How to reduce condensation in your home
What to do if you have a problem with damp or mould
If you are experiencing a problem with too much condensation, damp or mould, we can help.
One of our surveyors can visit you at home. They will investigate the cause of the damp and will give advice about dealing with it. They will also assess ways we may need to improve ventilation or heating and arrange for any necessary repairs, if there is a leak.
Contact us on 020 8354 5500 or email us at info@octavia.org.uk to report a damp or mould problem.
How to reduce condensation in your home
Did you know that we all create extra moisture in our homes every day and this can cause condensation?
Even our breathing adds moisture to the air. One person asleep adds half a pint of water to the air overnight and during the day adds one pint of moisture. This is how much moisture we can add to the air inside our homes:
- two people at home for 16 hours - 3 pints of water
- one bath or shower - 2 pints of water
- drying clothes indoors - 9 pints of water
- cooking or using the kettle - 6 pints of water
- washing dishes - 2 pints of water
- bottled gas heater (8 hours use) – 4 pints of water
The following steps can help to reduce the amount of condensation and black mould growth in your home:
- Dry clothes outdoors if you can. If you have to dry clothes indoors, use a clothes airer in the bathroom with the door closed and either an extractor fan on or a bathroom window slightly open
- Vent tumble driers to the outside (never into the home) or use a condensing type of dryer
- Cover pans when cooking and do not leave kettles boiling
- Do not use paraffin or liquid petroleum (bottled) gas heaters. These produce large amounts of water vapour and are very expensive to run
- Wipe away excess condensation moisture you find. Always wipe the windows and windowsills of your home in the mornings to remove condensation This is especially important in the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen.
Keep your home well ventilated
- Always open a window when cooking in the kitchen or using the bathroom and continue to ventilate these rooms for at least 15 minutes after a shower, a bath or cooking. If you have extractor fans, then ensure that these are turned on as well
- Open the windows slightly every day if you can. Opening bedroom and living room windows for at least 1 to 2 hours every morning will help
- Allow air to move around all rooms in your home and keep a small window open slightly in rooms that you use. If you have trickle vents in your windows, keep these open.
- Leave space between the back of furniture and cold walls (it is best to allow at least 10cm to 15cm space) so air can move around all areas of a room
Keep your home warm
- In cold weather, the best way to keep rooms warm and avoid condensation is to keep low background heat on all day rather than short bursts of high heat when you are in the house.
- Use the heating controls on your radiators and room thermostats - a timer can also help.
- To add to these measures, a really good way to manage condensation and mould would be to buy a domestic electric-powered dehumidifier. These can be bought for a reasonable price at many high street stores or online.
What to do if you have a problem with damp or mould
Small amounts of black mould in your home can be remove by wiping down the area using an anti-fungicidal mould spray. After treatment you can redecorate using a fungicidal paint or wallpaper paste – do not paint over the area using an ordinary paint.
Carpets and clothes affected will need to be cleaned.
Avoid spreading mould spores further by using a brush of vacuum to remove them.
If you are experiencing a problem with too much condensation, damp or mould, we can help. One of our surveyors can visit you at home. They will investigate the cause of the damp and will give advice about dealing with it. They will also assess ways we may need to improve ventilation or heating and arrange for any necessary repairs, if there is a leak.
Contact us on 020 8534 5500 or email us at info@octavia.org.uk to report a damp or mould problem in your home.