Common Solutions to Humidity Problems

Of all commonly employed solutions, painting is possibly the most prevalent and popular one, possibly for providing a visible and quick (albeit only apparent) solution as most symptoms are “masked” with a relatively smaller cash-outlay. The problem reappears shortly after, as the paint-film loses its initial flexibility, and begins to crack. This ageing process is considerably faster when the paint-film is exposed to UV Rays (exterior paints), and less able to follow the wall’s thermal induced expansion and contraction movements.

The lifespan of a paint-job will also vary considerably when other factors such as the quality of the paint, and the paint-film thickness come into play. It is important to highlight that only seldom the recommended paint film thickness of 300μ (circa 5 coatings) is achieved, along with the use of higher quality paints.

Other solutions, which may require a substantially larger initial cash outlay, such as ceramic, marble, and granite tile/panel veneering used in facades of buildings of all sizes, help in avoiding the need for frequent repainting of exterior walls. Despite the esthetical advantages and higher face value, the fact remains – these materials are highly porous and permeable in nature. This is a critical flaw, since materials that absorb considerable amounts of water become highly thermal conductive.

In other more extreme cases, the use of waterproofing membranes (commonly, bituminous) is preferred as a preventative to water penetration, and entire walls are covered and sealed, with serious negative consequences as a result. The problem, in most cases, becomes the inability for the wall to “breathe”, an essential and desirable characteristic of a soundly constructed wall, as it allows for the release from within of humidity resulting from condensation, rain, drainage, etc.

The inability of a wall to release the humidity content from within, leads to the saponification process resulting from a reaction of the alkalis with the oily elements of the membrane that occurs between the wall and the waterproofing membrane.
The eventual decay of both the wall and the membrane is inevitable. Please note that a similar phenomenon takes place with the use of some rubberized paints, which also limit the ability for the wall to “breathe”).