It can be so frustrating to spend money on things you already have. When you discover mould on your floors and furniture because of damp in your home, it won’t only cost you money but it will also affect your health. Mould growth can cause eye, skin and throat irritation, coughing and wheezing as well as nasal congestion. And that’s the best-case scenario. Worst case is reduced lung function and respiratory illnesses like asthma.

The only solution — damp proofing.

What Causes Damp and Mould?

Before we solve your damp issues with damp proofing, let’s look at the primary cause of damp in your home — excess moisture. There are different ways to treat damp and how you approach it will depend on which type (rising damp, penetrating damp & condensation) you have.

Rising Damp

Typically found in older buildings, rising damp is caused by water moving up through the floor and walls. The damp proof course might be damaged or non-existent.

Penetrating Damp

Penetrating damp happens when moisture enters through the roof or walls. Roof and plumbing leaks are the primary causes for this type of damp.

Condensation

Excess moisture buildup caused by everyday tasks such as showering, cooking or hanging damp washing in and around your home.

Damp Signs to Look Out For

Water stains and damp patches on floors and walls

Peeling and flaking wall paint

Lifting floor covering

Salt stains on external walls

Damp Proofing Pretoria: Getting Rid of Damp the Right Way

Treating damp is a process that requires expertise and skills of trained professionals like Sipenda Painting Contractors. Typically a damp proof membrane will be applied to the area that’s affected but as we’ve said before, the course of treatment is determined by the type of damp.

Damp and mould growth can wreck your home and your health. So keep an eye out and if you come across signs of damp, get in touch with the team at Sipenda for a free quote today.

Painting a room isn’t exactly brain surgery and most of us will do an okay job of it. But professional painters do more than that. They deliver excellent results every single time. This is because they have experience and they also know tricks and techniques that make them good at what they do.

People don’t always like to share their secrets but as a professional painting contractor, we’ve decided to let you in on a few. Here goes…

Surface Preparation is Key

We can’t stress this enough — you can’t paint over cracks or flaking paint and expect the outcome to be good. Before anything, clean the walls, look for imperfections, fix them properly and then paint the surface with primer before applying the actual paint. Repairs might include filling holes, caulking cracks and sanding the wall down with sandpaper.

Quality Paint Will Give Better Results

Good paint doesn’t come cheap. As professionals, we have a few brands we like to stick to, depending on which look you’re going for. Glossy paints are more resistant to stains while matt paints don’t show imperfections as much. Whichever one you choose, make sure it’s a high-quality paint.

How You Paint Makes All the Difference

Don’t be stingy with the paint on your brush or roller. You’ll want as much paint on it as you can handle without dripping all over the place when painting walls. For window frames, you’ll use less. Work from the top to the bottom and do the baseboards last. This will stop the dust from travelling onto the brush and onto your freshly painted wall. Make sure you have adequate lighting especially if your paint colour is similar to the previous one. You won’t want to miss a spot.

If painting your home the right way sounds like too much effort, don’t fret, we can help. At Sipenda, we follow all the right steps to ensure a perfect end result. Hire the best painters in Pretoria and get in touch with the team at Sipenda today!