Condensation, damp and mould
Causes of moisture
Everyday household tasks can be major contributors to condensation within properties.
These are some of the activities that can create condensation and all the measures you can take to combat them:
Drying clothes (six pounds washing in an unvented tumble-dryer)
- Moisture produced: 10 pints
- Possible solutions: If you use a tumble-dryer, make sure it vents outside
- Where possible, don’t dry clothes indoors. If you have to, open the window and shut the door of the room where the clothes are drying, as this will let the moisture from the wet clothes go outside rather than circulating in your home. Do not hang wet washing on radiators around your home
Washing clothes
- Moisture produced: one pint
- Possible solutions: Provide natural ventilation through opening a window to allow moisture to escape
Breathing (for example, two sleeping adults for eight hours)
- Moisture produced: one and half pints
- Possible solutions: Provide natural ventilation through opening a window in each room for some part of the day. Wipe down window-sills and windows to remove any sitting water or condensation
Having a bath
- Moisture produced: two pints
- Possible solutions: Use an extractor fan in the bathroom if you have one when you have a bath or shower. Keep the bathroom door shut when in use to stop moisture moving around your home. Try to prevent producing steam by putting cold water in the bath before adding hot. If you have a combination boiler, experiment with the water thermostat at the boiler to get it to a usable temperature without the need to add cold water. Leave the windows slightly open for half an hour after bathing to get rid of the moisture
Cooking by gas (for three hours)
- Moisture produced: three pints
- Possible solutions: Use the extractor fan or open the window in the kitchen when cooking to let the moisture out. Cover boiling pans with pan lids - this will also save fuel. Close the kitchen door when cooking as this stops the moisture moving around your home. If you have trickle vents above the windows, keep them open and don’t block up any air vents
Last updated: 12/04/2024 09:07
