Your Questions Answered Condensation
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COUNCIL SAY I AM LIABLE! (CONDENSATION)
I am a council tenant who has condensation really bad where it is ruining my clothes and furniture in the bedroom. The council say I am liable for this. Is this true?
Question:
COUNCIL SAY I AM LIABLE! (CONDENSATION)
I am a council tenant who has condensation really bad where it is ruining my clothes and furniture in the bedroom. The council say I am liable for this. Is this true?
Submitted by: Natasha
Answer:
The moisture that forms as condensation ruining your clothes and furniture has been produced by the life style of the occupants in your house. The house has not produced it. It is what you do in the house that produces water vapour and the worst culprit is drying clothes inside. Do you do this? Effective insulation will help cut down the amount of condensation that forms which the council may be able to improve but look at everything the occupants of your house do that generates water vapour and try to reduce it. If all else fails a domestic dehumidifier will help.
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MOULD, SMELL, HELP! (CONDENSATION)
We own a split level, detached bungalow that is 30 years old. We have double glazed upvc windows installed. We have a problem with the ceilings in the bedrooms of the house in that black spots and marks are starting to appear which are quite unsightly. We installed fitted wardrobes four years ago and have started to notice that clothes that have not been worn for a while have mould patches on them and reek of damp. There is no evidence of damp in the basement area, office area or garage, all of which are situated on the lower level of the property. Is it possible it is something we are not doing properly that is causing this problem? Clothes are never dried indoors as we have an outside boiler house that dries clothes more than adequately in the winter months. Windows are opened to air rooms every day regardless of weather conditions. The property is surrounded by lliandi trees which cannot be removed by us as they are not on our land. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Question:
MOULD, SMELL, HELP! (CONDENSATION)
We own a split level, detached bungalow that is 30 years old. We have double glazed upvc windows installed. We have a problem with the ceilings in the bedrooms of the house in that black spots and marks are starting to appear which are quite unsightly. We installed fitted wardrobes four years ago and have started to notice that clothes that have not been worn for a while have mould patches on them and reek of damp. There is no evidence of damp in the basement area, office area or garage, all of which are situated on the lower level of the property. Is it possible it is something we are not doing properly that is causing this problem? Clothes are never dried indoors as we have an outside boiler house that dries clothes more than adequately in the winter months. Windows are opened to air rooms every day regardless of weather conditions. The property is surrounded by lliandi trees which cannot be removed by us as they are not on our land. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Submitted by: Jackie
Answer:
The symptoms that you describe are typical of those encountered when condensation is the problem. It is unusual to get black spot mould on the ceilings which could be indicative of either no or inadequate insulation being present above. You should be able to check this. Fitted wardrobes against outside walls in bungalows are notorious for suffering the effects of condensation causing mould to grow on clothes, shoes and handbags. We note your comment regarding the basement/office/garage, however it is anticipated that most of the water vapour within the property will be suspended within the warmer atmosphere of the accommodation areas above since warm air rises.
This having been said, some properties are more susceptible to condensation than others. There are certain immediate things that you should do: 1) Look at all the water vapour generating activities that take place in the house and wherever possible try and extract the water vapour at source with extractor fans. 2) Check the amount of insulation in the loft and if the external cavity walls have not been insulated then seriously consider having this done. This will have the effect of warming the inner skin of brickwork, making it less susceptible to condensation as well as maintaining a warmer atmosphere which is able to support a greater volume of water vapour. 3) You may also want to consider a domestic de-humidifier. These are relatively cheap to purchase and run. They should be run when the rooms are warm and all windows closed. 4) You may want to reconsider your habit of opening the windows every day regardless of weather conditions. Whilst ventilation is important, excessive ventilation could have the effect of chilling the fabric and contents of the property, leaving it more susceptible to the effects of condensation. Finally, you should look at how you heat the property, especially during the cooler winter months. The whole property should be heated, including unused bedrooms, otherwise cold spots will be created and condensation more likely to form.
We hope the above is of assistance to you and please let us know if any of the points mentioned are relevant to your circumstances.
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MOULD (CONDENSATION)
We live in a brick built end terraced house approx 60 yrs old and have black mould around most of the external doors and windows. We had upvc fitted 5 yrs ago, the brick air vents were filled in and every winter it comes back with a vengeance! Please could you give us some advice?
Question:
MOULD (CONDENSATION)
We live in a brick built end terraced house approx 60 yrs old and have black mould around most of the external doors and windows. We had upvc fitted 5 yrs ago, the brick air vents were filled in and every winter it comes back with a vengeance! Please could you give us some advice?
Submitted by: V Andow
Answer:
It is assumed that you have checked that rainwater is not responsible. What you describe sounds like a condensation problem caused by a cold bridge at the window and door openings. Obviously you should look at all of the water vapour generating activities that go on in the house and if not already present consider extractors in the kitchen and bathroom and stop immediately any clothes drying that takes place inside the property - this is probably the single biggest cause of condensation and mould. You may also want to look at Mould Growth Consultants web site and in particular a product they do called Sempatap Thermal which you may want to consider using to line your window and door reveals if it is appropriate. Why were the air vents blocked up as this could also be a contributory factor?
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DAMP AND GREEN MOULD – I’M VERY WORRIED (CONDENSATION)
I have damp all upstairs on my ceiling and it has always been in the bathrooms but have noticed it’s got much worse since we have the heating on. I’m really worried that the longer I leave it the worse it will get. Also I have pine furniture throughout my house and have noticed that I get green mould on the side or back. It’s wiped off but will return this is upstairs and only in the front room. I don’t know really where to go to get this fixed as I don’t want to be told a lie and get someone in then for it not to be sorted. Please hope you have an answer as I’m very worried.
Question:
DAMP AND GREEN MOULD – I’M VERY WORRIED (CONDENSATION)
I have damp all upstairs on my ceiling and it has always been in the bathrooms but have noticed it’s got much worse since we have the heating on. I’m really worried that the longer I leave it the worse it will get. Also I have pine furniture throughout my house and have noticed that I get green mould on the side or back. It’s wiped off but will return this is upstairs and only in the front room. I don’t know really where to go to get this fixed as I don’t want to be told a lie and get someone in then for it not to be sorted. Please hope you have an answer as I’m very worried.
Submitted by: Rebecca Wood
Answer:
What you describe sounds like a bad condensation problem. If you read our web site you will see that condensation in our properties is the result of how we live in our them i.e. our water vapour generating activities combined with the amount of heat we use. Do you dry clothes inside? If so stop this immediately as it is the biggest contributor to water vapour levels in a property. Are all areas adequately heated? Is the roof adequately insulated? Read our web site about condensation myths and you might want to consider buying a domestic dehumidifier.
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BUNGALOW WITH CONDENSATION (CONDENSATION)
We live in a semi detached bungalow and have black speckled mould on our bedroom wall which is actually the outside wall. There are fitted wardrobes against this and the mould has also appeared inside on clothes, shoes etc. A couple of questions, firstly what should we do? And secondly is it harmful for us (particularly as we sleep in this bedroom)
Question:
BUNGALOW WITH CONDENSATION (CONDENSATION)
We live in a semi detached bungalow and have black speckled mould on our bedroom wall which is actually the outside wall. There are fitted wardrobes against this and the mould has also appeared inside on clothes, shoes etc. A couple of questions, firstly what should we do? And secondly is it harmful for us (particularly as we sleep in this bedroom)
Submitted by: Rachel
Answer:
What you describe are classic symptoms of condensation in a bungalow, particularly with fitted cupboards against outside walls. There is a great deal of information on our web site about condensation, a whole collection of questions and answers and an in-depth article about it under interesting articles. The spores produced by the mould are potentially harmful in large quantities. If you dry clothes anywhere inside the property this should stop immediately. Where you dry them makes no difference as water vapour will quickly distribute itself uniformally throughout the property. There should be powered extraction in the kitchen and bathroom. The walls and ceiling should be adequately insulated and the heating used constantly as a background heat - not in spurts morning and evening. You may also want to consider buying a domestic dehumidifier which are cheap to buy and run. Are we making any sense with what happens in your home?
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CONDENSATION ON A PIPE (CONDENSATION)
Having recently purchased the ground floor flat in a 100 year old mid terrace property we repainted the bathroom including the ceiling around 3 months ago. We noticed water on the floor next to the old iron toilet after a couple of weeks, adjacent to the old toilet is an old pipe which does not serve our flat but we believe supplies the mains water to the upstairs apartment. Over time we have noticed some form of condensation on the pipe and black mould in areas up the pipe. At the ceiling level there is also a stain of what we believe is water surrounding in the pipe where is penetrates the ceiling, the stain is a perfect circle. We reported what we believed to be a leaking pipe to the owners of the upstairs flat but their plumber could find no sign of a leak. Could this merely be condensation and is there anything we can do about it? There is evidence where the pipe runs close to the wall at ground floor level that the wall is becoming damp, we have recently had the damp works done to the other side of this wall. Any ideas? Thanks!
Question:
CONDENSATION ON A PIPE (CONDENSATION)
Having recently purchased the ground floor flat in a 100 year old mid terrace property we repainted the bathroom including the ceiling around 3 months ago. We noticed water on the floor next to the old iron toilet after a couple of weeks, adjacent to the old toilet is an old pipe which does not serve our flat but we believe supplies the mains water to the upstairs apartment. Over time we have noticed some form of condensation on the pipe and black mould in areas up the pipe. At the ceiling level there is also a stain of what we believe is water surrounding in the pipe where is penetrates the ceiling, the stain is a perfect circle. We reported what we believed to be a leaking pipe to the owners of the upstairs flat but their plumber could find no sign of a leak. Could this merely be condensation and is there anything we can do about it? There is evidence where the pipe runs close to the wall at ground floor level that the wall is becoming damp, we have recently had the damp works done to the other side of this wall. Any ideas? Thanks!
Submitted by: M Hughes
Answer:
What you describe sounds like condensation forming on an incoming rising main. It will also form on the pipe in the ceiling void above and run down the pipe until it hits the plaster and will eventually show as the water ring you describe. The solution is to re-route the pipe or lag it with an insulation that has a foil outer covering to prevent water vapour reaching the cool surface of the pipe under the insulation. We know this is all
easier said than done so good luck!
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DAMP UPSTAIRS (CONDENSATION)
I have damp all upstairs on my ceiling and it has always been in the bathroom but have noticed it’s got much worse since we have the heating on. I’m really worried that the longer I leave it the worse it will get. Also I have pine furniture through out my house and have noticed that I get green mould on the side or back. It’s wiped off but will return this is upstairs and only in the front room. I don’t know really where to go to get this fixed as I don’t want to be told a lie and get someone in then for it not to be sorted. Please hope you have an answer as I’m very worried.
Question:
DAMP UPSTAIRS (CONDENSATION)
I have damp all upstairs on my ceiling and it has always been in the bathroom but have noticed it’s got much worse since we have the heating on. I’m really worried that the longer I leave it the worse it will get. Also I have pine furniture through out my house and have noticed that I get green mould on the side or back. It’s wiped off but will return this is upstairs and only in the front room. I don’t know really where to go to get this fixed as I don’t want to be told a lie and get someone in then for it not to be sorted. Please hope you have an answer as I’m very worried.
Submitted by: Reb Wood
Answer:
What you describe sounds like a bad condensation problem. Warm air rises and is able to support a greater amount of water vapour hence the problem becomes worse with the heating on. The water vapour the air carries has to be generated somewhere and if you read our web site you will realise condensation is the result of how we live in our houses i.e. our water vapour generating activities combined with the amount of heat we use. Do you dry clothes inside? If so stop this immediately as it is a major contributor to water vapour levels in a property. Are all areas adequately heated? Is the roof adequately insulated? Read about condensation myths on our web site about which might help you understand what is happening and you might want to consider buying a domestic dehumidifier.
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IS IT DAMP? IS IT CONDENSATION? (CONDENSATION)
We recently brought our first house and were told after our initial survey to have a "Damp and Timber Expert Survey" carried out. This was arranged (free of charge) by the estate agents managing the sale. I have read many of your FAQs and understand the pitfalls of DPC’s; they say we need one on our 1920s terrace house, even though there are no visible signs of damp. I understand that doesn’t mean there isn’t but surely condensation can be misdiagnosed as rising damp? Our under stairs cupboard smells very musty, is that a sign of condensation or rising damp? (Or both!?!). The lowest bricks visible outside our house have a white salt (sulphates?) deposited on them, which stops at a dark layer of bricks that runs all the way round the house- is this the existing DPC?
And lastly, since damp meters are calibrated to use on timber, how can they be used on brick?? I understand calibrations, as I calibrate many types of moisture meters at my place of work, but none of them use resistance. Surely the composition of brick and timber are different enough to render them useless, especially if they are used on wall paper in a house with a condensation problem?
Question:
IS IT DAMP? IS IT CONDENSATION? (CONDENSATION)
We recently brought our first house and were told after our initial survey to have a "Damp and Timber Expert Survey" carried out. This was arranged (free of charge) by the estate agents managing the sale. I have read many of your FAQs and understand the pitfalls of DPC’s; they say we need one on our 1920s terrace house, even though there are no visible signs of damp. I understand that doesn’t mean there isn’t but surely condensation can be misdiagnosed as rising damp? Our under stairs cupboard smells very musty, is that a sign of condensation or rising damp? (Or both!?!). The lowest bricks visible outside our house have a white salt (sulphates?) deposited on them, which stops at a dark layer of bricks that runs all the way round the house- is this the existing DPC?
And lastly, since damp meters are calibrated to use on timber, how can they be used on brick?? I understand calibrations, as I calibrate many types of moisture meters at my place of work, but none of them use resistance. Surely the composition of brick and timber are different enough to render them useless, especially if they are used on wall paper in a house with a condensation problem?
Submitted by: M Adams
Answer:
Condensation is very often mistaken for rising damp which is why, especially during the winter months, a condensation check should also be undertaken even though it is a photograph in time. Unfortunately not many do this or even know how to do it and most do not even possess the equipment necessary! To do this one needs to measure the air temperature and relative humidity to establish the dew point temperature (the temperature at which condensation will form). Wall surface temperature readings should then be taken to see where they are in relation to the dew point temperature.
The musty smell in your under stairs cupboard could just be a sub floor musty smell percolating up through gaps between the floorboard (assuming you have a timber floor). Condensation is unlikely on a party wall. Check the sub floor void and you may need to improve the subfloor ventilation.
The darker course of bricks could well be the damp course. If they are dark grey with a slight metallic finish they are engineering bricks and these were used as a DPC.
One can use a moisture meter calibrated for wood on any surface one wishes but the readings obtained from surfaces other than wood are only qualitive and not quantitive. When used on masonry, plaster etc. the readings obtained are only a guide. The pattern of readings obtained is important as is the skill, knowledge and experience of the user! They are very sensitive when used on masonry and this point is sometimes exploited by companies offering so called free speculative surveys. This is why we are advocates of independent surveys. Granted this will cost you money but more often than not is saves money by preventing unnecessary work.
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POLYTHENE AND INSULATION – NOW I HAVE CONDENSATION (CONDENSATION)
Have insulated a single skin wall with polythene, battens and insulation and plasterboard and have noticed a lot of condensation since the cold weather. What is the remedy for this and what do you think is causing the problem?
Question:
POLYTHENE AND INSULATION – NOW I HAVE CONDENSATION (CONDENSATION)
Have insulated a single skin wall with polythene, battens and insulation and plasterboard and have noticed a lot of condensation since the cold weather. What is the remedy for this and what do you think is causing the problem?
Submitted by: Sean
Answer:
You do not say where you have noticed the condensation? Polythene is a vapour check material so if you have covered all or most of the external walls through which water vapour used to escape it will cause a problem. It's like living inside a large plastic bag. Which side of the insulation the polythene is could also cause problems. It should on be the warm side (room side) of the insulation not against the wall. If you have fixed it the other way around you will probably experience bad condensation on the polythene behind the insulation which could even trickle down onto the floor. You could try fitting a vapour check on the room side of the insulation but have you fixed plasterboard? You also need to let the vapour out so open windows/install a vent otherwise use a dehumidifier. Hope this helps.
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WET IN CONSERVATORY (CONDENSATION)
I have a conservatory and have noticed the walls are wet and the colour of the walls are turning black day by day. The roof is a Perspex one and drops of water fall in the evening. I'm guessing its condensation or damp one or the other how can I sort this problem out? (January 08)
Question:
WET IN CONSERVATORY (CONDENSATION)
I have a conservatory and have noticed the walls are wet and the colour of the walls are turning black day by day. The roof is a Perspex one and drops of water fall in the evening. I'm guessing its condensation or damp one or the other how can I sort this problem out? (January 08)
Submitted by: Ray
Answer:
Obviously we have not seen the situation but it sounds very much like condensation. Do you dry clothes in the conservatory during the winter months? If so you should stop as this will be a major source of excess water vapour. Keep the area well ventilated.
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