Deciding to build a granny flat is simple, designing and building the extension can be a lot harder. You'll have a lot of questions to answer along the way. Can you use a general contractor or is is better to use one who has built a lot of granny flats before? Is a template design better than a customised one? Should you let the person who'll live in the flat have a say in what it looks like? Luckily, I'm here to help. My name is Maria. We moved my Mum into a purpose-built granny flat last year, so I've had to answer all these questions and more. I thought it'd be useful for other people to see how we managed the process, so here we are — get reading!
The Real Cost Of Rising Damp And Why You Need It Repaired ASAP
Rising damp is a common problem in many homes across Australia. There is really no great way of preventing it until you know you already have it, and it can be impossible to predict when buying or constructing a home. Rising damp comes through your foundations from the earth, which makes it extremely frustrating to deal with and often quite expensive to repair. However, money is the least of your problems as there is a much more severe cost of rising damp that is often forgotten about.
Damp Causes Breathing Problems
Studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between the damp conditions of your home and the prevalence of respiratory issues. This is no simple cold either, as respiratory problems can be seriously life-threatening and not go away until the problem itself is treated. That is why rising damp repair is so vital: the health problems associated with it cannot be cured completely until the damp is gone. While you may go to the doctor and get antibiotics and other drugs that manage your condition, these will never be enough and that can be an expensive habit to try and maintain.
Mould Can Cause Infections
Rising damp has many symptoms, and one of these, which is created by the wet conditions, is mould. Mould is always bad to be around and has many awful and long-lasting implications for your quality of life (which are listed by the Victorian government here) and include weakened immune systems, asthma and allergies. If you already suffer from any of those conditions, as millions of Australians do, rising damp can genuinely be life-threatening. Don't put it off; start looking at solutions as soon as you can.
Rising Damp Repair
Luckily, there is a way to eradicate the problem completely by hiring a rising damp repair contractor. If you catch it early enough, then rising damp can be fixed with some simple preventative work and a few replacement parts. Unfortunately, rising damp repair services are often called only after significant damage has already been done to the wall, which requires a more in-depth removal of plaster and structural frames underneath. In those cases, it is often advised that you find alternate housing during the time work is ongoing because of how intrusive and loud it often is. Remember, this is as much about fixing your home as it is about your health, and you should think about the benefits through both of those lenses.