Why Does My House Smell Damp When It Rains?

• Penetrating damp
• Rising damp
• Condensation
• Mould
• Book your damp odour removal today

During and after spells of heavy rain, lots of different odours can appear in your home, ranging from a sewage smell to the stench of urine. But if a room smells damp when it rains, it is a sign of mould, mildew, and damp air in a property.

Here at ICE Cleaning, we offer a comprehensive damp odour removal service. Our odour neutralisation experts can diagnose the cause of the damp smell after rain and eliminate it entirely. They are available across the UK, day and night, 365 days a year.

Continue reading to find out what could be causing the smell.

Penetrating damp

This is when water moves from the exterior wall of a building to the interior during a downpour. Here are some of the most common causes of penetrating damp:

• Properties that don’t have an insulating cavity or an incorrectly filled cavity
• Leaky gutters
• Broken or cracked brickwork
• Damaged or incorrectly installed windows
• Burst pipes and defective plumbing
• Broken roof tiles

There are lots of signs that you have penetrating damp including patches of damp on walls after rain, peeling wallpaper, droplets on the surface, blistered plastering, mould, and a damp odour. As these symptoms are shared by other kinds of damp, it can be hard to differentiate between them.

You must bring in a professional to diagnose the kind of damp in your home and what is causing it to have the problem repaired and get rid of the odour for good. Otherwise, you could end up facing a large mould problem, structural issues, dry and wet rot, and timber decay.

Rising damp

This is when moisture from the grounds travels up through the walls of a property. It is caused by not having a Damp Proof Course (DPC) or having a faulty DPC which is a barrier to moisture rising from the ground into the building’s structure.

Rising damp is worsened after heavy periods of rain as there is more moisture in the ground that can be soaked up by your home. Here are some of the symptoms of rising damp to look out for:

• There are “tide marks” of salt on your internal walls which indicate how high the water has risen (usually to a maximum of 1.5 metres)
• Peeling and stained wallpaper
• Blistering paint
• Dark, damp patches on internal walls
• Discoloured and fragmented plaster
• A damp odour

It is recommended you bring in damp professionals to conduct a rising damp survey and fix the problem as soon as possible, such as repairing or replacing the faulty DPC.

Condensation

When moist air comes in contact with cold surfaces like windowpanes or walls, it condenses and leaves behind water droplets on the surface. This form of damp is especially common during periods of cold, wet weather as we are more likely to keep our windows closed and trap in warm, moist air.

The signs of condensation are quite obvious: there is water collecting on windows, window sills, and other non-absorbent surfaces, wallpaper is peeling and rotting, and mould is growing.

When you notice condensation in your home, open windows to ventilate the property and let out the humid air. There are lots of ways to prevent condensation, too, like:

• Ventilating the bathroom and kitchen when washing and cooking by opening windows or installing extractor fans
• Drying clothes outdoors
• Regularly opening windows
• Keeping humidity levels below 50% with a dehumidifier

Mould

Damp is the main cause of mould which produces the smell of damp in a house. This is because during the growth and reproduction stage, mould produces microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) which can give off a musty odour.

Aside from the smell, the signs of mould growth to look out for include:

• Residents experiencing asthma or allergies flare-ups
• Residents suffering from persistent colds
• Grey, black, and green specks and stains appearing around your home

As soon as you spot mould in your home, you must bring in mould remediation specialists like our technicians to get rid of it. Mould is dangerous to be exposed to and can cause health problems, particularly for vulnerable groups. You can learn more about how harmful mould is here.

Professional cleaners can diagnose why the mould is growing, remove all traces of it, and advise on how to prevent it returning in the future.

Book your damp odour removal today

Our technicians have experience neutralising a range of stubborn odours including fire smoke odour and the cigarette smoke smell. They can also provide any other additional services you may require like mould removal.

Get in touch with our helpful team today on 0208 066 0360 and enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk to learn more about our damp odour removal services.