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.
