Condensation Control Newcastle
Condensation Control in Newcastle & the North East
Condensation control in Newcastle and throughout the North East with reputable local firm. Condensation can often be misdiagnosed as rising or penetrating damp so we have provided some information regarding what is condensation, how to diagnose condensation correctly, how to sop and best control condensation including our free top tips list and how to book a free initial inspection without obligation.
What is Condensation?
Regardless of the age of your building, the problem of condensation can affect anyone. In simple terms, condensation forms when the air inside the house becomes moist, resulting from warm air coming into contact with a cold surface. When there is condensation, your house may feel cold, unwelcoming and unhealthy. As a byproduct of condensation, black mould can begin to form around your house and as a result, can cause damage to decoration such as peeling off paint and damaged plaster but on a more serious note can cause health issues and allergies.
By reading this page in full, you will learn how to control condensation in your home. Concentrating on reducing condensation on windows, walls, and ceilings will have a positive knock-on effect to stopping black mould appearing in other areas or surfaces including wardrobes, clothes and leather products.
How to Diagnose Condensation Correctly?
Condensation is one of the problems that winter brings and can often be misdiagnosed as rising or penetrating damp. Condensation comes from humidity. Humidity is simply a measurement of how much water there is in the air. Air holds moisture, and there is more moisture in warm air than there is in cold air. Therefore, enquiries for help for condensation problems are more common in the winter months (September to February in the UK). When the air is moist, whatever you bring in will cause the air to release the water it was holding. Problem areas can include low ventilated areas without windows or places where airflow is restricted, such as behind furniture, inside wardrobes or under beds. The focus of this blog is to explore methods that can help cure condensation and recommend products to stop condensation on windows, walls and ceilings through the two leading causes: warm air meeting cold surface and lack of ventilation.
When condensation forms, it gives various signs which help identify the type of dampness as condensation.
Walls: The wall will feel very cold or damp against your hand. There may be mould or fungal growth which will appear as black speckled marks or grey spots on painted walls, woodwork and wallpaper. If your paintwork is flaking, that could also be an indicator.
Ceilings: Condensation can change the colour of your ceiling, which can cause discolouration or staining in several areas. You may see damp and brown patches in the external corners and near chimney breasts or external walls connected to guttering.
Windows: Every morning particularly during winter months, your windows may appear streaming with water and/or accumulate moist with small puddles of water along window sills. Coupled black mould on your wooden or PVC window frames, you can be sure you have condensation problems.
Condensation is more apparent in bathrooms and kitchens where you use more water and vapour; hence why current building regulations in recent years have made it mandatory for the installation of extractor fans in these areas.
How To Stop or Best Control Condensation
Preventing condensation is cheaper than the cure. However, condensation problems are often difficult to escape in their entirety. Various red flags can be avoided to minimise condensation as well as some DIY treatment solutions for black mould. Everyday living such as bathing, showering drying clothes, and even breathing can contribute to condensation issues. However, there are several preventive measures you can implement to minimise this.
1.Keep the home warm
Condensation occurs in moist or humid environments. Installing loft and wall insulation creates warmth.1
2.Maintain constant temperature
Use a thermostat and set it to a lower temperature over a more extended period each day rather than sporadic increases in temperature which although may appear to be a good idea is more likely to be counterproductive and worsen the problem.
3.Make sure your home is well-ventilated
Providing ventilation allows moisture to escape from your home and minimise condensation. Always ensure that all your washing machines and tumble dryers are plumbed in and vented correctly. Use an extractor fan in your bathrooms and kitchens, and make sure to run them long enough to clear moisture from your room. Open windows whenever you can.
4.Choose moisture-resistant paint and wallpaper
Some areas are more prone to damp or condensation than others. If your house is in one of those areas, use decoration that resists water or damp. Choose from thermal paints or splash-proof vinyl wallpaper that can be easily wiped clean if you like wallpapers.
5.Allow your rooms to breathe
If there is much condensation on your windows, you can change your coverings. Use a covering style that you can move away from the frames. You can install a length of curtain pole or rail so that you will be able to pull the curtains away from the window. You can also install blinds over the window alcove instead of internally.
You can install Passyfier Sleeved Vent in your wall to remove excess moisture in bedrooms, or Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) System which will cover the whole property to create fresh and healthy living environments by supplying fresh, filtered air into a property at a continuous rate throughout. Installation of these should always be carried out by a by a professional company.
Top Tips to Reduce and Control Condensation
- Place furniture a few inches away from the walls. That will allow the air to flow freely around the room.
- Allow spaces in your cupboards to allow the air to flow.
- Ensure that your loft insulation does not block the ventilation between the fascia boards and the house wall.
- Install thermostat
- Ventilate your tumble driers externally or use a self-condensing model.
- Keep lids on all pots whilst cooking
- Buy good quality extractor fans to use in the kitchen and bathroom. Make sure they come with a humidistat control, which means they are automatically triggered to operate when the humidity in the room rises.
- Install trickle vents in your windows.
- If you already have trickle vents make sure you open them for the majority of the day to allow a change of air and improve ventilation in the home.
- Measure the Relative Humidity. The moisture content of the air is called Relative Humidity or RH for short. To avoid condensation, the moisture content of the air must be around 55-65% RH. You can buy a Hygrometer online.
Final Note on Condensation Control for Newcastle Homeowners
Black mould growth is the most common effect of condensation, and ventilation is the best cure for condensation
There are many ways to solve condensation problems you can treat without an expert. The treatment of condensation that will work best for you depends on your problems and the extent of the damage.
If you have concerns that your damp issues might be connected to rising damp, please visit our rising damp treatment page which provides information regarding what is rising damp, what causes rising damp, signs and symptoms of rising damp, the best treatment for rising damp and how to book a free initial inspection without obligation.
Other related services include dry rot treatment, penetrating damp, woodworm and plastering. For a full list of all the areas we cover can be found by visiting our find local damp specialists page.
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