Every November the same messages arrive: black spots in the corner of a bedroom, bubbling paint under a window, a musty smell in a flat that was closed up since September. Damp is the number one problem in Axarquia properties — and the number one job that gets done badly, because painting over it is quick and cheap and lasts almost exactly one winter. Here are the six causes we find most often, and what actually fixes each one.
1. Condensation in closed-up holiday homes
What it looks like: black mould in cold corners, behind wardrobes and around window frames; a musty smell when you open the door after months away.
Why it happens: a sealed apartment with no heating and no air movement, on a coast where winter humidity regularly sits above 80%. Moisture condenses on the coldest surfaces — external walls, north-facing corners, single-glazed windows.
The fix: ventilation, not paint. Trickle vents or a small humidity-controlled extractor, a dehumidifier on a timer if the property is empty for months, and in stubborn rooms an insulating plaster or thermal board on the cold wall so the surface stays above dew point. Anti-mould paint alone is a sticking plaster.
2. Terrace and roof leaks into the room below
What it looks like: a stain on the ceiling that grows after rain, often below a terrace or roof terrace; plaster that comes away in sheets.
Why it happens: tiles laid straight onto an old surface with no waterproof membrane, failed joints, blocked drains or wrong falls. This is the most common leak on the whole coast, from Torrox Costa to Rincón.
The fix: strip back the terrace, apply a proper waterproof membrane with correct falls to the drain, then re-tile with expansion joints. Re-grouting or a "liquid membrane" painted over old tiles is a temporary measure at best.
3. Failed exterior render (salt air and sun)
What it looks like: cracked, hollow or blown render on the outside wall; damp patches appearing inside on the same wall.
Why it happens: years of salt air, summer heat and winter rain open hairline cracks; water gets behind the render and cannot get out.
The fix: remove the loose render, treat the wall and re-render with a suitable product — monocapa or a traditional lime-based render on older walls — and finish with a breathable paint. Filling cracks and repainting only delays the same repair.
4. Rising damp in ground-floor and village properties
What it looks like: a tide-mark up to about a metre on ground-floor walls, salts crystallising on the surface, plaster that crumbles at the base.
Why it happens: older properties in Vélez-Málaga's old town, Frigiliana and the villages were built without a damp-proof course. Moisture wicks up from the ground into stone, brick and earth walls. Cement render and plastic paints applied over the years make it worse by trapping the water.
The fix: remove the affected plaster, treat the wall (injected damp-proof course where the wall allows it), then re-plaster with a breathable lime or renovation plaster so the wall can dry through the surface. It is invisible when done, and it lasts.
5. Hillside water and blocked drainage
What it looks like: damp on the wall that backs onto the hill or the neighbour's higher plot, worse after heavy rain.
Why it happens: village houses stacked up a slope receive water from above. Without land drains or tanking, the wall becomes the drain.
The fix: deal with the water outside first — drainage channels, a French drain, repaired gutters and downpipes — then tank or re-render the inside face. Internal treatments alone are fighting the whole hill.
6. Plumbing leaks that look like damp
What it looks like: a persistent wet patch that does not follow the weather, often near a bathroom, kitchen or where pipes run in the wall.
Why it happens: old galvanised or early plastic pipework, a failed shower tray seal, or a slow leak on a water heater.
The fix: find the leak before touching the wall — a pressure test or moisture mapping tells us quickly. Then repair the pipe, dry the wall properly and re-plaster. Never re-plaster a wall that is still being fed water.
The rule we work by
Treat the cause, then the wall, then the paint — in that order. Every damp job we quote starts with a visit to find out which of the six causes you actually have, because the right repair for one is the wrong repair for another. Most single-room repairs take two to five days, and everything we do carries our 12-month workmanship guarantee.
Got a damp problem in Torre del Mar, Nerja, Torrox, Rincón de la Victoria or the villages? See our plastering and damp repair service or send us a couple of photos on WhatsApp for a free assessment.
