Dealing with condensation
Dealing with condensation
in your home
This leaflet gives information about condensation
including what condensation is, where it occurs
and some top tips to tackle it.
What is condensation?
There is always some moisture in the air, even if you cannot see it. If
air gets cold, it cannot hold all the moisture produced by everyday
activities and some of this moisture appears as tiny droplets of
water, most noticeable on windows on a cold morning. This is
condensation. It can also be seen on mirrors when you have a bath
or shower, and on cold surfaces such as tiles or cold walls.
In Britain, condensation in houses is mainly a winter problem,
particularly where warm moist air is generated in living areas and
then penetrates to the colder parts of the building.
The moisture in the air comes from a number of sources within your
home. Water vapour is produced in relatively large quantities from
normal day to day activities – a 5 person household puts about 10
litres of water into the air every day (without taking into account
any heating).
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For example:
• 2 people at home can produce = 1.7 litres
• A bath or shower = 1.1 litres
• Drying clothes indoors = 5.1 litres
• Cooking and use of a kettle = 3.4 litres
• Washing dishes = 1.1 litres
• Bottled gas heater (8 hours use) = 2.3 litres
Total moisture added in one day = 14.7 litres
Up until the middle/late part of the
twentieth century, most houses had high
natural ventilation as the level of home
insulation was low. Conservation then
became popular and natural ventilation
was greatly reduced by the introduction
of double glazing, insulation, draught
excluders, fitted carpets (which prevent air movement up through
suspended wooden floors) and then the removal of open fireplaces
with the introduction of central heating.
Where does condensation occur?
The most vulnerable areas will either be rooms where a large
amount of moisture is produced i.e. bathroom/kitchen, or on cold
surfaces in other rooms where this moisture can travel to. The
effects of this process may be visible, for example droplets of water
on gloss painted windowsills, but often water droplets will soak
into a wall and a problem will not be diagnosed until black mould
patches start to appear.
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The following areas are particularly prone to condensation:
• Cold surfaces such as mirrors, windows
and metal window frames
• Kitchens and bathrooms
• Walls of unheated rooms
• Cold corners of rooms
• Wardrobes/cupboards and behind
furniture against an outside wall.
First steps against condensation
You will need to take proper steps to deal with
condensation, but meanwhile there are some
simple things you should do straight away.
Dry your windows and windowsills every
morning, as well as surfaces in the kitchen or
bathroom that have become wet. Wring out the
cloth rather than drying it on a radiator. First steps against mould growth
First treat the mould already in your home, then deal with the basic
problem of condensation to stop mould reappearing.
To kill and remove mould, wipe down or spray walls and window
frames with a fungicidal wash that carries a Health and Safety
Executive (HSE) ’approval number’, and ensure that you follow
the instructions for its safe use. These fungicidal washes are often
available at local supermarkets. Dry-clean mildewed clothes, and
shampoo carpets. Do not try to remove mould by using a brush or
vacuum cleaner.
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After treatment, redecorate using good-quality fungicidal paint
and a fungicidal resistant wallpaper paste to help prevent mould
recurring. The effect of fungicidal or anti-condensation paint is
destroyed if covered with ordinary paint or wallpaper.
But remember: the only lasting cure for severe mould is to get rid of
the dampness.
Top tips to tackle condensation
The major difference between condensation and other forms
of dampness is that you have the ability to reduce or solve the
problem just through changing behaviour in the home. Try
following these steps:
Reduce the moisture
Normal activities such as bathing, washing and cooking all produce
moisture which cannot be avoided. Simple changes however can
prove effective in tackling condensation dampness.
Steps to consider are:
• Keeping lids on saucepans while cooking
• Tumble dryers should be vented to the
outside
• Drying washing outside when possible
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• When creating steam in the kitchen/
bathroom open windows and close doors to
these rooms. This will let moisture escape and
prevent it from spreading through the house
• Ventilate your kitchen and bathroom for
about 20 minutes after use by opening a
small top window. Use an extractor fan if
possible - they are cheap to run and very
effective.
Increase ventilation
This is required so that moist air produced
can escape; simply opening a window will
do, or opening a trickle vent (if you have
these on your windows).
Keep your homes warm
Condensation is most likely to be a problem in homes which are
under heated. Try to keep temperatures in all rooms above 15°C as
this will reduce condensation forming on
external walls.
Heat your home at low levels for a long
time rather than high levels for short
periods; this will ensure that there are
fewer cold surfaces in the home.
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Complaints and queries
If you have any queries or complaints about condensation, please
contact Property Maintenance on:
• Tel: 0191 278 8600
• E-mail: [email protected]
• Or write to:
Property Maintenance
Your Homes Newcastle
YHN House
Benton Park Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE7 7LX
Useful contact telephone
numbers
• Gas Leaks:
0800 111 999
• Power cuts:
0800 668 877
• Gas and Electricity Consumer
Complaints Ombudsman:
0330 440 1624
• Winter Fuel Payments:
0845 915 1515
• Age Concern:
0800 169 6565
• Help the Aged:
0191 232 6488
• NCC Tenants Federation:
0191 285 2724
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This information is about improvements to council homes in Newcastle. If
you need this information in your language your ‘Liaison Officer’, at your
local site office, can arrange for you to speak to an interpreter. Or you can
phone 0191 278 8633 to ask for a written translation or for Braille, audio
and large print versions.
Bengali
Chinese
Simplified
Chinese
Traditional
Farsi
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Kurdish
Portuguese
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Your Homes Newcastle Limited.
www.yhn.org.uk
Registered in England and Wales.
W
-V2 11/11number
Your Homes Newcastle
Limited. Registered in England and Wales Registration Number 5076256.
Registration
5076256.
Registered Office: Newcastle Civic Centre, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8PR. A company controlled by Newcastle City Council
Registered office:
Newcastle Civic Centre, Barras Bridge,
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8PR.
A company controlled by Newcastle City Council.
www.yhn.org.uk