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how to paint anything
The average home in South Africa is exposed to regular downpours of rain, so it is no surprise that damp can become a big problem in many homes throughout the country, especially in view of the flooding experience in certain areas.
Although most damp problems are much less serious than they actually look, whatever the cause, damp can be very bad for our health and can lead to extensive damage, resulting in costly repairs.
Here are some of the main causes of damp:
Rising Damp
Caused by water soaking up through floors and walls, normally only to a height of 1 metre. This problem usually occurs in houses in which the damp proof course has failed or not installed. If walls feel damp and cold to the touch, or have loose or bubbling plaster, then rising damp is probably the cause. It is also very common in homes that do not have a concrete apron around the perimeter of the structure, or where water collects close to walls.
Solution: The easiest way to check the cause is to start by lowering the level of soil or grass around the perimeter of the structure to see if it makes a difference. If not, you may need to look at having a chemically injected damp proof course applied to the walls Here Aqua-Mite works well.
Penetrating Damp
Caused by issues with the plumbing, where a problem has allowed water to enter the property. It can affect roofs and ceilings and along walls where a watermark might appear and grow if the water continues to enter. If not fixed, plaster may start to perish. Penetrating damp can sometimes be caused by gutter or roof problems, which have allowed rainwater to saturate areas of wall.
Solution: Penetrating damp forms when water gets in from the outside, so the first step is to check everything in and around the property. Examine gutters, down pipes, flashing, rendering and window frames in detail. Always make sure that down pipes are unobstructed, and if the guttering has seen better days, think about replacing it with new easy-to-fit plastic guttering. Aqua-Mite and our Waterproofing DIY kit are ideal.
Condensation: Caused by excessive moisture due to insufficient ventilation, condensation will arise and moisture will be in the air, even if you cannot see it. Mould has a strong musty smell and may appear on walls, ceilings, furniture and even curtains. Bathrooms, more than any other room in the home, are prone to excessive condensation.
Solution: Unlike other types of damp, installing extractor fans or increasing the amount of ventilation in a room, e.g. kitchen, bathroom or laundry, easily resolves problems with condensation. Appliances that produce moisture, such as a tumble dryer, should be vented to the outside.
Mold
As a consequence of damp, mold is a fungus that requires moisture and warmth to proliferate and can often be found in bathrooms, under kitchen cabinets, inside built-in cupboards and other warm and moist areas in the home. Mold can be found in a variety of colours ranging from yellow, green and black, depending upon the type of fungus involved and all types can cause a serious health hazard, especially for those suffering from asthma and allergies.
Solution: The cause of the problem needs to be determined before attempting to remove mould, otherwise it will simply re-appear – see details above on types of damp. An easy way to kill mould is to use Mildew-Go. Use this as directed. Mildew-Go has a clinical odor.
Access for application
In most cases, exterior surfaces are larger and higher than interior surfaces. Consequently, some form of scaffolding may be required, as well as a particular method of working that will result in even coverage after a number of sessions. Do make sure that when erecting scaffolding, that there is adequate space between the tower and the wall to enable you to prepare the surface and apply the paint.
However, unless you have to contend with very large walls, a ladder will usually suffice. When using a ladder, be sure to use a ladder stay – it will make the ladder more stable and make it easier to hang a bucket or roller on the underside with easy access for the brush or roller. Extend the ladder so that you can reach the top of the wall, but remember that it is unsafe to leave less than four rungs above your feet. Position the ladder so that you can reach the extreme right hand side – or left hand side if you are left handed – of the wall.
Assuming you are right-handed, complete the panel to the right of the ladder, then move the ladder to the left and work on the adjacent panel. Continue horizontally across the wall until you reach the left hand side of the wall, and then adjust the ladder to allow access to the area below, and so on. If the light or weather forces you to abandon work before the project is complete, you must try and break off at a point where the joining of the dry and wet film will show least, such as at a pipe running down the wall, a window, moulding or something similar.
how to paint anything
If you have a chimney serving a fireplace in your home, ensure that the walls of the chimney are at least 220mm thick so that when the fire is burning, the outer skin of the chimney remains cool. Also make sure that all the joints between the bricks are well sealed so no smoke or flame can escape and cause problems.
The chimney must be at least one meter higher than the roof and have a spark arrestor, made from stainless steel wire mesh, installed 700mm from the top of the chimney. Any sparks that fly out of the chimney should get caught in the mesh rather than land on the roof possibly causing a fire.
Not only is thatch beautiful to look at, but also very practical and if well installed and maintained, it can be one of the most durable and attractive roofs on the market. – Antonella Desi
To enquire about Fire-Guard™, a thatch roof flame retardant accepted by insurance companies.
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Cosmo-Dec Everlasting Coatings originated in 1991, with a single product – Therma-Masta™.
Knowledge gained from manufacturing this complex and unique product allowed us to formulate new and innovative products such as Fire-Guard™, Aqua-Mite™, Aqua-Therm™, Clean-Air, etc. for specialty applications.
To-day, 3 decades on we manufacture more than 50 different types of construction chemicals out of our factory in Pretoria, Gauteng.
