In the Summer, Damp Issues are Often Undetectable
Damp walls and water ingress is a very common problem with Spanish properties. The majority of properties are purchased during the rain free summer months, and so the potential new owner is often unaware of the problem.
Very few houses in Andalusia are built using a damp course during the construction process, the reason for this is that the Town Halls did not in the past enforce strict planning regulations and the Architects seldom visited the building sites to insist on the correct procedures. Sadly, seldom will you find any property over 10 years old having a damp course.
The lack of a damp course will result in rising damp through the concrete base and up the walls. This is often masked and disguised by walls being covered with ceramic tiles or stone cladding on the exterior and interior ceramic tiles, and the building painted on an annual basis in the spring months when the walls have dried out. The unsuspecting buyer therefore is oblivious to the defects until the following autumn when the rains resume. Several other factors will determine how prone to damp the house is. These will include the underlaying soil type, free draining or clay based; the position of the property on the land, on a rise or in a hollow; the direction of the prevailing wind and if guttering is installed, to direct the rain water away from the property and to prevent water splashing back onto the walls after dropping from the roof.
The effects of unsightly flaking paint, damp smells and possibility of mould which will be harmful to your health, are all issues that can be eliminated.
LT Construction are experts in damp proofing of properties, the most effective and economical process used is to remove the exterior render and interior plasterwork to a height of 1.30 metres. We then apply a silicon sealant to the brickwork and then apply a waterproof render on the outside of the property and a waterproof plaster on the interior, creating a waterproof barrier. Once dry, these products can then be painted over eliminating the adverse effects of water ingress.