Damp, mould and condensation

There are four main causes of condensation within the household:

• Moisture produced by everyday living and activities
• Not enough ventilation within the property
• Cool temperatures during cold weather
• Heating not being used throughout the property, or turned off in rooms.

Cooking, drying clothes, showering, bathing and even breathing all add to the moisture level in the air. This can lead to mould forming on surfaces such as walls, ceilings, windows, furniture and clothing, and in extreme cases can lead to respiratory illness.

There are several ways to help prevent condensation from becoming a problem in your home:

Stop moisture

• Cover boiling pans when cooking and turn off kettles after use
• When cooking, bathing and drying clothes, kitchen and bathroom doors should be kept shut to prevent the steam and moisture escaping into the property
• Wipe down all surfaces on which moisture gathers, such as water droplets on windows and external doors
• Dry clothing outside when possible. Alternatively use a clothes horse placed in the bathroom with the window open and the door closed, to allow the moisture to escape
• If using a tumble drier, make sure it is either self-condensing or is vented outside
• Avoid using bottled gas or paraffin heaters as these produce a lot of moisture. This also reduces the risk to health and safety from not being stored correctly
• Cover fish tanks to stop the moisture escaping into the air.

Ventilate your home

• When cooking, washing or bathing open windows or use extractor fans where possible
• Open windows and curtains on a daily basis at the front and back of the property, and keep trickle vents open
• Do not block air vents as they provide a small but constant amount of air exchange
• Allow a gap around all items of furniture and do not push furniture close to external walls
• Having furniture against walls will cause stale air to gather behind items, encouraging mould to grow
• Allow air circulation in cupboards and wardrobes by not over-filling them. Ensure extractor fans are turned on and filters are clear from dust, debris and grease.

Keep your home warm

• Draught proof around windows and doors. This will allow for warm air to stay within the property. Draught proofing should not be done around windows and doors in rooms where a large amount of moisture is produced, such as kitchens and bathrooms
• Maintain a low heat when the weather is cold or wet. This is far more effective than putting short bursts of heat into a property
• Use your heating system as efficiently as possible by referring to the operating instructions for your heating programmer and room thermostats.

If your property is already suffering with problems of mould, there are some tips you can follow to treat the mould and prevent it from recurring:

• It is important to not disturb the mould by brushing or vacuum cleaning the area as this can increase the risk of respiratory problems
• Mould is a growth of a living organism and this growth will need to be killed off. This can be done by wiping down the affected area with an HSE approved fungicidal wash, which can be purchased from any local supermarket or DIY store
• Once the mould has been treated, follow all the advice within this leaflet for ways of preventing condensation within your property
• When all areas have been treated and the mould has been cleaned completely away, decorate the area with an HSE approved fungicidal paint to help prevent any mould from recurring.

Please follow all instructions and advice given when using cleaners or paints.

If all advice has been followed, you should start to notice large improvements to areas after four to six weeks of treatment. Keep following the steps to prevent condensation and this problem will soon stop occurring.

Mould occurs when there’s too much moisture in the air. The most common cause is condensation – something that occurs in every home. You might spot it on your windows but actually, droplets of condensation can form on every surface that’s cooler than the room temperature.

If your room temperature is high, condensation can form on cooler surfaces. Maintaining a room temperature of 18-21°C helps prevent this.

If you find mould in your home, it needs treating. You can do this by wiping the area down with a mould spray – such as HG Mould Spray, which you can get at the supermarket or a DIY store.

If the problems still persist and you are certain that the advice has been followed, the problems may be caused by damp. If there are any signs of damp within your home you should notify bpha immediately so that we can rectify the problem.

Call us on 0330 100 0272 if you need any help or advice

There are three main types of damp:

Rising damp

This is a very rare type of damp as it is prevented with the use of a DPC (damp proof course). Rising damp is apparent when there are tide marks or ripples above the skirting boards.

Penetrating damp

This is caused by problems to the fabric or structure of the property. This will show more when it rains.

Plumbing faults or broken pipes

This can be more difficult to identify as the signs are similar to that of penetrating damp and may not show through on the plaster in the same area that the leak is coming from.