There’s absolutely nothing worse than going to bed after a long day and hearing a drip, drip, drip echoing throughout the house.
Picture this. You get up to turn off the nearest faucet before going back to bed, only to hear the persistent noise again. Your eyes pop open. You stare at the ceiling all night, counting sheep to distract yourself.
Not a fun situation to be in, but can you imagine if it wasn’t just one faucet—but your whole house? That’s what a home that isn’t waterproofed is like and why it’s even more critical to get it done professionally.
Think of it as a plastic bag for your bread: it keeps water and nasty stuff out while making sure what’s inside is dry, fresh, and ready for a good slathering of butter and condiments.
It’s an extra layer of protection that will ensure the longevity of your house, your latest pay check and more importantly, you and your family’s safety.
A water compromised building means compromised health for both inhabitants and the structure. It’s all about the three Ms—or moisture, mould, and medical emergency:
- Moisture. Just like your loaf of bread wrapped in a plastic bag, interior linings are designed to keep your home safe and dry. Any leaks or excess moisture can result in the structure of your home degrading via swelling plaster board, ceilings, architraves and cornicing, mould, rising damp, rot, and even electrical fires. If you have wet timber, stability and structural integrity are very likely to deteriorate over time resulting in the possibility of your home collapsing.
Any of these problems mean you would have to pay through the nose to fix your house and make it safe for your family again. Whether you purchase or rent the right tools to right the damage or engage a builder to do it for you, the bills will add up. That’s also before factoring in any medical costs from sustained injuries or replacing anything that’s been water damaged inside. And don’t forget the extra costs you’ve already incurred to cool or heat rooms due to poor insulation. Starting to sound like a big pile of problems, right? - Mould. Have you noticed black or greenish black splotches on your walls? It’s time to worry. Regular inhalation of toxic black mould is dangerous. Do it for a long time and you can pretty much guarantee your lungs will be rife with the spores, too. Black mould can lead to persistent ill health, particularly for those with asthma or compromised respiratory systems.
- Medical emergency. If toxic black mould side effects weren’t scary enough, take some time to think about the increased danger of electrical fires not waterproofing your home might mean. You don’t need to take Science 101 to know that water plus electricity plus humans equals a medical emergency. Any cables inside your walls exposed to water can create a spark or flame upon contact and, well, I can’t overstate how bad that would be for your home and your family.
Without waterproofing, the structural integrity of your house at risk. So is your health, the health of your family and those who visit your home. So, for the safety of your wallet, property, and the lives of those you care about, do the right thing. Ensure your house is adequately waterproofed by a professional.