Condensation can cause dampness and mould growth in your home. Inadequate ventilation can increase the risk of health issues including respiratory illness. The following information below explains the formation of condensation and offers strategies to mitigate its occurrence.
What is condensation?
Condensation starts as moisture in the air, usually produced by cooking, washing, or drying clothes indoors on radiators. When it hits cool surfaces such as walls, mirrors, wall tiles and windows it condenses and forms water droplets. The moist air rises when it is warm and often ends up on ceilings and in upstairs rooms and then it forms mould.
Why is it a problem?
Left untreated, condensation can result in mould growth on walls, ceilings, furniture, furnishings, and clothing in cupboards and drawers. It can also affect wall plaster and cause woodwork to rot.
What are the different types of dampness?
Condensation is caused by moisture in the air inside your home. This section of Connects Welcome Pack explains how you can reduce condensation and prevent mould forming.
There are two basic types of damp:
- Penetrating damp happens when water enters your home through an external defect (for example a crack in a wall or a loose roof tile).
- Rising Damp is when there is a problem with the damp proof course or membrane and water rises from the ground into the wall or floor.
If you think you have a problem with damp in your home, please contact Connect.
How to reduce condensation in your home:
Control excess moisture by:
- Close kitchen and bathroom doors to prevent steam going into colder rooms.
- When cooking or washing, let the steam escape by opening a window or using an extractor fan if you have one fitted. Leave the window open or the extractor fan on for up to 20 minutes after you have finished cooking or washing.
- Open some windows in other rooms for a while each day and open any trickle vents in your window frames. This allows for a change of air.
- Wipe down surfaces when moisture settles to prevent mould forming.
- Do not block air vents and allow air to circulate around furniture and cupboards.
- You must not use bottled gas or paraffin heaters – these produce a lot of
- moisture and they are also a health and safety risk.
Produce less moisture
- Dry clothes outdoors whenever possible or use small, ventilated room
- Cover fish tanks and remember that house pets and plants produce moisture as well.
- Cover pans when cooking.
- If you have a tumble drier or washing machine, ensure that it is vented in
- accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions.
Keep your home warm
Insulation and draught proofing will keep your home warmer and will also cut fuel bills. When the whole house is warmer, condensation is less likely to form.
- Insulating your loft and walls will help.
- Maintain low background heat when the weather is cold or wet.
Some words of warning:
- Do not block permanent ventilators.
- Do not completely block chimneys. Leave a hole about two bricks in size and fit a
- louvered grille over the opening.
- Do not draught-proof rooms where there is condensation or mould growth.
- Do not draught-proof a room where there is a gas cooker or a fuel-burning heater, for example a gas fire.
- Do not draught-proof windows in the bathroom or kitchen.
- Do not put furniture against cold external walls.
First steps against mould:
- Treat any mould you may already have in your home then do what you can to reduce condensation. This will restrict new mould growth.
- Do not disturb mould by brushing or vacuum cleaning. This can increase the risk of respiratory problems.
- Wipe off mould growth immediately with water. Do not use washing up liquid.
- To kill and remove mould growth, wipe down affected areas with a fungicidal wash. This is available from a hardware or DIY store or supermarket. You should choose a product which carries a ‘Health & Safety Executive ‘approval number’. Always follow the instructions carefully. Do not use bleach.
- Dry-clean clothes are affected by mildew and shampoo carpets.
- After treatment, redecorating uses good quality fungicidal paint to help prevent mould recurring. This paint is not effective if overlaid with ordinary paints or wallpaper.
Useful information
You can get useful information on effective ways to heat and insulate your home from the Energy Savings Trust on 0845 727 7200 or at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk. If you are an owner-occupier or private tenant and are aged 60 or over, disabled or infirm, or receiving benefits you may be eligible for assistance with carrying out insulation, draught-proofing or heating works.
If dampness has caused window frames in your home to rot you can treat the wood with preservatives. However, it is important to remember that the only lasting remedy for wood rot is to cure the damp that caused it in the first place.