Problems with damp are the rule rather than the exception

More than half of all houses in Sweden are damaged at some point due to damp and as many as 25% of all new buildings have damage from damp even before someone has moved in. Almost daily you can read in newspapers, or online, about litigation between builders and homeowners or home sellers and home buyers which have their origins in damp related issues.

As a buyer, you find yourself in a vulnerable position if you discover evidence of damp after purchase because the house is sold "in its existing condition". It is often hard to prove that the damage existed before purchase and therefore it is important to heed the following warning signals before signing the purchase documents:

• Smell in the basement.
• Materials, e.g. wooden walls and parquet floors that have swelled or cracked.
• Mold and discoloration.
• Salt precipitation (white spots) on wall.
• Fungal formation.
• Presence of small insects (silverfish, horse ants, spiders, etc.).
• Condensation on windows.
• Windows and doors that are difficult to open.

This is especially true for older houses because there was not so much care taken with drainage before. Previously, the basement was intended as a laundry room and storage space, not as a living room, home office or guest room.

10,000s of damp damage every year

There is an alarming increase in reports of incorrect house constructions and poor workmanship. The issues being the generation of too much indoor moisture and buildings that are too dense. Sometimes the problems seem almost impossible to fix and the insurance premiums skyrocket. Extreme weather, in the form of torrential rain and floods, will probably increase, which is why the problems with damp, mold and rot only get bigger and bigger.

Condensation, convection or capillary moisture

In principle, there are three types of damp; diffusion e.g. (condensation from a dryer); convection where the damp travels in cracks and fissures and capillary damp, where the moisture is absorbed through the pores in the concrete - a natural force that cannot be harnessed with traditional drainage technology. Electro Drain fixes capillary damp, which is the biggest "culprit in the drama". Since most of the damp comes up through the slab, not through the outer walls of the house, as many believe, it is not possible to solve with traditional technology - no matter how much you dig.

There can be several causes of damp in basements but the most common being that water penetrates in from the outside. Drainage may be missing or not working properly, or there may be cracks in the foundation. Damp is not dangerous in itself, but when it comes in contact with organic materials, it can cause problems such as mold infestation, fungal growth and bad odor, with serious consequences for both property and health.

Over 75 percent humidity equals risk

If you have a furnished basement, it is difficult to find out what dangers lie behind wall coverings and panels. The rule of thumb is that 60 percent humidity is considered dry and that a relative humidity of over 75 percent entails a risk that must be investigated and remedied.

To get a safe measure of humidity, you should therefore use a moisture meter. The instruments used measure the moisture either in the air, inside the material (for example the wall) or by scanning on the outside of the material. You can find the instruments in the specialist trade (eg Claes Olsson and Kjell & Co) or you hire a specialist to make an inspection. You can, for example contact us and we will come to your home and do a damp analysis without requiring you to hire us to fix the problems we find.