Old Walls · Fincas · Coastal Villas · Diagnosis
Benissa has more variety of property than most towns nearby, and damp behaves differently in each. Our first job is to work out what kind of damp you have and where the water comes from.
The old part of Benissa has thick-walled houses with stone and traditional render, the countryside has fincas of different ages, and the coast has villas with terraces and lower floors. Each type collects moisture in its own way. The mix is unusual for the area.
That variety means there is no single cure. A treatment that suits a cement-rendered coastal villa can do harm to an old stone wall, which needs to breathe. Applying the wrong one wastes money and sometimes makes the problem worse.
So we begin by investigating, looking at the wall, the ground, the roof, the terraces and the plumbing. Only then do we recommend a treatment, and the repair and decoration afterwards form part of the same job. Only then is it sensible to spend money.
Old walls
Old masonry copes with water by letting it dry out through the surface. When a house has been repaired with cement, or covered with plastic paint, that route is blocked, and moisture rises or builds up behind the finish instead.
Typical signs are salts leaving white deposits on the wall, paint that blisters, and plaster that crumbles at the base. These do not always mean what they appear to, so we investigate before suggesting a remedy. Salts and flaking are symptoms rather than diagnoses.
Often the best treatment involves removing the impermeable layers and replacing them with something that allows the wall to dry, rather than adding another barrier. Breathable lime-based plaster and paint are normally the better choice for an old wall. In a few cases the cement is so extensive that removing it does more harm, and we say so.
Countryside
A rural house may stand on sloping land with soil against its back wall, with old gutters or none, and with floors laid straight on the earth. Each of these is a route for water, and several often combine. Gutters, falls and ground levels are all part of the picture.
We walk around the outside first. Where does rainwater go? Is the ground higher than the floor? Do downpipes discharge next to the wall? Fixing those external factors is frequently cheaper and more effective than any wall treatment. Raising a gutter or regrading a path costs little compared with tanking a wall.
If the damp is coming through a roof or from a leaking pipe, no wall product will cure it. We say so, and deal with the real source. A leaking roof or a failing pipe can look just like ground damp from inside. Telling them apart requires patience, a moisture check and sometimes a trial opening.
Coast
Villas near the sea face wind-driven rain, and a lower floor or garage set into the slope can sit against wet ground. Terraces over habitable rooms are another common source, as a failed waterproof layer under the tiles is invisible until stains appear below.
Where a lower level is to be used as living space, waterproofing it before it is finished saves removing new work later. We can tank internally or, where the ground can be reached, treat the outside face. Which one is chosen depends on access and on how much the room matters to you.
We also separate condensation from penetrating damp, because the two need entirely different responses. Dark patches in a cool corner, worse in winter and after cooking or showering, usually mean condensation. Damp through the wall tends to follow rain or the season instead.
How it works
The visit is the heart of it. We inspect the affected rooms, the exterior walls and any terrace or roof above, ask about when the damp appears, and tell you what we think the cause is and how confident we are.
A written quotation follows, free of charge, covering treatment, repair and redecoration. Updates can reach you abroad and we work in either language; the work is guaranteed, and the quotation sets out the scope. Repairs and decorating stay within the same job, so you do not need another firm.
Questions
Often because water is entering through the walls, roof or ground, not rising from below. Cement repairs, blocked drainage or failed render can all be involved. We trace the route at the survey before suggesting treatment.
Yes. We prefer approaches that let old walls dry, such as improving drainage and replacing impermeable layers, and we avoid methods that trap moisture. The right approach depends on the wall and its history. Each case is different.
Yes. We tank garages and underbuilds from inside, or from outside where the ground can be reached. Doing it before conversion into living space is far better than doing it afterwards. It is a common confusion and easy to resolve on site.
It can be either, and they need different cures. Condensation forms on cool surfaces from indoor humidity, while damp comes through the structure. We look at where and when it appears to tell them apart.
Across the area
Damp patterns change with the building and its setting, whether coastal, hillside or rural. These neighbouring pages explain what changes about damp in towns with other kinds of housing.
Damp proofing in Albir for holiday apartments and hillside villas: closed-up flats, terrace leaks, mould and lower floors, diagnosed first. Free quotation.
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Describe where it shows and when it gets worse, and send photographs if you can. Details like these help us narrow down the source. A date or season helps us narrow down the cause.
We will arrange a survey, with a written free quotation to follow, so you can see the cause and the cure laid out. The quotation names the cause, the cure and the redecoration.
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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
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