Damp The Problems

A large number of properties here in Turkey are affected by damp. As well as being detrimental and unattractive to your property it could also impact on its value, it can also cause damage to the structure of the building, damage plaster, spoil the interior decor and in some instances ruin furnishings.

Apart from the visual problem with having damp you also need to consider the health issues and the problems having damp may cause such as, fungal and bacterial infections, Asthma, also damp properties can aggravate/start rheumatism.

Whether you are a young child, middle aged or elderly living or staying in a property in a damp condition is unhealthy.

Rising Damp- the causes

Because most properties here in Turkey are built using porous material and do not have a DPC, they can absorb moisture from the soil, slab or ground, which can then rise by means of capillary action. In theory damp can only rise up to about 1.8m (6ft), but in most cases it will usually stop at about one metre (3-4 ft) from the ground.

Many factors have an influence on whether damp rises in a wall and actually creates a problem, factors such as the materials used in construction, drainage, ground levels outside and the water table have an influence on rising damp, in most cases here in Turkey it's purely down to the way the property was constructed.

When damp rises in walls here in Turkey it ruins plasterwork, causes brickwork to deteriorate, causes paint work to bubble and flake, and rendering and tiles in some cases come loose and fall off.

Condensation-the causes

This is also a problem here in Turkey. Because most properties are only used three to four weeks of the year and then locked up, and all doors and windows are closed, this leaves the moisture with no way to escape. By locking everywhere up and not having adequate ventilation, this leads to more and more condensation problems.

To explain the concept of how condensation occurs is quite easy to describe. At any temperature the air can hold an amount of water vapour. The warmer the air becomes, the more vapour it will hold. When the warm air cools down to a lower temperature to the point where it can no longer hold the moisture, the air will start release the water vapour which is known as condensation. This usually happens on cooler or cold surfaces because this is where the air is cooled. If the surface is non porous (like windows, marble work tops, or tiles) it can form drops. If the surfaces are porous like plaster it usually cannot be seen because it is absorbed.

When condensation occurs over a longer period, ( when you close up your property after your holiday) plaster will get damp and mould can start to appear. An unmistakable musty smell is often associated with condensation. Mould will usually appear around the windows, the inside area of doors, in corners, in cold bedrooms and some cases behind wardrobes that may be close to the outside wall. The mould is usually black but can come in all kinds of colours (green, yellow, off white).

Condensation over a longer period can affect plaster, it will start to discolour, bubble up, and flake. Furnishings may get infected clothing in wardrobes, woodwork around the internal door and other woodwork and surfaces.

Penetrating Damp-the causes

Penetrating damp is moisture or water ingress that penetrates into the structure of the building. It is often caused by leaking gutters, drains, roofs and pipes, damage to the render, gaps or cracks, or even badly fitted door frames, here in Turkey most external frames are metal and are badly fitted, they are not properly seated, they are in some cases just seated on top of the marble. Penetrating damp can also often occur by soil on the other side of the exterior wall, as you may have seen in your basements/cellars.

Paths, and communal landing areas sloping the wrong way (which I'm sure you have noticed here in Turkey) this will cause the rain water to collect against the exterior wall which may penetrate into the property.