Condensation & Mould

How to deal with condensation and mould in your home

During cold or wet weather, condensation and mould growth can become a problem so we’ve put together a guide to help you avoid it.

If you create a lot of moisture in the air in your property it will condense on any cold surface and may cause mould or mildew to appear. Modern double glazed windows are too warm to act as condensers, so the water vapour condenses on the next coldest surface. Mould isn’t nice to look at, may not be good for your health and may damage your belongings or the property.

How to remove it

Most supermarkets sell sprays that you can use to remove the mould/mildew which tend not to be that expensive and can be used on most surfaces. You can normally just spray it on and leave it to work. Always read the instructions!

How to prevent condensation

In order to prevent condensation you need to reduce the amount of moisture in the air, this can be done in a number of ways:

• Drying clothes
  Dry your clothes outside. If that is not possible, make sure they are being dried in a well ventilated room, so the moisture has somewhere to go, and are spread out on a drying rack and not directly placed on radiators, which creates steam.
• Ventilation
  Make sure extractors are turned on when showering, bathing or cooking and left on for at least 15 minutes after you have finished. It will also help to open a window. Modern windows can be locked slightly open. Even asleep, you exhale 20 ml of water vapour with every breath! If you have an extractor that is not working you can report this through our online system.
• Heating
  Try and keep the temperature of your house constant rather than going
  from really warm to really cold; this will help stop the water vapour condensing as the air cools. It is also more economic to keep a steady temperature. If your property has radiators with thermostats then use them to control a room’s temperature.
• Cooking
  When cooking try not to let pans and kettles boil anymore than necessary. Use the extractors and open windows.
• Storage
  Make sure that cupboards and wardrobes aren't over filled and that items are kept a bit away from walls so that air can circulate and prevent cold spots. Furniture next to outside walls can be most affected.

If you have followed the advice above and still have a problem with condensation or mould let us know and we’ll see what we can do to help.