Winter is Coming: How Do You Protect Your Caravan from Damp?

Guest Post from Birch Chemicals

During the winter months, you may be concerned about protecting your caravan or motorhome from cold and wet weather. Winterisation is a multi-step process with a variety of different things to consider - but the prevention of damp is usually one of the first things owners think about.

For caravans, damp is more than a small annoyance. Causing mould, mildew, rust to metal parts and rot to wooden parts, damp is one of the biggest worries when it comes to the colder months.

Repair costs for damp can be extremely expensive - so prevention is a far better strategy.

Identifying Damp

How do you tell if your caravan or motorhome is suffering a damp problem?

There are some surefire indicators of damp - mildew-like smells, surfaces that are wet or clammy to the touch, and of course, visible mould on the ceilings or in corners. However, the absence of these signs does not guarantee that your caravan is safe from damp.

A surefire way to tell if you're facing a damp problem or not is with a damp-meter, which will give a reading of the moisture levels in your caravan or motorhome. These meters come in different forms, with the most common being a pin type. These meters are affordable, but vary in accuracy - plan for a result which varies around the realm of 2% from the actual moisture percentage.

If your meter returns a reading of above 25%, it's time to begin thinking about preparing your caravan to protect against moisture - and if the reading is above 30%, immediate action is necessary.

Protecting Against Damp

Basic protection against damp is simple: increase ventilation (and minimise condensation build-up) by leaving cupboards and windows open; keep your caravan dry by heating it with a warm air fan; remove all bedding, pillows and mattresses, and invest in a waterproof, breathable caravan cover.

The next step is to focus on the little details: fit winter covers to your fridge vents; spray silicone oil to any metal parts to prevent rusting and protect upholstery by covering it with a cotton sheet.

Silica gel is sometimes used to protect against damp by absorbing moisture from the air - but more and more caravan and motorhome owners are turning to dehumidifier sachets that not only absorb moisture but “lock it”, preventing the chance of re-release, such as BirchSorb.

Designed and formulated by moisture control experts Birch Chemicals, BirchSorb is ten times as effective as silica gel, preventing moisture for up to 12 weeks.

“What’s unique about BirchSorb is the sheer amount of moisture it absorbs,” says Birch Chemicals’ Managing Director Mark Baldwin. “While silica gel is only able to absorb up to 27% of its own weight in moisture, BirchSorb is actually capable of absorbing up to 200% its own weight.”

Winter may be coming - but damp doesn't have to join the party.

BirchSorb is available worldwide from www.birchsorb.co.uk.

Birch Chemicals. As part of a group with a 200 year reputation for service and innovation, Birch Chemicals was created to provide specialty chemicals to the Rubber, Plastics, Coatings, Adhesives and Shipping industries.

For further information on BirchSorb, contact Birch Chemicals at  info@birchchemicals.co.uk or call  +44 1652 686080