Maintaining your home – Condensation

Winter is coming

You’d be forgiven for thinking that summer will roll on forever. However, another wet autumn is on its way so it’s important to begin making adaptions to your home. Quick and simple fixes can prevent condensation and damp, keeping your home warm and cosy through the depths of winter!

Here are some top tip from Newydd’s maintenance team to keep your home in good condition as we prepare for the colder, wetter months of the year. In this blog, we’ll be looking at how to deal with condensation in your home.

What is condensation?

Condensation occurs when there is an excess of moisture in the air; there is always moisture present, but people create additional moisture in their homes by:

· Cooking
· Boiling the kettle
· Taking a bath or shower
· Using paraffin or bottled gas heaters
· Drying clothes indoors

Warm, moist air condenses and forms into water droplets when it cools. For example when it touches a cool surface such as walls, mirrors, windows, wall tiles and sometimes even clothing.

If this condensation is unable to evaporate and dry out, it will cause mould to grow on walls, in cupboards, and on window sills as well as causing mildew to form on clothes and leather goods.

What can I do?

Here are four tips to prevent condensation from forming:

1. Produce less moisture by covering pans and turning down the heat when boiling water. Switch off boiling kettles, dry damp clothes outside (or in a well-ventilated room), and don’t use paraffin or bottle gas heaters.

2. Ventilation is key to letting moisture out, opening a bathroom or kitchen window for a while will allow the steam to escape, and always use the extractor fans in both the kitchen and bathroom. We recommend opening the windows for a short while each day to cycle the air in your home, as well as opening any trickle vents fitted on windows. Any tumble drier that requires a ventilation hose should have the hose ventilated to the outside of the property.

3. Keep your home warm by keeping a low background heat. Keeping the ambient temperature at a low heat could save you money too, as you will not need to blast the heating at the coldest parts of the day. More energy saving tips are available here.

4. Wipe down where moisture settles; doing this could prevent mould from forming in the first place. Should you spot mould beginning to form, scrubbing the blackened area with a solution of bleach and water and then rinsing and drying will kill the fungus and stop it from spreading any further.

If you prefer your maintenance tips in video form; we’ve got you covered:

If you’re worried about condensation or mould in your home, you can request a guide to treatment by contacting Newydd on 0303 040 1998 or speak to our maintenance surveyors.