Don’t let the damp drag you down

As the temperature fall during the winter months, we start to feel the cold more and this brings our attention to the damp and condensation issues that are lurking in our homes.

Condensation is perhaps the most common form of dampness that can appear in your property and can cause wallpaper to peel, damp patches to appear on walls and a build-up of moisture on your windows. Left untreated the condensation can create mould growth which can be potentially harmful and lead to serious health issues and breathing difficulties.

Mould spores are known allergens and have been attributed to being a trigger for asthma and allergies, dust allergy and hay fever. Fungal colonies also release ‘volites,’ a type of gas that’s associated with headaches, nausea and fatigue. If you believe your home is already suffering from damp or condensation problems, then you’ll need to get it sorted quickly.

The increased evidence of condensation in today’s buildings is the direct result of changes in modern living conditions, which have led to warmer and more comfortable rooms. These modern aids to home comfort have created rooms which are warmer but which often have less ventilation and fewer air changes.

As we spend more time indoors and make our property more energy efficient the build-up of moisture and humidity levels increase.

In fact, four people living in a 3-bedroom property would create 112 pints of moisture a week from just breathing, cooking, showering and boiling the kettle.

So how can you reduce condensation in your home?

1. Put lids on saucepans when you boil or steam vegetables

2. Use an extractor fan when you bath or shower or open the window for 5 minutes afterwards.

3. When cooking, boiling a kettle, taking a shower or bath, ensure that your kitchen or bathroom door are kept closed to prevent steam going into colder rooms which will cause condensation to form.

4. If you don’t have an extractor fan in your bathroom or kitchen, then make sure that you wipe down the surfaces in the bathroom and kitchen when you have been cooking or taking a shower to remove any moisture that has settled on the surface. This excess moisture that sits on the surface will quickly turn to mould which is difficult to completely remove.

5. Adequate ventilation is essential to allow the moisture to escape from a property before it turns into condensation. Installing an energy-efficient extractor fan in the kitchen and bathroom can improve the humidity levels and prevent condensation.

6. Don’t dry washing on radiators, use a clothes horse and put it in a room with an extractor fan.

7. If you have a washing machine or tumble dryer in your property, ensure that it is vented correctly. From just one load of washing two litres of water is emitted into the air.

8. Open doors on built in wardrobes on outside walls and try to avoid clothes and shoes from touching outside walls.

9. Do not overfill your bedroom wardrobes and kitchen cupboards. With lack of ventilation and trapped warm air your overfilled cupboards are a breeding ground for mould as the air is not able to circulate freely inside.

10. Consider buying a dehumidifier

11. Don’t block up any air bricks

12. Don’t let furniture touch outside walls: leave a small gap. Also try to put wardrobes against internal walls in your bedroom which will be less cold than external walls.

13. Warm up your house: Open curtains and blinds during the day to warm rooms up and to prevent moisture being trapped around the windows.

14. Keep gutters clear to make sure water does not spill down your walls

15. Don’t build patios above the damp course.

16. Portable gas bottles and paraffin heaters produce a lot of moisture, along with a lot of toxic fumes. Not only is this form of heat causing excess condensation in your property, it is also a health and safety hazard and is stated in most tenancy agreements as not allowed in rented flats.

17. If you use a room on a regular basis, such as a living room, open a window slightly to improve the ventilation in the room. Breathing is a major cause of condensation so this will help to improve the ventilation in your property.

8. Many families have house pets and plants which produce moisture. Make sure you cover fish tanks and if you are suffering from excess condensation look to move your plants outdoors.

19. Ensuring an adequate amount of heating in your property will improve the internal temperature of surfaces in the house and reduce the likelihood of condensation.

20. Double glazing, loft insulation and draft proofing will help to reduce the amount of heat that is lost from a property. Installing insulation will help to keep the temperature of the surfaces inside your property high.

   If you do have a damp house, just turning up your heating in the winter will not get rid of condensation. A damp house means damp air, and raising the heating thermostat will only heat up the wet air molecules, rather than raise the room temperature. A room will feel warmer if you are heating dry air.

If you constantly have to wipe condensation off your windows and have a dehumidifier running for lengthy periods of time, then you may want to think about whole house ventilation as a permanent solution to condensation and to improve the air quality indoors for your tenants or family.