In a recent interview a senior technical assessor from FIX, Ross MacDonald, relayed some key tips to help deal with condensation in your home.
While the installation of modern heating systems, thermally efficient windows and doors and wall/loft insulation have provided us all with warmer and more comfortable homes, they have also provided the environment for condensation to form.
In the past excess water vapour, which is always present in the air around us, could escape up a chimney, through a door jamb or window joints and other outlets. However modern home comforts have created rooms that are warmer but often have less ventilation meaning excess water vapour has nowhere to go, so it forms as droplets of moisture on surfaces and can cause mould and dampness on walls and curtains.
Below are some top tips to managing and reducing condensation in your home:
- Provide natural ventilation by opening a window for at least a few minutes each day to allow a minimum of one complete air change.
- Ensure that wall and window vents are open and kept clear.
- Allow the room’s warmth to reach your windows by using fixings which holds curtains away from the glass to allow free movement of warm air. It’s worth noting that blinds can sometimes act as a barrier to this.
- Avoid drying clothes indoors as they release moisture into the air, or do so in a well ventilated room.
- When cooking or bathing ensure bathroom and kitchen internal doors are closed and windows kept open. Consider the installation of an extractor fan or cooker hood and keep lids on pots while cooking.
- In cold weather, turn on some form of heating more frequently.
- Use a dehumidifier to manage the moisture level in the air.
- Consider simple draught proofing measures for windows and doors, and building insulation to help maintain a consistent indoor temperature.
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