To reduce dampness in your home, ensure that shower screen hinges are in good working order. Seal shower taps behind the bezels (where the shower taps enter the wall) any waterproof sealant. Any small gaps and openings could allow water to enter into the brickwork, causing damp problems. ‘
Seal the edges of sinks, basins and baths with an approved silicone sealer to prevent water entering behind the worktop and vanities, causing them to swell. Check the tiled roof for broken or cracked tiles and ridges and replace where necessary (check for cracked grout on the ridge tiles). This is a common problem with tiled roofs.
Check that the geyser (if it is installed inside the roof or house) has an overflow tray correctly installed. The safety valve outlet and overflow pipe must also discharge to the outside of the roof or house.
Ensure that the ground level outside the house is a minimum of 150mm below that of the floor level of the house. If not, water will be drawn through the walls into the interior of the house.
Seal the tops and the undersides of all external timber doors with an approved external sealer or varnish. In many cases the tops and bottoms have not been sealed, which results in the door swelling during the rainy season.
Check the beading on timber framed windows the beading holds the glass to the frame). If these are broken, warped or missing, have them replaced as water will ingress into the frame and end up inside the wall under the window.
Clean your gutters and downpipes regularly (three times a year), especially if there are trees hanging over the roof. Ensure covers are placed outlets on the roof to prevent leaves, tennis balls and other objects from entering and blocking them.
Waterproof the tops of plastered parapets and garden walls to prevent rain entering the hairline plaster cracks and permeating down through the wall. This leads to unsightly damp areas.
Check all the roof valleys for debris such as leaves which will impede the flow of water off the roof. If you have a metal roof, check that there are no loose roof screws. lf you find these, seal them with a waterproof membrane.
Ensure that your boundary walls have reasonably sized outlets built into the wall to facilitate the removal of storm-water build-up. Failure to do so may result in the wall collapsing.
Some inspections and maintenance jobs are necessitated by seasonal changes. Endeavor to stick to the routine because it allows you to make your property more energy efficient. Although handling minor DIY electrical inspections and repair work is fine, you may need to call professionals for major repairs.