a unique alternative: covering your basement with ceramic tiles. Read all about it here.
What is basement cupping?
In many basements, the basement walls and floor are not sufficiently resistant to the pressure of groundwater. This causes salts to form in the walls, which then affect the plaster present. In this way, ground moisture can enter your basement through the basement walls and/or floor, which can have negative consequences. To combat this, you can have your basement drained.
Basement waterproofing or cellar sealing involves applying a thick layer of waterproof cement to the basement floor and walls. This creates a new protective layer, as it were, that prevents groundwater from penetrating. Specifically, such basement waterproofing works as follows:
After performing (or having performed) these steps, water will no longer enter your basement.
Please note: Every situation is unique. In some cases, a basement pit is not sufficient, and a basement drainage or -ventilation needed. Get assistance from AquaConsult and request a free expertise to ensure you make the best choice for your basement.
Pair the practical with the pleasant: have your basement poured with a tile finish
Traditionally, basement waterproofing is done exclusively with a waterproof layer of concrete. But, you can also go a step further and have your basement waterproofed with rectified ceramic tiles. AquaConsult is unique in this, and there are several advantages:
1. Less loss of space
A basement casing is always accompanied by some loss of space. Typically, such loss with a traditional casing is about 8 cm, but with a tile finish this loss is reduced to about 5 cm.
2. Complete and beautiful finish
This basement sealing method automatically creates a nicer-looking basement that is also fully finished immediately.
3. Cheaper
Basement waterproofing with ceramic tiles also comes with a more interesting price tag than basement waterproofing with concrete. Basement waterproofing actually involves renovating the entire basement, which is obviously not cheap. However, with this unique process, the sealed cellar is also immediately finished with rectified 60 × 60 cm ceramic tiles, saving you in finishing costs. In addition, fewer materials are also needed to keep your basement dry, which benefits your wallet.
Say goodbye to your damp basement for good
Are you struggling with a damp basement and looking for a suitable solution?
Then you have come to the right place at AquaConsult.
Contact us now, or request a free moisture expertise.
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Mechanical ventilation: the solution to your humidity problem?
Mechanical ventilation: the solution to your humidity problem?
Ventilation is the process of removing polluted air and bringing in fresh, clean air. This is vital to prevent various long-term problems. An effective approach for this is to use mechanical ventilation. But what exactly does this entail? In what way does it help combat moisture problems? And how can mechanical ventilation contribute to the fight against corona virus? All your questions are answered in this article.
Why is good ventilation important?
The average Fleming spends most of his or her time indoors. Nevertheless, we note that indoor air quality is often considerably less than outdoors. This is often true for basements, where ventilation tends to be generally challenging. This brings all kinds of negative consequences:
So thoroughly ventilating your home has only advantages.
What is the difference between natural and mechanical ventilation?
As already stated, through ventilation, you remove polluted air and bring in fresh, clean air. With natural ventilation, this supply and removal occurs naturally. Grids embedded in the walls allow polluted air out while fresh air comes in through another grid. Or you open a window. That too is ventilation.
Yet natural ventilation is not always a good idea. Especially in well-insulated houses, this can be difficult, as everything was done there to keep the warm air in. Also, many people leave the ventilation closed in winter to keep the cold air out. At that point there is no longer even any ventilation.
There is also a big disadvantage to natural ventilation: you cannot (or at least very difficult) control the supply and extraction of air, in winter cold air enters the building, causing your energy bill to skyrocket.
With mechanical ventilation, these tricky points fall away and you can control the air extraction and/or supply in a partially or fully mechanical way. Three different combinations are possible.
The different types of mechanical ventilation
Mechanical ventilation systems are divided into types from A to D. Ventilation system type A is natural ventilation, so we won't expand on that. Ventilation system type B is mechanical ventilation, but this form is rarely used in homes. We take a quick look at the details of ventilation systems type C and D.
Ventilation system type C(+)
Mechanical ventilation often refers to ventilation system C. This system is partly mechanical: the supply of air is natural, but its removal is mechanical. Two types can be distinguished in this:
Type D ventilation system
Type D mechanical ventilation goes one step further. Here, both supply and exhaust are fully mechanical. Several additional options exist, such as choosing a heat exchanger to save more energy. There is also the option of filtering for pollen and dust, which is especially beneficial for people with allergies.
With this type of mechanical ventilation, also known as balanced ventilation, the supply and return of air remains constantly balanced.
Which mechanical ventilation system is the best choice?
Now that you know the difference between mechanical ventilation type C and type D, we briefly list the pros and cons.
Both mechanical ventilation systems help against moisture problems anyway. If you ventilate properly, condensation moisture does not get a chance. It only benefits your health.
We take on viruses
You can also have something else built into the balanced ventilation: the GPS-FC24-AC, a ionisation system. Such an ionisation system sends electrons into the air that cling to particulate matter, pollen, as well as pathogens such as those from coronavirus. After a 60-minute exposure, covid-19 particles had decreased by as much as 90%.
This is one of the products officially approved by the Federal Public Health Service To be useful in the fight against coronavirus. Is the product not on that list? Then it is prohibited from being sold in Belgium.
Need mechanical ventilation?
Do you suffer from damp walls? Perhaps mechanical ventilation could be the solution to your problem. Request a free moisture expert assessment now and we will help you find the best solution.
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Treating rising damp yourself: here's how to do it
Treating rising damp yourself: here's how to do it
Do you suffer from damp walls? You may be dealing with rising damp. It is important to address this problem to prevent further damage. Fortunately, it is often possible to treat rising damp yourself. In this article, we share all the essential information about this.
Rising damp, a moisture problem you would rather not have
Rising damp is caused by groundwater being absorbed by the foundation and walls, this because there are problems with the dam in the wall. This leads to moisture spots that are mainly visible close to the ground, but the moisture can also spread further into the wall. Both interior and exterior walls can suffer significant damage as a result.
This moisture problem can occur in both old and new houses, and it brings with it all kinds of negative consequences. Some examples are:
It is therefore very important to treat rising damp at its base. It is often possible to treat the rising damp yourself.
Treating rising damp yourself with wall injections
When you want to treat rising damp yourself, there is usually only one method that is effective: the injecting the wall. This involves drilling holes in your wall, which you then fill (read: inject) with a damp-proof gel. That gel then spreads deep into the pores of the wall. The chemical components of the gel react with the elements in the wall, resulting in a water-repellent layer that blocks rising moisture.
Step by step treat rising damp yourself
Step 1: the preparation
A prepared man is worth two. This is no different here. These are some preparatory steps you should take before treating rising damp yourself:
Step 2: drilling the holes
After the preparation, it is time for the real work: drilling the holes in the wall. Holes should be drilled along the full length of the floor. The holes should be spaced 10 centimetres apart each time, and they should come just above the floor line. It is recommended that you mark off the holes first.
After determining the locations of the drill holes, measure the thickness of the wall to be treated. The drilling depth should be about 90% of the wall thickness, often this amounts to 2 centimetres less than the thickness of the wall. To actually drill the holes, it is recommended to use a long 12-millimetre stone drill bit. After drilling, the holes should be carefully cleaned with a hoover to remove drill cuttings.
Step 3: injecting the wall
After drilling the holes, you can inject the walls. You fill the holes with the damp-proofing agent, and you do this using a caulking gun or spray gun. Do this as follows:
A handy tip to remember: if emulsion gel is spilt, it is advisable to clean the spill immediately with warm soapy water. By doing this quickly, you prevent the emulsion gel from drying up and becoming more difficult to remove.
The pros and cons of treating rising damp yourself
There are some advantages to injecting your wall yourself. For one, you can cut costs, and you can completely decide when to inject your wall. You also have more control over the entire process and can closely monitor your wall and spot any problems in time.
However, performing wall injections yourself does not come without dangers either:
Treating rising damp yourself: the conclusion
Although fighting dampness yourself is possible, it requires patience and precision. Nevertheless, we recommend hiring professional help, as it guarantees a correct execution and final solution. Due to favourable prices and a reduced VAT rate, professional moisture control is often not much more expensive.
Tackling rising damp for good
Do you have a moisture problem, and suspect it could be rising damp? Our field engineers are real experts when it comes to this moisture problem. Contact AquaConsult now for a no-obligation free expertise.
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Four ways to prevent mould in the home
Four ways to prevent mould in the home
Mould on the wall is a big problem. It is the cause of problems to your home as well as to your health. There are ways to make your house mould-free. AquaConsult will be happy to help you.
How do fungi arise?
Mold on the wall need moisture to grow and survive. Therefore, they arise in places in the house where there is a higher humidity prevails. For instance, the basement, kitchen and bathroom are the main places in the house for the development of mould, and this is primarily triggered by human activities that lead to condensation moisture:
Also underlying moisture problems such as rising damp or penetrating moisture can eventually lead to mould. Leaks or broken downspouts can also be the culprit. That way, moisture from outside can also wriggle its way inside. Do you notice mould in your home? If so, be sure to contact a moisture expert To find out what is at the origin.
Why should I prevent mould in my home?
First of all, it is important to know why you should prevent mould. This is because mould is associated with all sorts of negative consequences, on the one hand for your home and on the other for the health of you and your family members.
Removing mould on the wall is not an easy task either. So it is better to prevent than to cure.
How do I prevent mould in the house?
There are several ways to prevent mould in the home. We list the most important ones here.
1. Adjust your habits
As mentioned earlier, mould occurs in the most humid places in the house, such as the kitchen or bathroom. By adjusting your habits a little, you can easily prevent mould:
2. Pay attention to the humidity in your home
Does the humidity in the house above the 60%? Then the humidity in the house is too high, so moisture does not have a chance to dry out. So the moisture is much more likely to soak into the walls, giving mould free rein.
You can easily keep an eye on things by using a hygrometer. This measuring instrument is designed to keep track of the humidity in your home. A thermometer can also be a help, as a room that is too humid is often harder to heat. Notice that you find it harder to get your home to the desired temperature during a cold autumn or winter day? If so, this could be due to increased humidity.
3. Tackle moisture problems in time
As briefly outlined above, mould in the home is one of the many symptoms of a moisture problem. It is important to address moisture problems as soon as possible so that mould does not have the chance to develop.
Think you are suffering from a moisture problem? Then take contact AquaConsult and we will help you as soon as possible.
4. Ventilate the room
The biggest and easiest way to prevent moulds is ventilation. On the one hand, this can be done simply by opening your windows for about 15 minutes every day, but on the other hand, a mechanical ventilation system a help. This system is then installed in the rooms most likely to cause moisture problems; such as the bathroom and kitchen. With balanced ventilation, you regulate the air in your home yourself.
Too late... How to remove moulds?
Did you find this article just too late, and you still notice mould spots on your walls or ceilings? If so, it is obviously important to remove the moulds in your home.
You yourself can remove mould from wall if they are small, scattered spots. Use soda and water or buy a fungicide. When doing this, always ensure protection with a mouth mask and gloves. For large mould spots on walls, it is advisable to call in a professional such as AquaConsult, as they not only remove the mould but also address the underlying cause.
What if the fungus is extensive?
Black mould, as mentioned earlier, can be dangerous to both your health and your home. It is often unwise to tackle this problem yourself, especially with large and persistent areas of mould. Moreover, removing them yourself is not always a permanent solution. A moisture expert tackles the cause of the problem, improving the air quality in your home and preventing black mould from threatening the health of you and your family members.
Are you suffering from black mould? Request a free moisture assessment from AquaConsult now.
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Why thermal bridges may well be the cause of your moisture problem
Cold bridges: the hidden culprits behind moisture and condensation
Find out everything you need to know about cold bridges.
What are thermal bridges?
A thermal bridge is a weak link in the insulation of your home. Cold bridges occur where insulation is absent or poor. It is literally a place in a house where the "cold" is conducted from outside to inside. They are also called thermal bridges, thermal bridges or building knots.
The insulation envelope is missing or interrupted, causing heat loss. This lowers the indoor temperature and increases the need for heat. Moreover, cold bridges can also indirectly cause moisture problems. Moisture and thermal bridges are always the biggest problems in all renovation projects.
And that's not all: cold bridges can also cause problems in summer. For example, thermal bridges allow warm air to enter, making it difficult to keep your home pleasantly cool.
The causes of cold bridges
Cold bridges can have different origins.
Where are thermal bridges located in a house?
A thermal bridge often occurs in all places where insulation does not connect properly. You can therefore sometimes detect a thermal bridge very clearly around exterior doors and windows, where the insulation is not optimally connected to floors or the door and window openings themselves. A few millimetres of opening are enough to allow a thermal bridge during a cold winter period. Of course, a few millimetres of insulation loss will not cause serious moisture problems, but it will slightly increase energy bills.
Some examples of places where thermal bridges can occur:
How do you recognise thermal bridges?
You cannot always see a thermal bridge, but you can feel it. If you rub your hand over a piece of wall or floor and notice a difference in temperature, you are dealing with a thermal bridge. If you see black mould or condensation on concrete slabs or windows, that could also be an indication of a thermal bridge.
What (moisture) problems cause thermal bridges?
Cold bridges are the cause of a lot of moisture problems in the home. Especially alarming is the structural moisture damage it can cause on the cold wall. A cold bridge weak enough to cause the wall temperature to drop below 14°C works moisture problems such as condensation in hand.
Where indoor moisture (which is naturally present in warm indoor air) can condense against walls, get fungi a chance to form and moisture stains also develop. Houses with condensation and mould are additionally just not good for the health. Moreover, it is bad for plastering, wallpaper and/or painting. With wood structures, it can then cause the wood to rot, resulting in instability. It is a real domino effect.
Because the walls at the level of a thermal bridge cool down significantly, the natural moisture in the air will condense in these places.
Not only do cold bridges cause moisture problems, but they also cause another major problem: energy and heat loss. As mentioned earlier, thermal bridges create a temperature difference between the wall where there is a thermal bridge and the rest of the house. So in winter, you will need more energy to heat your home, resulting in higher energy bills. With today's high energy prices, you naturally want to avoid these.
Influence of thermal bridges on K-level and E-level
The Flemish government encourages homeowners to better insulate and airtight renovate houses (think cavity wall insulation or crepi / exterior wall insulation). A renovation aimed at eliminating cold bridges has several benefits for property values:
How do you solve thermal bridges?
Good ventilate, insulating and heating are 3 rules of thumb to prevent cold bridges.
In older homes, it is not always simple to tackle thermal bridges; this is immediately a major renovation. Fortunately, you are entitled to grants or subsidies If you do an energy renovation.
During such a renovation to solve thermal bridges, all insulation is properly connected to each other so that the insulation covers the entire house and there are no more energy leaks. If the insulation is completely continuous and not defective anywhere, thermal bridges do not stand a chance.
So is it even worth addressing cold bridges, since it is such a major renovation? Yes. Without cold bridges, a lot of moisture problems and reduces energy bills.
First aid for moisture problems
Are you suffering from moisture problems? Contact AquaConsult now and we will be happy to help you.
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How do I maintain ideal humidity in my home?
How do I maintain ideal humidity in my home?
How pleasant the indoor air in your home feels is often related to humidity. Is the humidity in the house too high or too low? Then it can cause ailments and health problems and damage to your home. But what is the ideal humidity level? And how do you check it?
What is humidity?
Under (relative) humidity we mean the number of particles of water vapour circulating in the air at any given time. A good humidity is between 40% and 60%. The air consists of between the 40% and the 60% of particles of water vapour at that time. The ideal level of humidity in the house is 50%.
What if the humidity in the house is not right?
There are two possible scenarios: the humidity in the house can either be too low or too high. Each of these situations has its own consequences.
What are the consequences of a too low humidity?
When humidity is too low, the air in the house is too dry and the relative humidity is below 40%. Low humidity is especially common in winter because the cold air contains less moisture. Typically, too low humidity can cause the following:
Nevertheless, too low humidity in the home is not a major problem. The problems really start when the humidity is too high.
What are the consequences of a too high humidity in the house?
Is your humidity too high? Then the relative humidity is higher than 60%. For this, there are a lot of different possible causes, which are often not always easy to detect. Everyday activities from washing, cooking, ironing to simply breathing and perspiring contribute to increased humidity. In fact, scientific studies show that an average family produces up to 15 litres of excess moisture per day. That's not nothing! But an underlying moisture problem can also cause humidity levels in the home to be too high.
The consequences of too high humidity in your home are worse than those of too low humidity; both for your home and for your own health.
So it is not a luxury to do something if you suffer from excessive humidity in your home.
Measuring humidity
You can measure the humidity in your home yourself using a hygrometer. This is a measuring instrument specifically designed to measure humidity levels in the home. This can help understand humidity levels in the indoor environment.
To ensure an accurate reading, it is important to position the hygrometer correctly. You obviously want to get a representative measurement of the humidity so that you can take appropriate action if the air turns out to be too dry or too humid. This is why we recommend not placing the hygrometer on the wall of an outside wall or near a window. This is because the humidity near external walls and windows often differs somewhat from the rest of the house.
A hygrometer is available these days for as little as 15 euros. Usually, these handy devices also have other useful functions.
How can I optimise humidity in my home?
Tips for better humidity in the home
We list our tips:
A universal and definitive solution: balanced ventilation
The best optimal solution, in other words the solution that guarantees the best humidity in the house, is the installation of a mechanical ventilation system, preferably a balanced ventilation. With balanced ventilation, you have total control over the air in your home. Does the indoor air have excessive humidity? Then you can easily take that air outside and bring in fresh air. Not only does this help control the number of water vapour particles in the air in your home, but it also provides fresh air with plenty of oxygen. Things that make you breathe better and therefore less likely to suffer from lung and respiratory problems.
Get assistance from AquaConsult
Are you suffering from excessive humidity somewhere in Flanders? Contact Aquaconsult now and our experts will be happy to help you.
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Air cleaning: the most underrated weapon against corona
Air cleaning: a crucial but often forgotten defence against corona
We all want to protect ourselves and our families from corona as much as possible. Balanced ventilation and ionisation are good tools for that, but what is the difference between balanced ventilation and ionisation? And how do they help clean the air keep your home corona-free?
The coronavirus and ventilation
Ventilation is not only a solution to moisture problems such as condensation moisture. It is also employable in the fight against coronavirus.
We all know that corona is spread by close contact, but it is also spread through the air. Through aerosols. Those aerosols are even a more important dispersant than close contact. That's why you may consider the power of ventilation do not underestimate.
But good natural ventilation is sometimes difficult or even impossible. In some buildings, you simply cannot create a good natural draft. Then comes mechanical ventilation useful.
With mechanical ventilation, there are several more options. For instance, you can install a ventilation that only carries air from inside to outside. Such ventilation is good for small places, but if you want to ventilate your house really well, you can opt for balanced ventilation. Balanced ventilation does both: it brings out the dirty air from inside, but also brings in fresh, clean air. Still, even then you are not fully protected against COVID-19. That's when you need ionisation technology.
What is ionisation?
Ionisation is a technology that you can have built into a balanced ventilation system. It purifies the air of all the dirty particles you don't want to breathe: pollen, fine dust, tobacco smoke and so much more. The biggest advantage to ionisation? It also cleans the air of germs; of both bacteria and viruses. So it cleans the air from coronavirus as well.
What is the difference between balanced ventilation and ionisation?
Balanced ventilation purifies the air: it brings dirty air out and brings clean, fresh air in. But this does not purify the air of microparticles we do not want to inhale. That's where ionisation comes in. Ionisation technology cleans the air of pollen, fine dust and germs by filling the air with ions.
How does ionisation technology work?
Ions are positively or negatively charged molecules. The technology produces billions of electrons per second that attack microparticles in the air. Among those microparticles, therefore, are viruses such as coronavirus.
The ions cause the microparticles to adhere to each other, making them heavier and sink to the ground. This prevents people in the room from inhaling those microparticles.
Scientifically proven: ionisation works.
That ionisation works in the fight against coronavirus is scientifically proven. The designer of the technology (Global Plasma Solutions) had an independent scientists test the ionisation for various viruses and bacteria.
Specifically, the scientists examined how quickly the spread of viruses is reduced when exposed to ionisation. The coronavirus was reduced by as much as 90% after a one-hour exposure to the ionisation technology. So it is definitely worth investing in.
Where is this ionisation technology available?
For balance ventilation and ionisate technology, Aquaconsult works together with Aeroconsult. The first company in Belgium to offer ionisation technology to private individuals. Technology that approved by the Belgian government in the fight against coronavirus. The same technology is used in Boeing's aircraft to keep the air fresh and healthy on long flights.
Ionisation at your home?
Want to know more about AeroConsult and ionisation? Then be sure to visit their website.
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