Reducing condensation
and mould in your home
Raven
We can help you to reduce condensation and mould in your home. Condensation
can happen because of the way a home is built, or the way you use it, or both. It
can cause damp and mould in your home, so look out for it.
What is condensation, damp and mould?
Condensation is caused when excess warm moisture in the air (steam or water
vapour) meets a cold surface and turns into water. This can cause patches of
mould to form. Airborne spores may spread the mould to other areas of your
home.
Mould often appears on windows, at
the corners and edges of rooms, on
walls and behind furniture such as
sofas, wardrobes and cupboards. It
mostly occurs when the weather is cold
between October and April.
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Damp in walls and ceilings can be caused by condensation. But there may be
other reasons, such as:
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leaking roofs because of damage to tiles, guttering or chimney flashings
leaking internal and external pipes
faulty damp-proof course
faulty rendering or mortar joints
blocked cavities in walls.
If you think your home has any of these problems, please call our repairs service
on 01737 272400 or email [email protected]. One of our inspectors will
check your property. If they don’t find out the cause, we may carry out a full
survey.
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What causes condensation?
There are three main causes of condensation:
• Too much moisture in your home.
• Too little ventilation.
• Cool temperatures.
Some everyday activities add to the moisture already in the air, leading to
condensation, for example:
Every day, these activities add moisture to the air
­­­­
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Two people living
in the home
3 pints Boiling the kettle
and cooking
6 pints
Having a bath or
shower
2 pints
Washing clothes
1 pint Drying clothes
9 pints
Using a paraffin or
bottled gas heater
(8 hours of use)
4 pints
Washing dishes
2 pints
Total amount of moisture 27 pints
(15 litres)
How can I reduce condensation?
The main ways of cutting condensation are:
1.
reduce the amount of moisture you produce
2.
improve the ventilation
3.
reduce the number of cold surfaces in your home
4.
keep your home warm enough.
You can do some simple things to reduce condensation, and so prevent damp
and mould.
Dry your windows and window sills every morning, as well as surfaces in the
kitchen and bathroom that have become wet. Wring out the cloth rather than
drying it on the radiator.
How to stop mould growth
• First treat the mould already in your home by wiping down or spraying
walls and window frames with a fungicidal wash. Ensure you follow the
instructions for using it safely. Throw away the rags or cloths you have
used, as they hold the spores.
• Wash and dry any mildewed (mouldy) clothes, and shampoo carpets.
• Don’t try to remove mould with a brush or vacuum cleaner, as this will
make spores airborne and spread them further.
How to reduce condensation
Keep your home warm
Air absorbs water and the warmer it is, the more moisture it holds. Heating one
room to a high level and leaving other rooms cold makes condensation worse
in the unheated rooms. So try to keep some heating on all day throughout your
home in cold weather. This will help control condensation. But do check your
meters to see how much it is costing you. (See our energy helpline and leaflets
on energy saving for more advice.)
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If you don’t have heating in every room, you could keep the doors of unheated
rooms open to allow some warm air into them. If you have heating in only one
room, or you don’t get enough heat to prevent condensation, call our asset
management department on 01737 272400 or email [email protected] so
we can arrange to upgrade the heating system.
For extra warmth, you could use oil-filled radiators or electric panel heaters on
a low setting but watch your energy bills, as electricity is expensive and a full
central heating system would usually heat your home more efficiently.
Don’t use portable bottled gas heaters
as they give out a lot of moisture. These
appliances are also a fire hazard and
they breach tenancy agreements if they
are used in flats.
You need some ventilation to let the
air circulate. But take care not to
over-ventilate in cold weather, as it
will make your home colder and make
condensation more likely. It will also
increase your heating costs.
Reduce moisture levels
Hang your washing outside to dry if
possible, or hang it in the bathroom
with the door closed and a window
slightly open or extractor fan on.
Don’t put washing on radiators or in
front of a radiant heater.
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If you use a tumble drier, make sure
it is vented to the outside or it is the
new condensing type.
Cook with pan lids on and turn the
heat down once the water has boiled.
Only use the minimum amount of
water for cooking vegetables.
When filling your bath, run the cold
water first then add the hot water –
this will reduce the steam, which leads
to condensation, by 90%.
Don’t use your gas cooker to heat your
kitchen, as it produces moisture when
burning gas.
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Increase ventilation
Ventilating your home replaces moist air with dry air from the outside, and
doing this for just 30 minutes a day can help reduce condensation. Open a
small window at one end of your house or flat, or downstairs, and a small one
at the other end or upstairs. Remember to close them for security when you go
out.
Ventilate your kitchen while cooking, washing up or washing by hand, and for
about 20 minutes afterwards. Use your cooker extractor hood or extractor fan,
or keep the window slightly open.
Keep kitchen and bathroom doors closed to prevent moisture escaping around
your home.
Ventilate your bathroom for about 20 minutes after use by opening a window
or using the extractor fan – they are cheap to run and very effective.
Ventilate your bedroom by leaving a window slightly open overnight or use
trickle vents, if fitted, in your windows. But think about security if you’re
leaving a window open.
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To reduce the risk of mildew on clothes and other stored items, allow air to
circulate round them by pulling them a little way out from the walls. If possible,
place wardrobes and cupboards against internal walls where there is less risk
of cold and damp from outside. Try not to overfill them, as this reduces air
circulation.
Reduce the number of cold surfaces in your home
Walls and ceilings are often the coldest surfaces in the home. You can make
them warmer, and also reduce condensation, by better insulation and draughtproofing.
We are insulating the loft and cavity walls of homes to high energy-efficiency
standards. If you think your home would benefit from loft or cavity wall
insulation, please call us on 01737 272400 or email r­[email protected]
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Further information
You may find the following leaflets useful:
• Save money, save energy, save the environment
• Reduce fuel tariffs – Energy Helpline
If you would like one of these leaflets, please visit our website
www.ravenht.org.uk or contact us on 01737 272400 or email
[email protected].
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Notes
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Raven
Customer Charter
Our Customer Charter lists the standards of service you can expect from us.
You can pick up a copy at any of our offices, or download a copy from our
website, www.ravenht.org.uk.
We can provide this leaflet in audio, large print and other languages. Please
let us know what you need.
Raven Housing Trust
Raven House, 29 Linkfield Lane, Redhill RH1 1SS
Telephone 01737 272400
www.ravenht.org.uk
July 2012
Raven Housing Trust Limited is a charitable Industrial and Provident Society, registration no. 30070R,
and is registered as a social housing provider with the Homes and Communities Agency, registration no.
L4334.
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