Empty Flats · Terraces · Hillside Villas · Mould
In Albir, a good share of damp starts when a property is shut for weeks. Add salt air, terraces over other flats and villas cut into the hillside, and you have a place where diagnosis really matters.
L'Albir has a seafront strip of apartments and a slope of villas rising towards the Sierra Helada. Most are holiday homes or second homes, which means long stretches with the windows closed and the air standing still. Weeks of shut windows follow.
Moisture builds up in a closed flat. Humid air condenses on cool walls and ceilings, especially in bathrooms and north-facing rooms, and mould appears long before the owner returns. It is very often condensation, not a structural fault, but it can be mistaken for one.
Other problems are genuinely structural: leaking terraces, cracked render and damp lower floors in hillside villas. Telling these apart is the main work of a survey, and we do not treat anything before knowing what it is. That is why we always begin with diagnosis.
Empty homes
A flat left shut through autumn or winter has no air movement, and the surfaces stay cool while moisture in the air rises. Black spotting appears on ceilings, behind wardrobes and around window frames, often returning after being painted over.
The cure starts with ventilation and humidity control, not paint. Extractors that work properly, trickle ventilation, wardrobes that are not pressed against external walls and a sensible routine for leaving the flat all help. It is a routine every second-home owner should have.
If a check shows the moisture is actually entering through the structure, we say so, and treat the source. That second case needs treating, repairing and decorating over, in that order. A coat of anti-mould paint alone will not stop water arriving.
Terraces
Many Albir flats have large terraces, and those over living space depend on a hidden waterproof layer. When that fails, damp appears in the ceiling below, sometimes in the neighbour's flat, while the tiles above look perfect. Stains in a ceiling are therefore rarely the whole story.
We investigate, remove the surface where needed, repair the base, install a proper waterproofing system and relay the finish. Doing this correctly once is better than patching it every winter. The job should be done once, with the right materials.
Sea-facing facades take wind-driven rain and salt. Cracked render and hardened sealant around windows let water in, and repairing them stops damp appearing on interior walls. These repairs are usually modest in size but make a lasting difference to dry, healthy walls.
Hillside
Many villas on the hillsides have a lower floor, garage or store set partly into the ground. Soil against the back wall pushes water sideways through the structure, and the symptoms are easily mistaken for rising damp. The wall can look completely ordinary from inside.
What we do depends on access. Where the outside face of the wall can be reached, waterproofing it and improving drainage is the stronger answer. Where it cannot, tanking from inside is the practical route. Drainage along the foot of the wall is often part of the answer.
If you intend to convert that level into living space, deal with the waterproofing first and the finishes second. Putting plasterboard on first and hoping is a recipe for a second job, a year later. Get it dry first. Waterproofing comes before decoration.
How it works
We visit the property, look at the affected areas, the exterior walls and the terrace or ground around them. If you are abroad, photographs and a video call from a representative on site can start the diagnosis. Notes from a caretaker or neighbour help us.
We then give our opinion and a written quotation at no charge, including the redecorating afterwards. Updates reach you while the work is underway, both languages are covered, and the guarantee on the work is set out in the quotation.
Questions
A closed flat has no air movement, so moisture condenses on cool surfaces. It is usually a ventilation and humidity matter, not a fault in the building, though we check to make sure. A short ventilation routine usually helps.
We trace the leak, strip back to a sound base, repair it, fit a proper waterproofing system and relay the finish. New tiles over a failed layer will not solve it. Neighbours may be affected too, so speed matters.
Often yes, but waterproofing must come first. We tank it from inside or treat the outside face if reachable. We tell you honestly if the site makes it more difficult. Waterproofing the lower floor first is always sensible.
Yes. Replastering, painting and flooring repairs are part of the same job, so you get a finished room back and not a bare wall waiting for another firm. We also check electrics near affected walls.
Across the area
The causes of damp vary with the building type, the exposure and how often a property is occupied. These nearby pages explain how the problem and the cure differ elsewhere on the coast.
Damp proofing in Benissa for old town houses, countryside fincas and coastal villas: diagnosis first, then treatment, repair and finishing. Free quotation.
View Benissa →Get in touch
Tell us where it appears, when it began and whether the property is often empty. Photographs of the affected walls and ceilings help a great deal. Notes on when it is worst are useful.
We will book a survey and follow it with a free quotation that explains the cause as well as the cure. You will see the diagnosis, the repair and the redecoration listed separately.
Customer reviews
Genuine Google reviews from Dragon Reforms customers.
Professional Collaboration & Complete House Renovation – Calpe
“We have been collaborating for many years on projects both large and small, with excellent results. Our latest collaboration was the complete renovation of a house in Calpe. Thanks to their professionalism and reliability, they were able to handle all phases of the project. We hope to continue working together for many years to come.”
Complete Apartment Renovation – Benidorm
“I would like to say a huge thank you to Dragonreforms. Nico and his team did an excellent job renovating our 2 bedroom apartment in Benidorm. This included a beautiful new bathroom, kitchen, flooring, interior doors, plumbing and complete electrical works. Truly amazing workmanship. You have made our dreams come true.”
More from Dragon Reforms
Everything Dragon Reforms does in Albir, each with its own page.
Get a quote
Tell us where the damp is and what the property is. We cover Calpe and the surrounding north Costa Blanca, and the survey and quotation cost you nothing.
