What not to do when tackling damp and mould problems Costa del Sol

Irritation of nose and eyes due to mould

Yet again I have been called out to undertake a survey for bad smelling air, high damp and mould problems Costa del Sol humidity in a property.

The property had been treated for damp walls, just a two years ago by a contractor.  The contractors solution to the problem was to dry line the complete ground floor rooms.  The owner stated that the walls were first treated with a spray sealant prior to the installation of the boarding, no investigation as to why the walls were heavily moisturised was undertaken.

Now two years on, there is a high registration of volatile toxics produced by mould spore, which is creating the bad odours, but no visual sign of mould through the property.  

Making a very small access point into the paneling and using specialist probe meters with cameras, the source of the problem was clear.  The sealant that had been sprayed on had flaked off due to salt acid corrosion, and mould was well established behind the dry lining, its now only a matter of time before the dry lining boards disintegrated.

Damp walls must never be covered or sealed, out of sight, out of mind is not a solution.  The cause for the moisture must be found and corrected.  Further more, it cannot be solved by injecting silicone or other fluids into the wall, as a perfect barrier cannot be achieved. (Have covered this in full in a previous blog post) 

Dry lining itself is useful if you need to cover a dry wall in a hurry.  If the walls are uneven or unsightly?  Increase thermal and sound insulation. Need efficient and affordable method of dressing wall finishings for a renovation project?  In every one of these scenarios, dry lining is a good course to take, but it is not a solution for damp proofing.

Alway get qualified advice on structural matters.  www.123bmt.net