Moisture - It's possible without damp walls in Mallorca

To stay dry in your island home, there are both temporary and long-term solutions. An overview

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If you live in a place surrounded by billions of cubic meters of water, you shouldn't be surprised by the above-average humidity. On Mallorca, the annual average is around 74 percent. This figure can even rise to 90 percent in the winter months and on rainy days. The optimum humidity for human health, however, is between 20 and 50 percent.

Home and apartment owners on the island therefore have to contend with humidity problems. Especially because many buildings here do not have sufficient insulation properties to prevent moisture from penetrating the masonry from the outside.

There are various ways of solving the problem, ranging from efficient room ventilation and the installation of mobile dehumidifiers to complex renovation work on the masonry. The latter in particular should be chosen in order to keep moisture out of rooms and spaces in the long term.

Right ventilation in the house

One of the simple "household remedies" against a clammy indoor climate is so-called ventilation. Instead of leaving the windows ajar for long periods of time, experts recommend opening them three or four times a day for a few minutes and then closing them again. Bedrooms should always be aired immediately after getting up, as the body produces moisture in the form of sweat during sleep.

Salt and rice in the kitchen

High humidity is also a problem in the kitchen.

To prevent food from clumping together due to absorbed moisture, placing a bowl of salt or rice that binds water helps.

Saving showers

One of the biggest sources of moisture in the home is the shower. For this reason, the use of hot water under the shower should be handled with care. The shorter the hot shower, the less water vapor and moisture is produced.  

Ensure the right room temperature

The humidity in the house always depends to a large extent on the room temperature, or rather on the difference between the room temperature and the outside temperature. The meeting of cold and warm air, for example when opening windows and doors, leads to condensation forming. A room temperature adapted to the outside temperature - which should ideally be at a maximum of 20-21 degrees Celsius - reduces the formation of moisture in the house.

Mobile dehumidifiers

To reduce the humidity level of rooms in the short term, electrically operated and mobile dehumidifiers are available from specialist retailers or DIY stores on the island. The devices, which are available in different sizes, suck in the ambient air and remove part of the moisture content by means of heat condensation. The resulting condensation water is collected in containers that are emptied at regular intervals.

Long-term solutions
In order to solve the moisture problem in the house in the long term, a comprehensive investigation of the causes by specialized companies or building experts is required first. This is especially true in the case of regular mold infestation on walls, which can lead to serious health problems. In this case, the only long-term solution is to renovate or refurbish the masonry with an appropriate damp-proofing method. In this case too, house and apartment owners should seek advice from a specialist company due to the large number of methods available.Ramming process
Moisture infestation in masonry is sometimes the cause of a permeable bed joint in the wall. This can be remedied by ramming a wedge-shaped chrome steel sheet into the joint so that the mortar is displaced upwards and downwards. If the joint is not present, the masonry is cut open at the appropriate point.

Drilling method

Holes are drilled with a special drill and then filled with a chemical sealant. The agent is injected into the wall via a storage container that is attached to the drill holes.

Pressure injection

Here too, holes are drilled into the wall. However, the sealant is injected using machine-generated pressure.

Infrared panels

Another option for drying damp walls are infrared panels, which are hung in front of the wet masonry to dry it out.

Electrophysical method
With this method, the moisture is "displaced"  from the masonry using electrical voltageFurther information at:

Isotec Mallorca

www.isotec.de

KGS Mallorca,

Hellmuth Krüger

www.kgs-mallorca.com