WHAT IS CONDENSATION?

There is always some moisture in the air. Even if you cannot see it.

If air gets cold then it cannot hold all the moisture produced by every day activities and that’s why moisture appears as tiny droplets of water on windows or cold surfaces. This is condensation. Condensation occurs when the weather turns cold, but also when the weather is dry. It doesn’t leave any tidemarks around its edges on walls. If there is a tidemark then this might be another cause such as water leaking from any pipework, loose tiles or rising damp.

Problems that can cause Condensation. 

Condensation will appear as a mould growth on walls, furniture and mildew on clothes and other fabrics and even rotting window frames. Damp humid conditions provide an excellent environment for house dust mites to easily multiply. The presence of mould can cause a respiratory problems.

What causes Condensation.

• Too much moisture being produced.
• Not enough ventilation.
• Cold surfaces.
• The temperature of your home.

Moisture produced in the home.

Our everyday activities add extra moisture to the air inside our homes. Human beings produce moisture by breathing. They say that one person who is asleep adds half a pint of water to the air overnight at twice the rate than when they are active during the day. 

For example 2 people at home will produce 3 pints, taking a bath or shower produces 2 pints, DRYING CLOTHES produces 9 pints, cooking 6 pints, bottled gas 4 pints, even washing up produces 2 pints. Roughly speaking when you add all those pints up it comes to 26 pints of water/ condensation sloshing around your home which is equal to 14.8 litres each day.

So you can see how easy it is for condensation to form. Based on this information its advisable to keep windows open on the latch to allow air flow through the property, close doors when cooking and taking a bath or shower, turn the heating down and dry clothes by hanging them in the bathroom with the door closed and window slightly open and never on or in front of a radiator.

Ventilation.

Ventilating the home can help reduce the level of condensation because it removes moist air and replaces it with drier air from outside and helps you control the amount of moisture in your home. Please bear in mind security when leaving windows ajar.