What is condensation and how can you prevent it in your home?

Condensation occurs when moisture in warm air comes into contact with a cold surface, forming water droplets.

This happens more in rooms where there is a lot of moisture, such as in bathrooms and kitchens, or in rooms where there are lots of people or wet washing. It can also form in cold rooms when there is little movement of air. It can also form behind furniture, in the corners of rooms or in wardrobes.

Condensation is caused by the following:

• Too much moisture in the air, often created by steam from cooking and washing.
• Not enough ventilation.
• Extremes of temperature (for example, a kitchen being very warm and a bedroom very cold).
• Drying clothes inside the homes, especially over radiators.
• Moisture is produced by everyday activities.

The effects of condensation can cause mould to form on walls, furniture and soft furnishings, such as curtains. Damp conditions can also increase the risk of house mites. More importantly, if anyone in your house suffers from breathing conditions, such as asthma or bronchitis, it is important that you control condensation as mould can make these conditions worse.

Here are a few simple tips to reduce the levels of condensation in your home:

• If you have condensation build up, dry your windows and sills every morning.
• Wring out your used cloth rather than drying it on a radiator or in front of a heater.
• Use a fungicidal cleaner to clean any walls, ceilings and paintwork affected by mould. Use a Health & Safety Executive (HSE) approved brand and make sure you follow the instructions.
• If you use a tumble dryer, make sure it is vented to the outside (unless it’s a condensing dryer).
• Always cook with pan lids on. Turn the heat down once the water has boiled and only use the minimum amount of water for cooking.
• When filling your bath, run the cold water first, then add the hot – this reduces the amount of steam by 90%.
• Don’t use your gas cooker to heat your kitchen – burning gas produces moisture, if your window mist up, this is a sign of moisture.
• Avoid drying your clothes on radiators or in front of a fire. Hang your washing outside or in the bathroom with the door closed and a window slightly open. Always make sure you put the extractor fan on, if you have one.  

Ventilation is your friend when it comes to controlling condensation.  Allowing moist air to escape and drier air from outside to come in will really help reduce condensation.

Here are some ways you can increase ventilation:

• If you can, leave a small window downstairs and a small one upstairs open for about 30 minutes. Ideally, these should be on opposite sides of the house, or diagonally opposite if you live in a flat. This is called cross-ventilation and allows drier air to circulate.
• When cooking, washing up by hand or washing clothes by hand, open a window slightly or switch on your extractor hood/fan.
• When using your kitchen and bathroom, close the door to prevent moisture from escaping to the rest of the home. If you can, open a small window afterwards for around 20 minutes.
• If you have an extractor fan, turning this on is a really effective way to quickly remove moisture from a room.
• If you feel comfortable, leave your bedroom window open slightly at night, or use trickle ventilators if you have them.
• Keep a small gap between large pieces of furniture and the walls.
• If possible, place wardrobes and other furniture against internal walls, rather than external walls – overfilling wardrobes and cupboards restricts the flow of air.

Warm air holds more moisture than cooler air. So, cool air is more likely to leave droplets of condensation around your home.  Air is like a sponge; the warmer it is the more moisture it will hold.  Heating one room to a high temperature and leaving other rooms cold makes condensation worse in the rooms that aren’t heated.  It is better to have a constant level of heat throughout your home, ideally between 17 – 21 degrees Celsius.

In summary, reducing the amount of moisture in your home, improving ventilation and maintaining a constant temperature will prevent condensation from becoming a problem.

Our Property Management team are on hand for all your maintenance needs. Should you need any help or advice, do not hesitate to contact them.

Photo by Danielle-Claude Bélanger on Unsplash