Reducing condensation and mould in your home

Transcription

1 Reducing condensation and mould in your home

2 Raven We can help you to reduce condensation and mould in your home. Condensation can happen because of the way a home is built, or the way you use it, or both. It can cause damp and mould in your home, so look out for it. What is condensation, damp and mould? Condensation is caused when excess warm moisture in the air (steam or water vapour) meets a cold surface and turns into water. This can cause patches of mould to form. Airborne spores may spread the mould to other areas of your home. Mould often appears on windows, at the corners and edges of rooms, on walls and behind furniture such as sofas, wardrobes and cupboards. It mostly occurs when the weather is cold between October and April. 1

3 Damp in walls and ceilings can be caused by condensation. But there may be other reasons, such as: leaking roofs because of damage to tiles, guttering or chimney flashings leaking internal and external pipes faulty damp-proof course faulty rendering or mortar joints blocked cavities in walls. If you think your home has any of these problems, please call our repairs service on or One of our inspectors will check your property. If they don t find out the cause, we may carry out a full survey. 2

4 Raven What causes condensation? There are three main causes of condensation: Too much moisture in your home. Too little ventilation. Cool temperatures. Some everyday activities add to the moisture already in the air, leading to condensation, for example: Every day, these activities add moisture to the air Two people living in the home Boiling the kettle and cooking Having a bath or shower Washing clothes Drying clothes 3 pints 6 pints 2 pints 1 pint 9 pints Using a paraffin or bottled gas heater (8 hours of use) 4 pints Washing dishes Total amount of moisture 2 pints 27 pints (15 litres) 3

5 How can I reduce condensation? The main ways of cutting condensation are: 1. reduce the amount of moisture you produce 2. improve the ventilation 3. reduce the number of cold surfaces in your home 4. keep your home warm enough. You can do some simple things to reduce condensation, and so prevent damp and mould. Dry your windows and window sills every morning, as well as surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom that have become wet. Wring out the cloth rather than drying it on the radiator. How to stop mould growth First treat the mould already in your home by wiping down or spraying walls and window frames with a fungicidal wash. Ensure you follow the instructions for using it safely. Throw away the rags or cloths you have used, as they hold the spores. Wash and dry any mildewed (mouldy) clothes, and shampoo carpets. Don t try to remove mould with a brush or vacuum cleaner, as this will make spores airborne and spread them further. How to reduce condensation Keep your home warm Air absorbs water and the warmer it is, the more moisture it holds. Heating one room to a high level and leaving other rooms cold makes condensation worse in the unheated rooms. So try to keep some heating on all day throughout your home in cold weather. This will help control condensation. But do check your meters to see how much it is costing you. (See our energy helpline and leaflets on energy saving for more advice.) 4

6 Raven If you don t have heating in every room, you could keep the doors of unheated rooms open to allow some warm air into them. If you have heating in only one room, or you don t get enough heat to prevent condensation, call our asset management department on or raven@ravenht.org.uk so we can arrange to upgrade the heating system. For extra warmth, you could use oil-filled radiators or electric panel heaters on a low setting but watch your energy bills, as electricity is expensive and a full central heating system would usually heat your home more efficiently. Reduce moisture levels Hang your washing outside to dry if possible, or hang it in the bathroom with the door closed and a window slightly open or extractor fan on. Don t put washing on radiators or in front of a radiant heater. Don t use portable bottled gas heaters as they give out a lot of moisture. These appliances are also a fire hazard and they breach tenancy agreements if they are used in flats. You need some ventilation to let the air circulate. But take care not to over-ventilate in cold weather, as it will make your home colder and make condensation more likely. It will also increase your heating costs. 5

7 If you use a tumble drier, make sure it is vented to the outside or it is the new condensing type. Cook with pan lids on and turn the heat down once the water has boiled. Only use the minimum amount of water for cooking vegetables. When filling your bath, run the cold water first then add the hot water this will reduce the steam, which leads to condensation, by 90%. Don t use your gas cooker to heat your kitchen, as it produces moisture when burning gas. 6

8 Raven Increase ventilation Ventilating your home replaces moist air with dry air from the outside, and doing this for just 30 minutes a day can help reduce condensation. Open a small window at one end of your house or flat, or downstairs, and a small one at the other end or upstairs. Remember to close them for security when you go out. Ventilate your kitchen while cooking, washing up or washing by hand, and for about 20 minutes afterwards. Use your cooker extractor hood or extractor fan, or keep the window slightly open. Keep kitchen and bathroom doors closed to prevent moisture escaping around your home. Ventilate your bathroom for about 20 minutes after use by opening a window or using the extractor fan they are cheap to run and very effective. Ventilate your bedroom by leaving a window slightly open overnight or use trickle vents, if fitted, in your windows. But think about security if you re leaving a window open. 7

9 To reduce the risk of mildew on clothes and other stored items, allow air to circulate round them by pulling them a little way out from the walls. If possible, place wardrobes and cupboards against internal walls where there is less risk of cold and damp from outside. Try not to overfill them, as this reduces air circulation. Reduce the number of cold surfaces in your home Walls and ceilings are often the coldest surfaces in the home. You can make them warmer, and also reduce condensation, by better insulation and draughtproofing. We are insulating the loft and cavity walls of homes to high energy-efficiency standards. If you think your home would benefit from loft or cavity wall insulation, please call us on or r aven@ravenht.org.uk 8

10 Raven Further information You may find the following leaflets useful: Save money, save energy, save the environment Reduce fuel tariffs Energy Helpline If you would like one of these leaflets, please visit our website or contact us on or 9

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12 Raven Customer Charter Our Customer Charter lists the standards of service you can expect from us. You can pick up a copy at any of our offices, or download a copy from our website, We can provide this leaflet in audio, large print and other languages. Please let us know what you need. Raven Housing Trust Raven House, 29 Linkfield Lane, Redhill RH1 1SS Telephone July 2012 Raven Housing Trust Limited is a charitable Industrial and Provident Society, registration no R, and is registered as a social housing provider with the Homes and Communities Agency, registration no. L4334. Printed by Pureprint Group using their pureprint environmental print technology, a guaranteed, low carbon, low waste, independently audited process that reduces the environmental impact of the printing process. Vegetable oil based inks are used throughout % of any dry waste associated with this production is diverted from landfill.