How to contact us
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By phone
• Head Office
• Area Office West
• Area Office East
01909 534484
01909 533426
01777 713202
Freephone Repairs and Contact Centre 0800 590542 8:00am - 8:00pm
8
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Visit our website at www.a1housing.co.uk
You can also email us at [email protected]
A1 Housing
Condensation Leaflet
By visiting us
Head Office Carlton Forest House, Hundred Acre Lane, Worksop, Notts S81 0TS
Area Office East 17B The Square, Retford, Notts DN22 6DB
Area Office West Queen’s Buildings, Potter Street, Worksop, Notts S80 2AH
All of our offices are open Monday to Friday between 8.40am and 5pm
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By writing to us
A1 Housing Bassetlaw Limited
Carlton Forest House, Hundred Acre Lane, Worksop, Notts S81 0TS
SMS text message
07779 533533
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À
Developed in partnership with tenants
A1 Housing Bassetlaw Ltd, a company
controlled by Bassetlaw District Council
HOUSING
www.a1housing.co.uk
Providing Quality Homes & Neighbourhoods
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any of our documents, please contact us on 01909 534520.
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Condensation
Condensation is caused when moisture
held in warmer air meets a cold surface
like a window or wall and condenses
into water droplets. If this happens
regularly, mould may start to grow.
This usually appears on cold outside
walls and surfaces and in places where
the air does not circulate well. The
moisture created can also
damage clothes, furnishings and decoration. It can leave a musty
smell.
What causes condensation?
Condensation usually occurs in winter,
because the building is cold and
because windows are opened less so
moist air cannot escape.
Polish
How condensation occurs
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audiotape, Braille or for a Language Line interpreter or
translator to help you.
Our contact details:
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01909 534520
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SMS Text phone 07779 533533
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e-mail: [email protected]
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You can often see condensation for
short periods in bathrooms and kitchens
because of the steamy atmosphere. Quite frequently it appears
for long periods in unheated bedrooms.
Sometimes it is in cupboards or corners of rooms
where ventilation and movement of air are
restricted.
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When condensation Occurs
All houses are affected by
condensation at some time. It usually
occurs when a lot of moisture and
steam are produced. For example;
• When cooking
• Having a bath or shower
• Washing clothes
• After a cold night when bedroom
windows mist up.
The main causes of condensation is
• Using portable paraffin and gas heaters. Each litre of paraffin
burned releases one litre of water vapor into the atmosphere. Using
bottled gas produces even more water vapor.
• Drying clothes inside the house especially over radiators.
• Steam from cooking in the kitchen.
• Steam from bathing and washing.
• Lack of air circulating in the house.
• No ventilation in the house (This can be made worse by too much
draught proofing)
• Raising room temperatures suddenly. This can put warm air in
contact with cold surfaces increasing the chances of water
vapor condensing.
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How can I cut down
condensation within my
home?
The following steps can reduce and
possibly eliminate
condensation in your home.
• Do not use portable gas and/or paraffin
heaters in your home.
If you live in a flat or a maisonette, it is against the
conditions of your tenancy to use paraffin heaters or
liquid or bottled gas heaters. This is for safety
reasons.
• Try not to dry clothes in your home. If
this is not practical, keep the door of
the room where the clothes are drying
closed. Open the windows this will
help prevent moist air circulating in the
house.
• When cooking, the kitchen should be
ventilated. Use the extractor fan, if you
have one, or open a window. Keep the
kitchen door closed. This will prevent
moist air circulating through the house.
• When bathing or washing, keep the bathroom door closed.
Switch on the extractor fan, if you have one. If there is still a
lot of water vapor in the atmosphere, leave the fan on,
or open the window to disperse the moist air.
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• Keep furniture, such as beds, wardrobes
etc, clear of the room walls to let air
circulate.
• Keep your house warm. This will cut
down condensation, as moisture does
not condense in warm air. Background
heating and ventilation, will also reduce
the condensation, especially in winter.
Rising damp occurs if there is a
problem with the damp proof course.
This is a barrier built into floors and
walls to stop moisture rising through
the house from the ground. The usual
evidence of rising damp is a ‘tide mark’
on the walls that shows how high it has
risen. There can also be a musty smell.
How can I get rid of
condensation or mould?
If you think that your house is suffering
from either rising or penetrating damp, contact our Call Centre 0800
590542 and arrange for an inspection.
Following this advice will tackle condensation problems. You may
even remove condensation altogether. If condensation occurs, wipe
up any moisture with a dry cloth. If you have a problem with mould
growth, there are various ways to remove it, but first of all contact
A1 Housing Call Centre on 0800 590542 for advice.
What is the difference between damp and
condensation?
Damp occurs when a fault in the building’s basic structure lets in
water from outside. There are basically two types of damp.
• Penetrating Damp
• Rising Damp.
Penetrating damp occurs if water is coming in through
the walls or roof, (for example, under a loose roof
tile) or through cracks.
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