Tips To Reduce Condensation From The Experts At Peter Cox

Take Steps to Prevent Condensation Problems

We are all desperate to avoid damp problems in our properties. Alongside being potentially costly and time consuming to treat, it is well recognised that any evidence of damp is a major factor that deters potential home buyers from making an offer on a property. What is much less well known is that the leading cause of damp problems in the UK is condensation.

The result is that people across the country are blithely allowing condensation to fester in the building, yet are still surprised when their property begins to show symptoms of damp. It is not uncommon for our surveyors to be called out to properties where the owner or occupier has complained of rising damp or penetrating damp, only to find that the root cause is accumulation of condensation.

That is why we have prepared this helpful infographic. We wish to raise awareness of the issue of condensation and highlight the fact that condensation has the potential to develop into serious and potentially costly to repair property problems.

What Can Condensation Do To My Home?

Given that all of us will have encountered condensation in their property at some point, there is an inclination to assume that it is ultimately harmless. The reality is that, if left untreated and allowed to gather, condensation can result in any or all of the following:

• Cracking paint or plaster
• Peeling wallpaper
• Sickly damp smell
• Damp marks appearing on walls and ceilings
• Black mould

What Is Condensation?

Simply put, condensation is created by human behaviour. Often we don’t realise that our daily routine releases the equivalent of pints of water into the atmosphere of our properties. Tasks and activities such as washing and bathing ourselves, cooking a meal for the family and even just breathing all contribute to water vapour in the air.

If this damp, water vapour filled air is trapped in the property then it will eventually make its way onto a surface colder than itself. This change in temperature causes the humid air to condense and leave behind the beads of water that we all recognise as condensation

Take these tips to reduce condensation

• Open windows and turn on extractor fans – This is so essential because it provides the ventilation needed to allow the damp air to escape.

• In any room where there is a lot of moisture or steam, doors should be closed to prevent humidity making its way to other rooms.

• Wipe down any cold and wet surfaces after bathing or cooking.

• Keep pots and pans covered while cooking to trap in the steam.

• Drying clothes indoors can add as much as 30% to the moisture levels in a room, avoid this if possible.

Resilient Condensation Problems May Require Professional Solutions

The sad fact is that in a minority of cases people will find that, despite their best efforts to follow all of the advice above, they still find their homes stricken by the signature damp problems caused by condensation. If you find yourself in this minority then you will probably want to investigate professional condensation treatments.

Fortunately there are a range of options available to help you return your property to its natural, dry state. From products that tackle specific rooms such as heat retaining extractor fans that are especially useful in high humidity areas like Bathrooms and Kitchens to whole house ventilation systems that effectively ventilate the entire house to remove condensation causing damp air. If you are stuck with a particularly stubborn damp stain then there is even anti-condensation damp paint that will not only cover the mark but also act to prevent it recurring.

If you would like to read more about both do-it-yourself and professional condensation solutions then visit our page: https://www.petercox.com/our-services/condensation/solutions/ where we have compiled more useful information for you.