Water is the key to life on Earth and a universal solvent that influences building defects/dampness due to salt movement.
Materials in a building can absorb water at high humidity and release it at low humidity. The amount of hygroscopic moisture a material can hold varies, but salts increase moisture retention. It is why building professionals discuss a building’s ability to buffer moisture.
It is unique in the Earth’s climate as it occurs in three forms:
1. Vapour.
2. Liquid.
3. Solid (ice, snow).
H2O is the name given to a water molecule, which is only 0.275 nanometres in size, and billions of them are needed to create a water droplet.