Moisture on ground floors: How can we remove it?

Dampness can manifest on the floors, walls, and ceilings of ground-floor houses, especially if you have a terrace or a leaky roof.

Moisture appearing on the walls, ceilings, and floors of ground-floor buildings can stem from various sources. It's crucial to diagnose and address these issues promptly, as their detrimental effects intensify with time.

The method to eliminate this moisture is closely tied to identifying and rectifying its underlying cause.

The main causes of moisture in ground floors are: are:

• Capillarity of floor materials that allows moisture from the earth below to climb walls and floors.
• Condensation of water vapor, which occurs when the interior of a house cools at night and the vapor is deposited in colder parts and corners.
• Leaks in pipes or drains underground or embedded in walls causing wetness that extends from a point and spreads until repaired.
• In houses built on slopes, moisture from underground streams might appear on the floor or side walls of the lower floors of the building.

The most obvious symptoms that appear on a ground floor with moisture are:

• Moisture stains on walls, floors and ceilings.
• Progressive deterioration of the parquet, blackening and rot progressively.
• Whitish residues between floor tiles, resulting from ascended water carrying dissolved salts that accumulate among the tiles.
• Malfunctions in electrical appliances and electrical installations, stemming from moisture and affecting input differentials.
• Strong musty odor due to the rot caused by moisture, accompanied by the spread of mold.
• Appearance of mold on walls, floors and ceilings posing a significant threat to lung health.
• Persistent sensation of coldness throughout the ground floor due to water evaporation.
• Moisture fosters the proliferation of insects, which can become a pest.

The consequences of having moisture in the walls, ceilings and floors of grond floors, decisively affect our economy, and health.

The most severe issues from moisture in the walls, ceilings and floors of ground floors include:

• Without prompt moisture removal, these elements gradually degrade, leading to the destruction of walls, floors, ceilings, and furniture.
• Attempting to conceal the dampness by using sheets, drywall, wood, ceramics, marble, partitions, or waterproof paints is risky. Not only does this approach provide only temporary relief, but it also conceals the mold that develops on the walls, posing significant health risks to animals and plants.
• Humidity damages appliances, significantly increasing their maintenance requirements. considerably increasing their maintenance.
• Frequent repainting becomes necessary due to moisture-related paint peeling, resulting in poor aesthetics that remain unresolved.
• Parquet and floor tiles suffer deterioration due to rising damp.
• It is very difficult to sell or rent a house with moisture inside and year after year is losing value.
• Increased expenditure on heating cost due to the need to warm up the damp walls and air.

Moisture poses a significant challenge for numerous households, making it imperative to find effective solutions. Fortunately, addressing moisture-related issues becomes a top priority. The good news is that there are methods to eliminate moisture from walls and floors in ground-level areas, and these include:

• HS-221 System: The most effective solution for rising damp is the installation of the HS-221 system. Within a matter of months, significant rehabilitation can be achieved.
• Condensation Reduction: Condensation-related moisture can be substantially minimized by actively extracting the generated water vapor.
• Combining Solutions: Enhancing condensation-related moisture in basements or ground floors can be achieved by first removing moisture by capillarity, which prevents water from evaporating off the wall's surface.
• Thermal Insulation: Another effective improvement entails insulating the walls thermally to prevent overnight cooling.
• Forced Ventilation: Employing a forced ventilation system, though an extensive and costly choice, offers an effective approach to combat condensation-induced moisture. This involves heating the external air before it enters and then circulating it throughout the entire house. It's important to note that heating the incoming air demands around 500W of power consumption, primarily during winter months.
• Filtration-related Moisture: Addressing moisture caused by filtration demands the expertise of a plumber or a specialized waterproofing professional, equipped with a thermal camera to pinpoint the problem areas. This approach ensures targeted repairs are conducted in specific areas, minimizing unnecessary work.

The experience garnered from installing the innovative HS-221 system assures us that we can effectively eliminate ground floor capillary moisture. This system works by redirecting water molecules back into the subsoil, granted that the liquid water level remains at least 50cm away from the floor.

Since 2014, the HS-221 system has predominantly been exported to Europe. Remarkably, our exports have consistently grown by over 30% each year. This growth is testament to its proven efficiency and speed in tackling capillary moisture removal (rising damp).

Feel free to reach out to us with your concerns. You can send us photos and provide a detailed description of your issue. We commit to delivering a diagnosis within a span of 24 hours.