How to Control Dampness in Houses?

Written by: Samira Haleemzai

Some mud houses are built on land that has moisture, and this moisture might cause problems for the residents of such houses.

AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some people about this issue and its solution.

Sahar, a resident of Maidan-Wardak province says, “Our house had dampness; the walls were soaked and had mold due to moisture and found cracks and finally the ceiling of one of the rooms destroyed and we had to rent another house.”

A woman from Paktia province says, “We are suffering from our house dampness. The damp caused cracks in the walls. One night when we were asleep, the ceiling of one of the rooms fell down but fortunately we were in the other room. The moisture caused me rheumatism and I am suffering from legs pain too.”

What do some people think about the causes of dampness in houses?

Saliha, a resident of Nangarhar province says, “Cooking inside the kitchen creates vapors and if the windows of kitchen and rooms are closed, these vapors accumulate inside the kitchen and living rooms and cause humidity.”

Hosai, a resident of Kabul city says, “Our house is built on the surface of the ground and has no sun; we have no basement under our living rooms and on the other hand, we cover our windows with plastic in the winter and these factors caused the dampness of the house.”

How do some people find a solution to this issue?

 Khan Muhammad, a resident of Ghazni province says, “When we build a house, we make the walls wider and we use more stones in the footing of the house. We regularly remove snow behind the walls in the winter and these tips help us to prevent dampness of the walls.”

A woman from Kapisa province says, “In the beginning, we were suffering from the dampness of our rooms then my husband dug a well in the yard far from the living rooms and concreted its surface. Now the water of kitchen and bathrooms accumulate in the mentioned well and we regularly evacuate water from the well and now we are saved from the dampness of the rooms.”