Mcnally Contracts

Water staining on your walls can be worrying and leave you scratching your head as to how they’ve come to be there.

Could be rising damp..

Could be condensation…

Could be penetrating damp….

We will undertake a survey and provide a written report on the issues you’re facing, the causes and the remedies to put it right.

Having a builder, maintenance team or handyman diagnose and remedy these type of issues will not cut it.

This is a specialist area and must be undertaken by specialists.

If you’re suffering from any type of damp within your property, please get in touch and will be sure to be of service to you.

We are still in condensation season..

🥶 Cold surfaces
💦 High humidity levels
🤒 Poor ventilation
🫣 Dare I say.. living conditions 😬

These are all contributor’s to condensation and subsequently mould!

There are a number of practices we can utilise without breaking the bank.

There are a number of methods of battling condensation that will mean spending money to do so.. but it’s a necessary evil if we want to live in habitable conditions.

If your a landlord , letting agent, housing manager.. that may not be what you want to hear but both tenant and owner must do their bit and work together.

Having your handyman or maintenance team handle the remedial work isn’t the way to go, this must be dealt with properly. The remedial action must meet the conditions of every property.

If you’d like speak further or would like some info on condensation control you can pass onto tenants, comment below or send me a DM.. I’m happy to help

External maintenance is so important!

Neglect this and you are asking for trouble 🤷🏼‍♂️

Water will find a way in if you make it easy for it 😐

If you have any damp issues internally, the first place to check is externally adjacent to the issues.

Speed is key, if you leave it too long then the remedial costs will escalate.

Dont wait till it gets to that and get in touch if you need a hand 👋🏼

Small job we carried out last week…

Client had mould on the surface of this inset window box.

Cold surface , lack of airflow and the fact it was mdf meant it was the perfect breeding ground for mould. (Mdf is very hygroscopic)

Client had already stripped it back, we installed a membrane to act as a vapour barrier, insulated between the studs to raise the surface temp and keep heat in the room, plasterboard finish.

No more mould and a warmer room 🤝

External checks you can do to minimize internal damp risks to a property…

Check…

✅ Roof for missing or slipped tiles
✅ Gutters are clear and allowing water to run into downpipes
✅ Downpipes are connected at all joints
✅ Downpipes are not corroded or burst (pay attention to the back where it meets the wall)
✅ External ground is not bridging internal dpc or subfloor
✅ Window seals are not blown

If there are any signs of damp internally, look for a defect adjacent externally as you may just find the source.

And most of all don’t panic! All issues can be fixed although speed of action is key for cutting down on damage and therefore cost.

There’s plenty of other defects that can cause issues so ,If you can name any more external defects you’ve seen please comment below 🙌🏻

We’re in the middle of ‘Condensation season’

Lack of extraction ❌
Lack of passive airflow ❌
Cold surfaces ❌
Lack of heat ❌
Drying washing indoors ❌

Some things can’t be helped, we need to make the most of what we have.

If you’ve got an extractor fan, makes use of it. ✅

You can open windows in the morning to dilute the humid air with fresh drier air. (Front and back windows for cross flow ventilation) ✅

If drying washing indoors , make use of a dehumfier if you have one. (Place next to the clothes) ✅

Keep furniture a few inches off the walls to allow airflow ✅

Before you break the bank fighting condensation, try the above.

There are a number of options you have in terms of dealing with condensation and mould.

If you’d like to know more… get in touch 🤝

Wee holes 🧐🧐🧐🧐

Have you ever found these ‘wee holes’ in timber???

This is a flight hole of woodworm, here we have anobium punctatum aka common furniture beetle

The most commonly found woodworm species due to weather conditions and type of timber used.

These ‘wee holes may look harmless but they can have a devastating affect on your property. They eat away at your timber and can cause structural damage making the timber unsafe for use.

Most common found in lofts and in floorboards.

If you see these wee holes of anything similar please don’t ignore it, get a survey and report on the issues. You’ll pay a small survey fee but how much does peace of mind cost????

My DMs are always open 🤝

Great visual example of the route at which fireplace and chimneys let out the fumes from burning fossil fuel.

If you have ‘damp staining’ and it follows a strange path, this could be the reason. Burning of fossil fuel leaves its mark on the face of the internal plaster.

A lot of the time in these tenement buildings the fireplace has been closed over but most rooms had one.

A sign to look out for is the hearth at the floor against the wall or a patch in the floorboards where the hearth would have been.

It can be a head scratcher if you don’t know what your looking at. I love these old tenement buildings but they do take a lot of upkeep!

The benefits of digging a litter deeper whilst surveying…

It’s not always possible to cut hatches, take off skirting or drill walls to check for issues.

But, when you can and you know where to look, it can be so beneficial in uncovering what’s actually going on in those concealed areas .

Knowledge and experience will give you confidence in following a trail, spotting areas that will be high risk.

Randomly checking areas isn’t going to cut it I’m afraid, you need to know where to look!

And if you don’t know, you know someone will does 🙋🏼‍♂️

Xmas in near but we still have spaces left for surveys for any damp issues you may be facing!

Ignoring or waiting to deal with the unsightly stains or rotten timbers isn’t a productive strategy 🫵🏻😳

Get the experts in for peace of mind and then you can have a merry xmas without worrying.

Tel 0141 673 6221

www.mcnallycontracts.co.uk

Why does water condensate and stream down your windows????

Your windows generally have a lower surface temperature and could drop below the dew point.

Dew point is the temp at which atmospheric moisture will turn from a gas into a liquid (water)

As you can see from the thermal images below, the window temperature is lower than the wall right next to it.

Solution????

Lower the humidity levels in the property by using..

✅ Postive input ventilation
✅ Purge cross flow ventilation
✅ Negative extraction

If you would like to delve further into the above methods, please DM me and I’d be happy to jump on a call or a FaceTime to explain in more depth

Here’s are a few tips on keeping condensation
under control.

✅ KEEP A STEADY HEAT IN THE PROPERTY

✅ USE EXTRACTOR FANS IF YOU HAVE THEM

✅ OPEN WINDOWS AT FRONT AND BACK OF PROPERTY FOR 10min IN MORNING TO DILUTE THE HUMID AIR

✅ USE DEHUMIDIFIERS WHEN DRYING CLOTHES INDOORS

✅ KEEP FURNITURE 2 inches OFF WALLS TO ALLOW AIRLFOW

These are just a few tips, there are a number of ways to fight the dreaded condensation battle!

Try these first and if not successful, we can make further recommendations. Every property is different… some will need surface temp enhanced, some will need positive input ventilation, some will need negative extraction..

A survey and report is always advised if problems persist so please get in touch 🤝