An overview of damp remediation measures practised by building occupants in Ghana

Abstract

A structured questionnaire survey was conducted on building occupants of 5,100 residential buildings affected by dampness in 11 major towns in four climatic zones in Ghana to identify the level of practice of some damp remediation measures. On-site building observations and face-to-face interviews with inhabitants were also carried out by trained assessors to document these measures through photographs. The findings showed that the use of damp proof courses and membranes, construction of aprons at the base of walls, patching of wall bases and tiling of wall bases are damp remediation measures frequently practised by building occupants in Ghana. With the exception of damp proof courses and membranes, the effectiveness of these methods has not yet been proved and they are not permanent solutions to address the problem of dampness. As a result, there is still an urgent need for concerted efforts to find effective remediation measures to address the problem of dampness.