Who doesn’t love the smell of wet mud, the thundering of clouds, the lightening and the drops of rain hitting the windowpane? Everyone enjoys a hot cup of coffee, some steaming hot pakodas and long drives in the monsoon season. But there are two sides of every coin; there is always a flip side. So is with monsoons, while we enjoy the weather, rains also bring with them quite a few adverse effects. In India, water seepage in homes and other buildings is one of the most common issues that results because of monsoon rains. Dampness has a lot of ill effects not just on the building and its infrastructure but also on the health of the people who live in these buildings.

It’s sad to see every second home dealing with such issues of dampness and yet people are so ignorant about them. In fact I just observed a damp patch on one of my room’s wall and I realized that we have been ignorant about it since quite sometime, and this monsoon season it has become more prominent than ever before. I immediately searched about dampness on the internet and learned so much, dampness is not a small issue, it can cause a lot of damages.

Bad design, faulty construction or use of poor quality of materials are some of the reasons that cause dampness. Dampness not only affects the life of the building but also creates unhygienic conditions.

Dampness tends to cause secondary damage to a building. The unwanted moisture enables the growth of various fungi in wood, causing rot or mould health issues and may lead to sick building syndrome. Plaster and paint deteriorate and wallpaper loosens. Stains from the water, salt and from mold mar surfaces. The highest airborne mould concentrations are found in buildings where significant mould infestation has occurred, usually as a result of severe water intrusion or flood damage. Molds can grow on almost any surface and occur where there is a lot of moisture from structural problems such as leaky roofs or high humidity levels. Airborne mold concentrations have the potential to be inhaled and can have health effects.

Health concerns around mold include infections, allergenic or immunological illness, and nonallergic illness. Asthma is also triggered by the sensitization of dust mites accruing humid, wet regions of a structure. Another health effect associated with structural dampness is the presence of bacteria in an indoor environment. Bacteria require water to grow and multiply. Bacteria are a source for the transmission of diseases, therefore putting occupants’ health at risk by water intrusion into the indoor environment.

To sum up, we can easily say that dampness can lead to following problems:

• Reduce the life of structures
• Causes bleaching and blistering of paints.
• Causes petting off and removal of plaster.
• Causes corrosion of metallic fixtures.
• Deteriorate carpet & furniture.
• Deteriorate electric installations
• Causes spots on the floors and walls.
• Causes rotting of wood.
• Causes effloresce.
• Dangerous for the health of occupants.

Though solutions are available people don’t take these problems seriously unless they become mammoth.

Watch this new ad by Dr. Fixit with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan where he has portrayed the importance of waterproofing in his amazing way!

It’s strange that on one hand we are celebrating 70 years of independence whereas on the other hand we are not even free from the adverse effects of dampness in our life. This Independence can we all take a pledge that we won’t let dampness ruin our homes and health of the people we care about? At least I am going to get my home sorted immediately and also urge my near and dear ones to do the same.

Dr. Fixit offers both preventive and post-damage care solutions.

So whether you are building your home or repairing it, Dr. Fixit has products that are of high quality and assure fixation of issues. From external walls, to roof protection, from water tank seepage issues, to internal wall cracks, Dr. Fixit has products for all your needs and they offer recommendations with the help of their technical experts.

So lets all take a pledge “This Independence Month, Say No To Damp Walls & Ceilings, Leakage and Cracks, let’s take the opportunity of this time of the year to take an oath to strive for Freedom From Dampness”

Also, next time when you want to get any tips or solutions to make you home healthy and happy, check out the Happy Homes Blog.