Tips for Condensation Season for Homeowners
Watch the video: Condensation and Ventilation
As the nights draw on and temperatures drop, some householders across the country will start to enter condensation season, where windows turn steamy and excess water forms in droplets across their homes.
For those affected by the problem, help is at hand with a free online guide from national trade body the Property Care Association (PCA).
‘Condensation in your Property,’ is an eight-page guide providing several key pointers to help householders control the problem.
Available for free download, the guidance relating to condensation season can be viewed at www.property-care.org/Homeowners.Damp_Control.Condensation.asp
The guide includes a variety of useful tips, including using pan lids when cooking and avoiding drying laundry on radiators.
Householders are also urged to run cold water in their bath before adding hot water as this can reduce the steam which leads to condensation by up to 90 per cent.
Stephen Hodgson, PCA chief executive, said: “Condensation is a common problem during this time of year, as properties start to be affected by fogged glass and water settles on cold wall surfaces.
“This is the most common form of unwanted dampness in buildings and it forms when the air in buildings has a high level of relative humidity, caused by activities such as cooking, bathing or showering and drying clothes.
“When this water-laden air comes into contact with cold surfaces such as windows and cold walls it can condense, causing water to be deposited.
“The key to its control is maintaining a reasonable balance between heating, ventilation and insulation.
“However, some further changes are often necessary and this guidance helps homeowners go through the steps they need to take to avoid the problem.”
One of the subjects detailed in the guide includes guidance on the introduction of extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms and the importance of good ventilation overall to control airborne moisture levels.
According to the PCA, as well as controlling the amount of moisture put into the air in our homes through our own actions, a major factor in controlling condensation levels is effective ventilation.
Earlier this year the PCA established the Residential Ventilation Group (RVG), which builds on years of research and investigation carried out by PCA with industry partners into the impact dampness and condensation can have on the structure of properties and the comfort and well-being of inhabitants.
The new group has been developed to focus on the increasingly important issue of effective ventilation in residential buildings to provide homeowners with a point of reference and resource to help them find the expert advice and expertise they need.
More details can be found at www.property-care.org/homeowners/domestic-air-quality-and-ventilation/