5 Main Causes of Damp in Bathroom Walls

Oct 2023

Finding dampness in the bathroom is unavoidable, but the one thing that cannot be avoided is the potential problem this leads to. When a considerable amount of water or moisture is accumulated in the bathroom, it contributes to the creation of dampness. To get clean bathroom tiles, it is important to first get rid of all the unwanted dampness that is there on your lavish ceramics.

Wall Dampness

Wall dampness mainly takes place because of the old structures. Following this, pipeline aging also contributes majorly to leakage and dampness of the walls. In the worst-case scenario, it can pose a threat to life as it leads to the formation of black mold. Black mold is fungus growth on the walls that occur because of moisture. Therefore, it is a wise decision to not let the wall dampness affect our lives adversely.

Top 5 Causes of Damp in Bathroom Walls

Before heading on to the treatment of dampness walls in the bathroom, it is important to be aware of the causes that lead to dampness in the first place. Although there are many causes when it comes to the wall tiles getting damped, the top 5 reasons are mentioned below and discussed thoroughly: –

Roof Leakage

It is possible for water to penetrate from the roof to deep inside the walls as well as the bathroom ceiling. Therefore, in order to prevent dampness, it is recommended to well maintain the roofing thereby keeping it in a very good condition. This is to ensure that there is no potential leak from the water tank.

Cracks in the walls

In the case of rainwater, it can easily penetrate into the building with the help of wall cracks thereby leading to the dampness of the bathroom followed by the rest of the areas of the home. Therefore, adequate measures should be taken to avoid this complicated situation.

Condensation

As the name suggests, condensation takes place when the steam or warm humid air transitions to form water droplets. This can be seen on the bathroom’s cold surfaces for example windows, ceiling, wall tiles, and such. Therefore, to get rid of this condensation problem, it is advised to occasionally open the windows. Another great alternative is to switch the exhaust fan on often so that the humid air can go out and the fresh dry air can replace it. A few of the other effective measures for treating dampness in the bathroom walls can be regularly wiping the windows and sills.

Adjacent bathrooms leakage

Irrespective of whether the house is independent or a high-rise one, you may encounter a dampness situation if there is any kind of leakage from the following adjacent bathroom whether it’s from the same floor or from the bathroom’s immediate floor.

Leakage from pipes

If the PVC pipes of the bathroom are leaked, it will lead to dampness as well. So, to prevent this problem, it’s a wise decision to join the joints with the help of waterproof tape at the time of installation. One such tip to opt for is going for silicon sealants at the junction of the bathroom fittings such as W.C, bathtub, and even the commode.

Measures to Avoid Dampness in Bathroom Walls

The following are said to be the adequate measures that help in getting rid of the dampness in the bathroom tiles and walls: –

Wiping the surfaces

One thing that dampness contributes to is the growth of mold. So, to avoid such conditions, it is advised to go for either a towel or even a dry cloth and use it to remove all the water that you can from the bathroom’s surfaces. One thing about opting for this method is that you need not clean the entire bathroom with a towel, rather get rid of all the water that you can and that’s it.

Maintaining the warmth of the room

It is recommended to keep and maintain the warmth of the room as then it will not contribute to condensation of the bathroom. So, it is advisable to install either a radiator or an underfloor heating. The best part about installing either of these is that you are not only getting rid of condensation but also keeping your bathroom dry after you are done taking your shower. However, the one thing that you need to keep in mind is the working status of the radiator or the underfloor heating.

Opening the window

One of the easiest solutions when it comes to getting rid of the dampness is just by simply opening up the window. This will hence let all the humid air go out and then the outside fresh air will get to come inside. One of the effective approaches to do it is by opening the window prior to taking a shower and then shutting it off while showering. However, it is advised to never open the bathroom door to let the humid air escape as instead of escaping, it will just contribute to spreading to the rest of the house.

Installation and optimum usage of exhaust fan

In case there is no window in the bathroom, it is recommended to install an exhaust fan. If you are neither opening the window nor installing the exhaust fan in the bathroom then it may highly contribute to the dampness of your bathroom walls and frankly, nobody wants that. With the help of an exhaust fan, you will be able to easily remove the water vapour. The only precaution that is needed when it comes to installation and usage of an exhaust fan is that you need to occasionally clean it so that it doesn’t get dirty.

Conclusion

Inevitably, damp walls can cause a lot of unwanted problems but with adequate measures, the problems can be avoided to a great extent. One thing that you can go for while treating is tiling the walls to not let the dampness settle in the first place. Thus, this is all the information that was there to know about major causes of dampness that occur in a bathroom.