Dampness is a hugely destructive condition that can be a warning sign of many issues and that will lead to many different problems in your home if it is allowed to go unchecked. The potential causes of dampness include, but are not limited to foundation damage, open crawl space vents, damaged or broken appliances, leaking or burst pipes, and damaged or leaking basement window wells. Whatever the causes of dampness, however, the signs of it are varied. The most common signs of dampness are increased relative humidity and condensation. However, you may also notice issues like staining, musty odors, mold formation, rotting wood, sagging floors, and even increasing energy bills as your HVAC system struggles to process the humid air in your home. This can lead to increased wear and tear and even increase the frequency of breakdowns in your HVAC system. This, in turn, can have an impact on your health. That’s especially true in winter, when the temperatures can really plummet and a heating breakdown could be lethal to those who are already vulnerable. If you see these signs, then you should act quickly because the side effects of dampness, as well as many of the underlying causes, can snowball with frightening speed. If you do not act quickly, then you could well find that the consequences make themselves known in every area of your home. What’s more, the cost of repair is only likely to go up the longer you wait. This is because of the likelihood of complexities forming. Dealing with dampness will mean dealing with the underlying cause of the moisture before dehumidifying and draining the property in question. Only then will professionals be able to work on preventing the recurrence of dampness.