Advice to prevent condensation & tackle mould issues (pictures included)

Condensation is always a big concern in the U.K and we have come across a great product that works wonders in our tenants’ properties! Stopping condensation is important because if it is not treated it can turn into the unsightly black mould on your walls, curtains, and upholstery.

What is condensation?

Condensation occurs when warm damp air comes into contact with cooler air, or a colder surface, which is at a lower temperature. Air contains water vapour in varying quantities; its capacity to do so is related to its temperature - warm air holds more moisture than cold air. When moist air comes into contact with either colder air or a colder surface, the air is unable to retain the same amount of moisture and the water is released to form condensation in the air often forming on surfaces or walls and leading to damp problems.

What causes condensation?

Condensation moisture in the air can come from a variety of sources in your property. Water vapour is produced in relatively large quantities from normal day-to-day activities which inevitably can lead to condensation in the property.

For example, a five-person household puts about 10 litres of water into the air every day.

More examples include:

• Breathing (asleep) 0.3 litres & breathing (awake) 0.85 litres

• Cooking 3 litres

• Personal washing 1.0 litres

• Washing and drying clothes 5.5 litres

• Heating - especially paraffin and flueless gas heaters

• Moisture can also be drawn from the structure of the building into the internal air; from below the floor or through the walls/ceilings

Although this may be your first time reading our advice on condensation, we always provide our tenants with condensation advice at the start of their tenancies. We have recently created a new Maintenance Advice brochure for our tenants to download. You can access the brochure using this link which contains more information on condensation: Maintenance Advice

What to do about condensation:

It is unlikely that a home in the UK will never suffer some form of condensation within as most of us do not want to keep our windows open particularly when it is cold outside. However, by keeping your property well-maintained you should be able to live with a certain amount of condensation. In order to try and keep your bills down and avoid excessive condensation treatments, there are various ways to prevent condensation to minimize the problem.

Here are some tips to prevent condensation:

• Keep your property well-ventilated by opening your windows on a daily basis to allow moist air to escape

• If using the kitchen or bathroom, try to keep the door closed when possible so that moist or stale air is contained within the room

• Try to keep at least a small gap between walls and furniture, particularly against ‘cold walls', and allow ventilation of any cupboards to keep airflow moving

• If drying clothes, it is always better to do it outside. If this is not possible, put them in an enclosed room with plenty of ventilation and keep the window open. If using a tumble dryer, make sure the vent pipe runs outside your property or out a window

• While cooking, try to cover all pots and pans and avoid leaving anything on the boil for too long

• Check to make sure airways within your property are not blocked, such as air bricks or chimneys

• As it is cold air that causes warm air to release moisture, try to keep heating levels within your property at a constant temperature, especially in the winter.

If you get to the stage of mould spores appearing on your walls, we strongly recommend everyone use Dettol Antibacterial Mould & Mildew Spray.

This product can be found in most high-street locations and costs as little as £3.00. One bottle will be sufficient to cover a lot of mould, so you will not need to be purchasing a new bottle every week.

Please view the example before and after pictures shown below. Please note the After pictures were taken within 5-10 minutes of application, showing just how effective it is!

Results will vary; however, we strongly recommend using this spray as soon as you notice any signs of mould to prevent it from growing further.

We hope this article has provided you with useful information and has helped you in dealing with your existing issues, as well as preventing future issues.

If you require advice or assistance from an expert Property Management team, please contact us today.

Before:

After:

Condensation is always a big concern in the U.K and we have come across a great product that works wonders in our tenants’ properties! Stopping condensation is important because if it is not treated it can turn into the unsightly black mould on your walls, curtains, and upholstery.

What is condensation?

What causes condensation?

Condensation moisture in the air can come from a variety of sources in your property. Water vapour is produced in relatively large quantities from normal day-to-day activities which inevitably can lead to condensation in the property.

For example, a five-person household puts about 10 litres of water into the air every day.

More examples include:

• Breathing (asleep) 0.3 litres & breathing (awake) 0.85 litres

• Cooking 3 litres

• Personal washing 1.0 litres

• Washing and drying clothes 5.5 litres

• Heating - especially paraffin and flueless gas heaters

• Moisture can also be drawn from the structure of the building into the internal air; from below the floor or through the walls/ceilings

What to do about condensation:

Here are some tips to prevent condensation:

• Keep your property well-ventilated by opening your windows on a daily basis to allow moist air to escape

• If using the kitchen or bathroom, try to keep the door closed when possible so that moist or stale air is contained within the room

• Try to keep at least a small gap between walls and furniture, particularly against ‘cold walls', and allow ventilation of any cupboards to keep airflow moving

• If drying clothes, it is always better to do it outside. If this is not possible, put them in an enclosed room with plenty of ventilation and keep the window open. If using a tumble dryer, make sure the vent pipe runs outside your property or out a window

• While cooking, try to cover all pots and pans and avoid leaving anything on the boil for too long

• Check to make sure airways within your property are not blocked, such as air bricks or chimneys

• As it is cold air that causes warm air to release moisture, try to keep heating levels within your property at a constant temperature, especially in the winter.

If you get to the stage of mould spores appearing on your walls, we strongly recommend everyone use Dettol Antibacterial Mould & Mildew Spray.

This product can be found in most high-street locations and costs as little as £3.00. One bottle will be sufficient to cover a lot of mould, so you will not need to be purchasing a new bottle every week.

Please view the example before and after pictures shown below. Please note the After pictures were taken within 5-10 minutes of application, showing just how effective it is!

Results will vary; however, we strongly recommend using this spray as soon as you notice any signs of mould to prevent it from growing further.

We hope this article has provided you with useful information and has helped you in dealing with your existing issues, as well as preventing future issues.

If you require advice or assistance from an expert Property Management team, please contact us today.

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