Complaints are often received that ‘damp’ is occurring in properties. This is not usually the case. Damp is where water finds its way into a property. It can only get in three ways:
- A leaking roof.
- Water soaking through outside walls or around windows.
- Rising damp.
Any of these forms of damp are very unlikely to happen, except perhaps, for example, damage to a roof caused by a storm. However, in the rare event of any of these problems you must let us know as soon as possible as we can carry out the necessary repairs. If you do think you have ‘damp’ in your home there is a much greater chance that what you have is the problem of CONDENSATION.
What Causes Condensation?
The four main factors which cause Condensation are as follows:
- Water vapour in the air – this is produced by normal living activities such as breathing, cooking, bathing, drying clothes, etc.
- Inside room temperature – this can be controlled with central heating.
- Outside temperature – at the mercy of the elements.
- Insufficient ventilation.
In the autumn and winter, when the outside temperature falls, it is the difference between the external temperature and the inside temperature that causes all the vapour in the air within the property to condense from air into water.
The coldest parts of your home are the windows as they have the closest contact with the outside. It is for this reason that condensation forms on the inside of windows. When it reaches a certain level it will run down the window onto the windowsill and forms pools of water. Unless the above is prevented you will find that as the moisture dries it will leave a black dust. This is mould. In bad cases of condensation the mould also shows on walls around the windows, in the corners of the room and even on the floors and in the wardrobes.
How is Condensation Avoided?
A combination of heating and ventilation is the answer. Today’s building standards actually create homes that are almost completely sealed, compared to the older houses of the past with draughty windows and chimneys. All the vapour produced in modern homes can no longer find its way out. In order to combat this we have to introduce ventilation. It is in your interest to keep window vents open and to use the extractors provided. If these do not operate correctly Falcon Housing will repair them.
Keeping a constant level of background heating will help. The object of heating is not just to warm the air up in the home but to heat up the walls of the home so they radiate warmth as well as reducing the cold areas of walls and reducing the chance of condensation.
In addition to this, it may sound strange but by keeping a house well dusted and clean will help prevent mould if there is condensation. Wipe down or spray these areas with an approved fungicidal fluid but make sure to use the manufacturer’s guidance for use.
Certain activities around the home will produce a lot of moisture. It is vital that if you have a tumble dryer in your home, that this is vented correctly and does not vent into the property. Un-vented tumble dryers are one of the worse causes of condensation dampness in houses. Drying clothes in the home can produce up to 9 pints of moisture per day, cooking can produce 6 pints and a portable gas heater 4 pints. In fact a small family can produce up to 3 gallons of moisture per day.
Finally, the circulation of air in a house can be hindered by having furniture or possessions stacked up against walls. Particularly north facing walls which tend to be the coldest walls and therefore more prone to condensation.
Falcon Housing can supply a pamphlet which gives a more detailed explanation, just call the office.
