What you can do to stop condensation in your home
Is condensation causing you a lot of trouble? There are many activities in your daily life that can cause it to form, like cooking, showering, drying clothes indoors, and steam ironing. It can also form in a poorly heated home. Ensure that your boiler is functioning properly.
Untreated condensation can cause damp patches where mould can grow. As well as causing damage to your home’s fabric and making it unwelcoming, mould can also have very detrimental health effects, especially if you suffer from respiratory, allergic, or immune issues.
The good news is that you can often manage this excess water vapour at home by ensuring adequate ventilation and heating in your home.
While condensation is inevitable in all windows, it is possible to prevent it from forming. Whenever you see condensation on a window’s inside, you should:
- Add an extractor fan or open the windows to improve ventilation in the room
- Close the doors to the bathroom and kitchen
- It is best to dry clothes outdoors when possible
In this article, you will learn how to reduce condensation in your home by following our tips on how to manage humidity levels, stop condensation, and maintain a comfortable environment.
A Guide to Reducing Home Condensation
1.Cover pans when cooking
Ensure that you cover your pans when cooking to prevent moisture from escaping when water boils. Make sure you have an extractor hood installed above the cooker or an extractor fan installed, as these will reduce the moisture generated during cooking.
Whenever you finish cooking, don’t turn off your extractor fan right away as moisture may still be present, so leave it on for 10-15 minutes to dehumidify the air.
2.Use the outdoors to dry your clothes
In order to prevent excess moisture from building up in your home, you should try to dry your clothes outdoors as much as possible – just imagine how heavy wet clothes and towels are, all of that moisture will evaporate into your warm home. If you cannot dry your clothes outside, keep them in a bathroom with the door closed and windows open until they are completely dry.
3.Use the extractor fan when showering
You should turn on your extractor fan immediately after you take a shower or a bath to remove steam and moisture as soon as they are generated. In low temperature homes, this is especially important. By doing this, you’ll be able to reduce the amount of condensation that appears on the walls and windows of your bathroom.
In the absence of an extractor fan in your bathroom or kitchen, wipe down any cold surfaces after taking a shower or cooking to remove any moisture that has accumulated. Leaving this excess moisture in the air will lead to mould growth very quickly.
4. Avoid placing furniture against external walls
When furniture is placed too close to external walls, it blocks airflow and creates pockets where mould and damp can develop. For better air circulation around your property, and to avoid damp and mould problems in your bedroom, place wardrobes and furniture against internal walls as they are less cold than external walls.
5.Open the windows when the weather gets warmer
Open a window slightly in a room that you use regularly, such as a living room, if it is not cold outside. This will improve the ventilation in the room. Condensation is commonly caused by breathing, so improving your ventilation will help prevent it.