Post-Storm Damp Checklist: What to Check and What to Do

By /
Post-Storm Damp Checklist

Stormy summers across the North West and North East are no longer rare. Sudden cloudbursts, high winds, and blocked drains are now a seasonal hazard, especially for homeowners in places like Manchester, Liverpool, Chester, and Newcastle, where many older buildings still rely on dated damp-proofing systems.

Whether you live in a stone-built terrace or a modern detached home, the effects of a storm can quietly creep into your walls, floors, and roof voids long after the skies have cleared.

This guide offers a complete, easy-to-follow checklist tailored for homes in the UK’s wetter northern counties. Learn what to look for, where to check, and how to fix storm-related damp before it becomes a structural or health issue.

1. Safety Before Inspection

Don’t rush outside or into lofts the moment the storm passes.

  • Avoid wet ladders or slippery roofs.
  • Wait for floodwater to recede, especially in low-lying areas around Stoke-on-Trent, Warrington, or the Mersey basin, where stormwater can linger for hours.
  • If the power tripped or if water touched electrics, cut off electricity and call an expert.

Remember: floodwater doesn’t always look dramatic. Just 3–5 cm of water in a subfloor space can put pressure on your walls and DPC line.

2. Internal Damp Checks by Room

Ceilings and Corners

Look for fresh water stains, especially along plasterboard joins.
Check for bowing or bulging ceiling paint, it could mean soaked insulation overhead.

Walls (Mid & Low Zones)

  • Mid-wall damp patches may mean water is getting through cracks or render.
  • Low-level patches might mean rising damp. Heavy rainfall can raise the ground saturation line, especially around homes in Cheshire’s clay belt or Lancashire’s lowlands.

Note: Even homes with an existing DPC can suffer if the course is bridged by debris or silt from storm runoff.

Skirting Boards & Flooring

  • Skirtings that feel soft or spongy may have absorbed stormwater.
  • Laminate flooring that curls, gaps or lifts can indicate moisture underfoot.

Timber-suspended floors (still common in older Newcastle homes) are particularly vulnerable. If they feel uneven or springy, the void underneath may be damp or mouldy.

3. Senses Matter: Smell, Touch, Sound

  1. Musty smell? Mould often starts behind plaster or furniture before it’s visible.
  2. Cool, damp spots on walls indicate active moisture.
  3. In basements or converted cellars in Manchester or Liverpool, listen for the sound of dripping water behind plasterboard, it’s a subtle but serious red flag.

4. Priority Zones Often Ignored

Loft or Attic Spaces

  • Inspect roof timbers for black spots (mould), warped boards, or wet insulation.
  • Older properties in Warrington or Chester may not have modern roofing felt, making them more prone to wind-driven rain entry.

Cellars or Basements

  • These are natural damp traps, especially in storm-hit zones like central Manchester or parts of Newcastle.
  • Check for water pooling, white chalky residue (efflorescence), or plaster damage.
  • If you notice salt streaks or blistering paint, moisture is evaporating through walls, common after heavy ground soak.

5. External Checks: What Storms Leave Behind

Roof

From the ground or with binoculars:

  • Check for missing or shifted slates or tiles.
  • Flat roofs (common on extensions in Liverpool) should be checked for water pooling or cracking.
  • Look around chimneys, cracked cement fillets can let in water.

Gutters and Downpipes

  • Overflow during storms leaves streaks on masonry, look for moss trails.
  • Ensure downpipes are securely fastened and draining away from your house.
  • In many parts of Cheshire and Stoke-on-Trent, Victorian gutters are too narrow for today’s heavier rainfall.

Blocked downpipes can cause splashback at the base of the wall, perfect conditions for bridging above your DPC.

Windows and Doors

  • Timber windows swell when soaked. If they’re hard to open or show cracking paint, check for internal moisture.
  • Door thresholds may leak in heavy wind-rain conditions, especially in exposed areas of Lancashire and North West coastal homes.

6. Garden, Garage, and Drainage Checks

  • Raised flower beds or decking touching the house? They could be bridging your DPC.
  • Garages or outbuildings, often uninsulated, should be checked for puddling or rusting.
  • If you see standing water more than 12 hours after rain, your drains may be overwhelmed. French drains or soakaways may be needed, especially in flat areas around Warrington or Cheshire Plain homes.

7. Dealing with Storm-Related Damp

Step 1: Identify the Type

  • Rising Damp – look for salt crystals and horizontal tide marks.
  • Penetrating Damp – vertical stains and patches mid-wall or on chimney breasts.
  • Condensation – may spike post-storm due to higher humidity and closed-up homes.

Step 2: Document the Damage

  • Take clear photos of every affected area.
  • Use a moisture meter to get rough damp readings (20%+ is concerning).
  • Log the date of storm, inspection, and any visible worsening over time.

Step 3: Don’t Guess, Get It Checked

Damp that appears after a storm often seems minor, but it can worsen silently behind walls. Book a professional damp and timber survey to confirm the issue and get targeted recommendations.

Step 4: Fix & Prevent

Depending on what’s found:

  • Blocked guttering or cracked render? Clean or repair it promptly.
  • Failed DPC? Consider reapplication via damp-proofing cream.
  • Basement seepage? Apply membrane tanking systems and improve drainage.

Storm proofing for the Future

  1. Fit gutter guards and extend downpipes away from the house.
  2. Inspect DPC height relative to ground level, keep at least 150mm clearance.
  3. Apply breathable water-repellent coatings to exposed external walls.
  4. For homes in flood-prone areas of Cheshire or the Mersey catchment, investigate flood doors, airbrick covers, and sump pump systems.

Your Final Post-Storm Damp Checklist

  • Ceilings and walls checked for water marks
  • Basement and loft inspected for wet material
  • All windows and door frames examined
  • Guttering and drainage tested after rainfall
  • Exterior render and brickwork inspected
  • Utilities checked or safely disconnected
  • Photographs taken for insurance
  • Professional damp survey arranged if needed

Need Help After the Storm?

Whether your cellar’s started to smell musty in Stoke-on-Trent, or water’s rising through your kitchen wall in Lancashire, don’t ignore the signs. The earlier damp is caught, the less damage it causes.

Damp 2 Dry Solutions Ltd provides trusted, local help with:

  • Independent damp & timber surveys
  • DPC repairs & injections
  • Basement tanking & waterproofing
  • Cavity wall damp diagnosis

We cover homes across Manchester & Lancashire, Liverpool & Merseyside, Cheshire, Warrington, Chester, Stoke-on-Trent, and Newcastle.

Book your Damp inspection today.

Scroll to Top