Moisture damage to the outer walls of old houses. Either crumbly, discolored and peeling stucco. It may be due to the building material in combination with the weather conditions and the soil on which the house is built. Repair is in many cases a costly affair. Even if you do DIY yourself. When preventing moisture damage, it is important to know how the effect of moisture comes about. Continuous rising and penetrating damp is often the cause. In many cases moisture damage has to do with rainwater that cannot escape.
Content
- Crumbly, discolored stucco from moisture
- Hygroscopic balance
- Four major causes of moisture damage
- Rising foundation moisture
- Rainwater that cannot flow away
- Rising and penetrating moisture as a result of broken water pipes or sewage pipes
- Moisture damage due to condensation
- Recognize moisture damage
Crumbly, discolored stucco from moisture
You will only have bought an old farmhouse and only after some time will notice that the bottom layers of the outer walls discolour and crumble. Most likely the previous owner had already suffered from this and repaired it with a new one stucco layer at the bottom.
Moisture damage
However, he never resolved the cause of the moisture damage. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be in trouble now. Recognizing and assessing moisture damage is one of the requirements to avoid re-dealing with crumbly walls and peeling stucco.
Hygroscopic balance
Building materials, such as stones and mortar, by definition contain water. That was received during construction. New plaster and paint layers also contribute to the house becoming very damp initially. Building moisture can stay in the walls for a long time. It slowly disappears as the house dries up. A hygroscopic equilibrium is then created.
Building material
That balance in the moisture balance depends on weather conditions and the nature of both the building material and the building land on which the house is located. If there is no hygroscopic equilibrium, moisture damage will play tricks on you.
Four major causes of moisture damage
Is there constant rising and penetrating damp in your house? Your home may not have been expertly built and there are architectural made mistakes. If it is an old building, the building material may have been weathered and needs to be replaced. The moisture damage you are facing can basically have four causes.
Rising foundation moisture
This concerns the foundation and the walls that are in the ground, such as those of the basement. It accelerating moisture is probably due to inadequate drainage of groundwater and leakage water. The water creeps up through the foundation to the floors and walls, where it becomes visible in the form of peeling stucco and salinization of the walls (white rash in the stones and joints).
Rainwater that cannot flow away
It is one of the most common causes of moisture damage. With leaking roofs and gutters, the moisture penetrates the walls from above. Open connecting joints at the windows can also cause moisture damage. Driving rain then creeps through the open joints in the masonry and the cavity. This can be the cause of balconies wood rot and rust formation in the concrete reinforcement. So it is important to find the cause as soon as possible. To identify these problems, you will need to climb the ladder to inspect the roof, gutters, and wall joints. When using ladders and scaffolding, observe the safety regulations. Or ask a professional for advice and have him inspect the moisture damage.
Rising and penetrating moisture as a result of broken water pipes or sewage pipes
A leaking or broken water pipe or sewer pipe is often the cause of moisture damage to walls and foundations. The problem is often difficult to detect.
Moisture damage due to condensation
In this phenomenon room air passes through apparently closed building material. Plaster walls are notorious in that regard. This is called water vapor diffusion. The moist air then settles as condensation in the (colder) outer walls. Room air can also enter the room through open connecting joints of, for example, insulation material cavity flow. The result is poor insulation (high heating costs), mold and wood rot.
Recognize moisture damage
If your home is damp, it is usually due to one of the above causes. At an advanced stage, the exterior walls, but also indoors, moisture damage occurs in the form of mold, wood rot, peeling plaster and crumbly stucco layers.
Craftsman
Ask if necessary advice to a professional. After all, the moisture problem must be solved because a damp house eventually also causes health problems. Are you a do-it-yourselfer? Then find the cause and get to work yourself, in which safe jobs must of course come first.