Winter can be a particularly bad time for condensation problems in London homes. Your house may not be as well ventilated as usual—say, if you’re keeping windows closed more often–and the stark contrast between the inside and outside temperatures can be a trigger for condensation. If condensation becomes too plentiful it can lead to damp, which results in further problems such as infestation by black mould and wood rot.
A damp specialist will be able to help you get rid of damp from your home and stop it occurring again, but you can do a lot to reduce condensation by implementing the following strategies.
Make Simple Changes to Your Routine
There are many small things you can do to stop the build-up of moisture in your house, and you might even be doing some of them already.
- If you have extractor fans in your kitchen or bathroom, make sure these are switched on when you’re cooking or having a hot bath or shower: these activities all create a lot of moisture which will condense from the air when it meets a cold surface.
- Even precautions such as as putting lids on pans while you’re cooking can cut significantly down on moisture in your home.
- If your bathroom steams up after a long shower, keep the bathroom door shut and the window open to stop the moisture from travelling to other rooms of the house.
- Drying clothes inside the house is the number one cause of condensation. Everything takes longer to dry in the colder months, and you may not always be able to hang your laundry outside. If you have a tumble dryer, this can be used instead, but make sure it vents to the outside of your property.
- Wiping the condensation from your windows each morning can prevent issues like mould and rotten window frames, but this is obviously a time-consuming activity and may not be sustainable if your life is particularly busy.
Consider Installing a Dehumidifier
Dehumidifiers help to absorb the excess moisture in the air inside your home, and this can greatly help to reduce condensation. Depending on the technology, some dehumidifiers are expensive, but preventing bigger problems caused by condensation is usually worth the investment. Smaller, portable dehumidifiers are cheaper and may work just as well if you only have a small amount of condensation or live in a tiny property.
Contact a Damp Specialist
If you’re unsure what’s causing the condensation in your home, or if you’ve already tried the suggestions in this article, you should get in touch with a damp specialist. An expert will help you diagnose the underlying problem and can offer solutions aimed at curing or managing your condensation problem. At London Damp Company we offer a free damp survey, and our friendly specialists are on hand to make sure that your home stays condensation-free this winter.
