Treating condensation, damp and mould
It s normal to experience condensation in your home, but if it becomes a problem we ll do what we can to help you understand the cause and find a solution. Condensation is caused by a number of different factors including drying clothes indoors on a particularly cold day, lack of ventilation when cooking or bathing and lack of heating. Our qualified staff can arrange to visit your property and advise you specifically about your property. In the first instance, there are number of things you may like to consider before making an appointment. What is condensation? All air contains moisture vapour which can t be seen unless it condenses. You may notice it when you breathe on a cold day, or when a mirror mists over in your bathroom. If air gets colder it can t hold all the moisture and tiny droplets of water appear on cold surfaces in your home. This may be windows, walls or even a solid concrete floor. Condensation mainly appears in cold weather. It does not matter if it s raining or dry but it is worse in cold damp conditions. What is damp? Rising or penetrating damp due to structural failure to a property does not cause mould to grow. If you have rising damp in your home, you ll see a tide mark travelling up your wall. Rising damp is our responsibility to repair but it is very rare. Please contact us and one of our surveyors will investigate this.
What is mould? Mould is fungus; a simple plant that will grow wherever there is moisture. It appears as black pin pricks on walls, ceilings and furnishings and usually has a musty smell. Clothes or shoes in cupboards may get covered in white or green fur. Mould appears on surfaces where condensation regularly forms. The external walls of a room are usually the coldest and most affected by both condensation and mould, particularly in the corners. Mould is often found in cupboards and behind furniture pushed against a cold wall. This is due to poor ventilation. If mould grows because of condensation this doesn t mean there is anything wrong with the structure of the building. It is caused by the building being too cold and there being insufficient heating.
Checklist What s causing the problem in your home? Do you dry clothes in your home? A Never C All the time Do you heat all the rooms in your home? A All the time C Never Do you leave extractor fans fitted in your property on all the time? A All the time C Never What do the marks left by damp look like? A Tide mark along the wall and blistering paintwork B Black spots around the window C Black spots across large areas of the room Do you open windows after cooking or bathing? A All the time C Never At what time of year do you experience damp problems? A All year round B Only on very cold days C From October to April Mainly A This could be rising or penetrating damp in your home that we need to investigate. Mainly B The damp is probably caused by condensation. Mainly C This is a problem with condensation and mould, rather than a defect in the property. Assessing your responses: For mostly B s and C s, please follow the advice on the next page...
Preventing and treating condensation and mould The most important thing is to reduce the moisture you generate in your home by ventilating properly: Increase air flow keep all vents and window trickle vents open and clear open windows when you can ideally do not position items of furniture onto external walls. Reduce cold spots and keep your home warm make sure all your rooms have suitable heating when it s cold it s better to leave the heating on a low constant heat all day rather than putting it on for short bursts; this can be a more cost-effective way of keeping your home warm Reduce moisture in the air dry clothes outdoors or in a room with a window open and door closed if you use a tumble drier make sure it s vented to outside when cooking or using the shower, use the boost function on your extractor fan, open the window when you ve finished to reduce steam, keep a lid on your saucepans. Treat problem areas if condensation occurs, wipe down the area to dry it remove and kill mould by wiping down mould with a fungicidal wash when you redecorate use silk paint rather than matt. Also it is better not to use wallpaper on problem walls, as you cannot treat mould behind wallpaper. don t warm unheated rooms by leaving doors open to a heated room, as this will cause warm damp air to enter the room and condense on cold surfaces.
If you have read our advice and you re taking preventative steps but are still worried about the problem, please contact us. Get in touch 01344 382800 0800 692 3000 enquiries@silvahomes.co.uk www.silvahomes.co.uk If you need this leaflet in another language or format please contact the freephone number above.