The 5 most common mistakes when fighting moisture yourself

Before you open the toolbox, you need to know what causes the moisture problem is. Moisture control is bespoke. Solving one moisture problem is counterproductive for another.

• Rising damp: Groundwater pulling up through the walls. You often see this at the bottom of walls on the ground floor.
• Penetrating moisture: Rainwater entering through a porous external wall, the façade.
• Condensation moisture: Moisture from cooking, showering or breathing that precipitates on cold surfaces.
• Damp walls and mould on the wall: Often the result of the various moisture problems or poor ventilation.
• Damp basement: A specific problem where groundwater pressure penetrates the basement walls or floor.
• Moisture in a new building: Often this is building moisture that has not yet been drawn out of the structure, which can lead to mould if you insulate or finish too quickly.

From the moment many people discover a moisture problem, the first question they ask themselves is, “How do I get moisture out of my house as soon as possible?” For different moisture problems, there are different ways to do this. At condensation moisture or building moisture helps intensive ventilation. But beware, because when it comes to a structural problem such as rising damp, then merely opening a window will never solve the root of the moisture problem.

Not every humidity problem requires immediate major intervention. What you can do yourself to bring down humidity in your home:

1. Proper ventilation: Open grills and use the extractor fan while cooking. This is the most natural way to reduce moisture in the house.
2. Dehumidifiers: These are useful to temporarily trap building moisture or condensation, but they are a symptom-fighter, not a solution to the cause.
3. Cleaning gutters: Prevent water from flowing down the façade and thus penetrating moisture caused.

When moisture problems beyond a fogged-up window, the following mistakes are often made in terms of DIY moisture control.

1. Repaint with anti-humidity paint

This is the biggest and most common mistake when it comes to fighting moisture. Getting rid of a damp wall or mouldy spot with special paint seems quick, but you are locking the moisture in, so to speak. The water seeks another path, often higher up the wall, while the internal structure of your home slowly rots away. You are not addressing the moisture problem, you are covering it up to the naked eye, while it slowly breeds further within the structure of your home.

2. Impregnating the facade incorrectly

The self injecting an external wall or the façade at penetrating moisture is risky. If the façade is not 100% free of cracks, you are again trapping moisture, but behind the protective layer you are applying to the façade. At the first night frost, the water expands and your bricks and joints may simply crack.

3. Installing a false wall against a damp wall

When you don't see it, the moisture problem is already solved for many. This is especially thought to be the case with a damp cellar or room. By installing a plaster wall in front of the moisture problem, you no longer see it, but this way you create a perfect breeding ground behind the wall for unhealthy moulds which you breathe in unnoticed. In the long run, you may experience health problems if you do not solve the moisture problem permanently.

4. Self-injecting walls against rising damp

We often get asked if you rising damp can fight yourself. Indeed, there are do-it-yourself kits you can use to fight your can inject walls, but these are often not powerful enough for thick walls. Without professional equipment, chances are that the barrier will not be fully opaque, so moisture will simply continue to rise in the wall.

5. Failure to distinguish between building moisture and leaks

In new-build houses, moisture spots are often thought to be just construction moisture. As a result, many new owners ignore a real leak or a construction fault, with all the consequences for your new plastering.