The most common form of dampness in a house is condensation. Condensation forms when warm air inside a building meets a cold surface like a wall, window or even furniture and leaves drops of water on the surface.
Other forms of damp, such as rising damp, are more likely to worsen in rainy weather. By looking at it, you can usually identify what's generating the wetness. Other forms of moisture cause a stain mark to emerge on walls, ceilings, or floors, whereas condensation tends to produce patches of mould with soft edges.
Causes and signs of condensation
Air can hold moisture - the warmer the air, the most moisture it can hold. If moist air is cooled by contact with cold surfaces, such as walls, windows or mirrors, the moisture condenses into water droplets (known as condensation). Mould often occurs because of condensation.
The reason condensation appears in your property is due to a lack of adequate ventilation which causes humidity levels to rise. As we spend more time indoors and make our property more energy efficient the build-up of moisture and humidity levels increase.
Removing condensation
Make a habit of removing window condensation first thing every morning — when it's at its worst. Use an absorbent paper towel or microfibre cloth to gently scoop and wipe the water off the surface of your windows. Use a fresh towel or a squeegee to dry the pane thoroughly afterwards.
For the most part, a little condensation on your home's windows is nothing to worry about. It's only when you have excessive condensation on the windows, or the condensation is between the window panes that you should be concerned.
A dehumidifier works by drawing in the moisture laden air to help reduce condensation and damp problems.
Yes, if you have damp and mould in your home you're more likely to have respiratory problems, respiratory infections, allergies or asthma. Damp and mould can also affect the immune system.
A build-up of moisture in your home can cause damp and mould problems and could affect your health. Condensation is a common problem caused when moist, warm air meets a cold surface like a window or external wall. Dampness caused by too much condensation can lead to mould growth on walls, ceilings and furniture.
What does a damp patch look like? In most cases, the most obvious sign that you have a damp area on your ceiling is that the paint has discoloured to create a “tidemark” around the area. This can be an important indicator of the source of the damp.
Ventilate so the moist air leaves the house – always use the extractor fan when you're cooking, showering or bathing, leave any window vents open, and don't block off any other vents. Make sure air can circulate by leaving gaps between furniture and the wall.
In a home with efficient double glazing and insulation, it might not form at all. But a home with single-glazed windows and poor insulation will probably experience a lot of condensation. Between 22C and 27C is the so-called temperature that we feel most comfortable in.
There are several causes for damp patches appearing on interior walls including damaged guttering, cracked roof tiles and more commonly condensation. Condensation forms when warm moist air within a room touches a cold internal wall or surface.
Major Differences between Damp and Condensation
The problem of condensation tends to leave black mould patches on the walls that have soft, blurred edges as compared to stains marks from penetrating and rising damp.
Condensation on windows can cause a person to suffer from a wide range of symptoms, including throat irritation, nasal stuffiness, coughing and wheezing, eye irritation, skin irritation and other breathing issues.
With prolonged condensation dampness, mould spores can thrive and permeate into walls, carpets, furniture and other soft furnishings. In some cases, the actual mould growth and source of the musty smell may be hidden from view perhaps behind a wardrobe or in a cupboard.
Open Your Window
This might seem obvious, but it's effective. Opening your windows will release the humid air outside, and therefore, will prevent the humidity from collecting onto your windows. So, if it's not too cold out and you're suffering from condensation, open a window.
The World Health Organisation guidelines suggest 21 degrees in a living room and 18 degrees in the bedrooms, falling lower at night and when you are out. You don't need to keep your home at these temperatures all the time, but you should aim to bring it up to these temperatures at least some of the day.
The appearance of condensation between the panes of glass in your bedroom windows, or in any other windows in your home, indicates that the windows are not doing their job properly. The air-tight seal holding the insulating gas inside has failed, letting all the insulating gas out.
The main reason that condensation is worse in winter and the colder months of the year is because the amount of heat and moisture present within a home is often far greater than it is during summer, as well as the fact that the temperature outside your property is much cooler.
Window condensation isn't necessarily a big deal and often doesn't require attention as it generally disappears on its own. But if you're not able to easily wipe the moisture away, you might have a problem to address.
Condensation is most common in winter, but it can occur whenever water vapor in the air comes in contact with a surface temperature lower than the dew point (the temperature at which air becomes saturated and produces dew).