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Minimise Condensation This Winter

One more non-cheery article before Christmas is upon us. 

Lets talk ‘condensation’…  

So, we know that condensation occurs when warm air collides with cold surfaces, or when there’s too much humidity in your home. We will always notice it more on our windows.  Many of us will have our heating up fully in the winter months and don’t open our windows, therefore resulting in a greater level of warm moist air.

 

How to treat condensation

Improve ventilation by use of extractor fans in kitchens, bathrooms, shower areas & utilities

  • Open windows – double glazed houses where there are no trickle vents are often worse than older houses because there is no natural ventilation
  • Ensure there is adequate heating along with adequate ventilation
  • Reduce the production of moisture – prevent drying clothes inside
  • Use a dehumidifier – this extracts water from the moisture in the room-this is only a short term solution and will not deal with any route cause such as black mould

 

Preventing condensation is much easier than attempting to cure it once you have it.  The only way to avoid condensation in the long-term is to invest wisely in both ventilation and insulation. Ventilation is key to keeping condensation at bay.

We all know it’s impractical to always keep your windows open throughout the winter, so an extractor fan in your bathroom and kitchen can help so if you have one, in the bathroom it should be running whenever you have a bath or shower. If the room is still steamy when you’ve finished, leave the extractor running for a while and keep the door closed. If your property does not have an extractor fan fitted and you are noticing the signs of condensation, then a portable electric dehumidifier will do the job really well, or if you’re a tenant, speak to your landlord/agent about having one installed.

Run a dehumidifier throughout the winter months especially if the water collection chamber is constantly filling up, as this means there is still excess moisture in your home.

Tenants should always let their landlords or agents know if there’s an issue with damp or mould.  Most owners of properties would be happy to improve their properties either by upgrading or replacing windows where needed.