HINTS AND TIPS - CONDENSATION

Why does condensation occur?

Condensation occurs when warm, moist air meets a cold surface. The risk of condensation depends on how moist the air is and how cold the surfaces of the rooms are. Both of these depend on how the building is used.

When does condensation occur?

Condensation occurs usually in winter because the building structure is cold and therefore windows are opened less, preventing moist air from escaping.

Where does condensation occur?

Condensation that you can see occurs often for short periods in bathrooms and kitchens because of the steamy atmosphere and quite frequently for long periods in unheated rooms.

Three important things

• Prevent the spread of moist air from areas where it congregates, such as kitchens, bathrooms or places where clothes are put to dry.
• Provide adequate ventilation to all rooms so that moist air can escape.
• Ensure reasonable levels of heating.

How you can prevent condensation in your home

Reduce the moisture content of room air

• In areas prone to condensation, it is important to take preventative measures. In the kitchen, for example, try to use the extractor fan when laundering clothes or cooking. If you don’t have one, closing the doors and opening a window can have the same effect.
• After bathing, keep the bathroom window open and shut the door for long enough to dry out the room.
• Remember to provide adequate ventilation in other rooms. In old houses a lot of ventilation occurs through fireplace flues and draughty windows. In modern homes sufficient aeration does not occur unless a window or ventilator is open for a reasonable period each day. All that is needed is a very slightly opened window or ventilator (about 1cm is sufficient).
• When drying washing remember to close doors and allow ventilation by means of an extractor fan or window. Otherwise the moist air may spread to other rooms and cause problems.

Provide reasonable heating

• Try to make sure that all rooms are at least partially heated. Condensation mostly occurs in unheated bedrooms.
• To prevent condensation, room surfaces need to be kept reasonably warm. It takes a long time for a building to warm up, so it’s more economical and effective to have a small amount of heat over a long period than a large amount over a shorter period.
• Houses and flats left unoccupied and unheated during the day get very cold. Whenever possible, it is best to keep heating on even if at a low level.
• In houses, the rooms above a heated living room benefit to some extent from heat rising through the floor. In bungalows and most flats this does not happen. Furthermore, some rooms lose heat due to the number of outside facing walls, as well as the close proximity of the roof. Such rooms are most likely to have condensation problems, and adequate heating is therefore necessary.

Mould growth

Any sign of mould growth is an indication that moisture is present. You should remove any such growth with an anti-bacterial agent such as Dettox, Savlon or even bleach. This should be carried out at least once a week until the area is clean to the touch. Apply a stain block to keep the pigment from showing through on new paintwork. It is obviously essential that you follow the guidelines above to prevent further reoccurrence.

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