Damp, Mould and Condensation

Damp, Mould and Condensation

We know that mould and damp in your home aren't welcome, which is why it's important to act on any signs of condensation and mould in your home as soon as possible.

On this page, you'll find some suggestions and advice to keep it at bay.

We've taken this information from a number of different places, including Centre for Sustainable Energy, Axis, SAVS, Southend City Council and our team of in house surveyors, to make it as helpful as possible. We'd like to thank them all for allowing us to use their information. 

If after you've tried to remove the mould and it returns or you are struggling with addressing any concerns of condensation and mould, please contact Axis on 0808 169 1969. 

Axis Video Guide

Axis have a short guide on how to help keep your home free of condensation and mould:

Damp, Mould and Condensation Video Transcript

Transcript for Damp Mould and Condensation
00:00-00:12

[Video is animated in a flat design style throughout and is narrated by one person]

Welcome to our simple video guide to keeping your home free from condensation and mould.

First of all let's explain what causes mould.

The number one cause of mould is condensation.
00:13-00:50

Condensation occurs when warm, moist air hits a cold surface. A window or external wall, for example.

This causes water to appear on the cold surface, like this window. This might cause mould to appear. It looks like this [animated hand points towards a corner of a window, which has black mould growing in it].

The best way to avoid condensation and mould is to keep your property well ventilated. So do try and keep your windows open as much as possible. We appreciate that this is not always desirable, especially in the winter. So, where you have them, keep your trickle vents open.

If you have them, use your extractor fans these are most effective when the windows and doors are closed as they extract moisture from the air.
00:51-01:25

Here are three simple ways to prevent condensation forming in your kitchen:

Cooking is a major cause of condensation. Steam circulates from your pans and also from your kettle. When this warm air hits the cold walls or windows, condensation forms.

Number one: Be sure to put lids on saucepans

Two: Open your windows when possible and

Three: Close in your kitchen door so steam does not spread through your home. And remember using your extractor fans in your kitchen window and above your hob, if you have them, will also help to reduce the condensation in your home.
01:25-02:06

Here are five good ideas to prevent condensation in your bathroom.

When having a bath or shower, you will see will see water droplets on your windows, mirrors and tiles. Keep your bathroom window open when bathing or showering. After your bath or shower, wipe down windows, tiles and mirror with a wiper or cloth and squeeze the cloth out.

Avoid putting the damp cloth on the radiator to dry as all the water will then go straight back into the air.

Avoid putting damp towels on the radiator for the same reason. Hang them on a dryer or airer. After bathing or showering, close the door and windows and run your extractor fan. The fan works better if you do this and here's another good tip: run the cold water into your bath first.
02:06-02:51

Another cause of condensation is wet laundry.

Try to avoid drying your wet laundry on your radiator if possible. All the moisture goes straight back into your home. If you have access to outdoor space, including a balcony, we suggest you hang your wet laundry here. If inside, open your windows when drying clothes and use an airer, hanging rail or clothes horse.

If you use a tumble dryer, try to ensure it's vented to the outside or is a condenser dryer. Vented tumble dryers have a long hose that vents the air to the outside of your home. A condenser tumble dryer condenses the warm air from the wet clothes into water which is channelled into a reservoir.

Both stop warm air from circulating in your home, so will help avoid condensation and mould.
02:51-03:20

If you find mould which looks like this [animated hand points towards a corner of a window, which has black mould growing in it] on your walls or around your windows, don't panic. Remove it easily with anti mould spray available from any DIY store. Once the area is completely dry, paint if necessary with anti mould paint.

And finally, here are a few more tips and hints to keep air circulating and avoid condensation collecting in your home.

Pull all furniture, including beds, away from the walls. Leave a gap between curtains in the wall and avoid blocking air bricks and trickle vents.
03:21-03:28 We hope you found our video helpful. Thank you for watching.

Condensation

An average family of four creates approximately 280 full buckets of moisture each week through everyday activities such as bathing, cooking and laundry.

As much as 30% of the moisture in our homes is attributable to laundry drying.

Condensation

Severe condensation on open bathroom window Condensation is the most common cause of mould.

When moist air reaches cool surfaces – such as walls, ceilings, windows and pipes – it turns back into water (condenses) making those surfaces wet. Wet and cold surfaces are the perfect breeding ground for mould.

As people, we produce a lot of moisture through our everyday activities at home, such as showering, cooking, drying laundry and even just breathing.

Condensation occurs due to one or more of the following:

  • Inadequate ventilation and a build-up of excessive moisture.
  • Restricted or lack of air movement can cause cold spots.
  • Not heating your home as it should be, meaning lower surface temperatures.

Two immediate solutions to condensation are, firstly, to produce as little moist air as possible – for example by keeping lids on pans and drying clothes outside – and secondly, to make sure all the moist air you do produce leaves your home through vents, extractor fans and/or open windows. 

Ventilation

Good ventilation is key to maintaining moisture balance in your home:

  • Regularly open external doors and windows throughout the home, especially in the morning, even if it's just for 10 minutes. 
  • Open the kitchen and bathroom windows to allow the steam created by cooking, showering or having a bath to leave your home.
  • Check your existing extractor fans are clean and working correctly. Make sure they turn on automatically or are turned on every time steam is being produced. Don't turn the fans off at the switch or fused spur.
  • Make sure trickle vents on windows are kept open. Or permanently leave bathroom and kitchen windows slightly open (using the security latch).
  • Make sure that the vents and airbricks aren’t blocked or covered up. If the vent has a cover, move it to the open position.  
  • Leave gaps between furniture and the walls to allow air to circulate around the back.
  • If there are lots of people or pets in a small space, increase the ventilation; we produce a lot of moisture just by breathing!

Reducing Moisture

Prevent Adding Moisture to the Air

Kitchen

When cooking:

  • Keep the door closed.
  • Cover with saucepans with lids.
  • Use your extractor fan.
  • If you don't have an extrator fan, open the window, even if it's just a little bit. 

Bathroom

  • Take shorter showers, as longer showers adds moisture to the air.
  • When bathing, you can add hot water to cold water to reduce the amount of steam produced.
  • After taking a shower or bath, make sure your bathroom door is closed and open the window or the extrator fan is on.

Laundry

  • Where you can, dry clothes outside and avoid radiator drying. Never cover your radiators with your washing.
  • If it’s not possible to dry laundry outside, use the spin cycle on the washing machine twice to reduce the amount of water held in the fabric. Use a tumble dryer or hang the washing in a room with the internal door closed and a window open.  
  • Make sure clothes are completely dry before putting them in wardrobes and drawers.

Generally Throughout Your Home

  • Keeping doors closed will stop the moisture from moving around the home, especially your bathroom and kitchen doors when you’re showering or cooking.
  • Do not use portable gas heaters indoors as they make the air very moist.  
  • In severe cases, use a dehumidifier. 

Heat Your Home

The best way to heat your home is through steady background heating.

Avoid wood burning to reduce emissions and ensure that portable heaters aren't left alone. For your safety, only use electronics with the electrical certificate of compliance. 

Very cold rooms can provide ideal conditions for mould to grow. Set your thermostat to 18-21 degrees and consider keeping your heating on a low setting at all times so your home doesn’t get too cold.

Makes Sure Your Heating is Working

Make sure that the heating is working well. Test it a couple of times during the year to make sure it works when you need it.
Very cold rooms can provide ideal conditions for mould to grow. Set your thermostat to 18-21 degrees and consider keeping your heating on a low setting at all times so your home doesn’t get too cold.

I'm Struggling to Heat My Home - Can You Help?

We don't want anyone to live in a cold home. 

We have advice on how to use our most common storage heaters and videos on how to maintain your home, including boilers and radiators. 

If it's more you're unable to heat your home due to cost, our benefit coaches maybe able to help with the more financial side of things. They can help make sure you're getting all the help you need benefits wise, give a referral for debt advice and could look to use the One Estuary Fund for unexpected expenses. Our financial help section has more details.

Mould

A cold home is a breeding ground for mould. Mould spores occur naturally in the air and they quickly multiply once they find a cold surface.

If you don’t treat and clean it, it will grow and spread to other areas. Mould caused by condensation is characterised by black dots and the spores can exist in walls up to a metre around the visible patch. 

Clean and Remove Mould

Mould formation on an internal wall If you spot mould developing in your home, in the first instance, you need to try to clear it yourself.

The best way to remove mould along windowsills, bathrooms and tiles is to use a mould killing product (you can get these from most homeware shops and supermarkets) or distilled white vinegar which will also remove any remnants. 

Treatment for Mould

  • Speed is key, as soon as you see any mould growing, start treating the area. 
  • Treat the visible mould with specialist mould removing spray which can be bought easily from supermarkets, DIY and home shops. Follow the instructions on the bottle. 
  • Repeat as needed. It can be frustrating and time consuming, but it will be worth it to stop the mould getting worse.  
  • Make sure furniture is moved away from cold walls and moved to internal walls. 

If the Mould Keeps Coming Back

If you've tried the tips for stopping and removing damp and mould, but you're still having problems, please contact Axis on 0808 169 1969. 

They may need to send out a surveyor to understand what's causing the problem and put in a plan to help get rid of it. 

This could involve smaller changes like installing trickle vents on the windows if your windows don't have them already, or giving advice such as closing kitchen and bathroom doors when cooking and showering or change your fan to a continuous running fan with an automatic humidity setting. 

There is a possibility bigger things need to be done. This could be things like insulating your home, which should increase the inside temperature so the air can hold more moisture, or installing ventilation systems like extractor fans in bathrooms and kitchens. 

Damp

There's two types of damp - traumatic (penetrating) damp and rising damp. 

Here, we'll take a look at the differences between the two:

Penetrating damp on bathroom wall Traumatic (Penetrating) Damp

The most likely cause of damp in your home is traumatic damp. This is where water comes through the walls, roof, floor, doors, ceilings or windows. It can cause paint to flake too. If traumatic damp is from outside your home, it may get worse when it rains, especially if it’s windy at the same time.

A common cause of traumatic damp is through pipework leaks in the building. Sometimes this can be through roof tiles, defective flashing around chimneys, cracks in the render, etc, forcing water through the walls.

Be aware that identifying the cause can be difficult because water can travel horizontally as well as vertically, so the wet patch may not be where the water is coming in to your home. If you can’t find the cause, an investigation of your home may be needed.

The solutions to traumatic damp are likely to be fixing a leaking pipe. But some work may include sealing cracks or gaps in the outside of the walls or roof with appropriate materials, replacing damaged roof tiles, clearing and repairing guttering, or lowering the external ground level. 

Rising Damp

Rising damp is the least likely cause of damp.

Rising damp is where moisture rises from the ground through the walls of the home. This will leave a ‘tide mark’ on your skirting board or walls.

The most common cause of rising damp is a defective damp-proof course. A damp-proof course is a horizontal barrier, typically made of plastic or bitumen, installed in the walls to prevent moisture from rising through the structure. It's possible the the ground outside has been raised to a level above the damp proof course, for example, when a patio was laid down.

It is often the case that damp is misdiagnosed as rising damp, when it is actually traumatic damp or even condensation. Advice from a specialist who has experience of working with homes of the same age as yours would help determine if this is the case.

While rising damp is the least likely cause of damp, the solutions to it are often the most complex. It may involve signifcant building works, such as installing a new damp-proof course and removing barriers around your home.

Dehumidifiers

Dehumidifiers reduce the amount of moisture in the air. They can help resolve condensation issues in your home, especially if you can’t follow all of the actions on the checklist.

  • On warm, dry days, opening a window will be just as effective as running a dehumidifier.
  • If you close the doors and windows in the room where the dehumidifier is on, it will work more efficiently.  
  • Buy a dehumidifier that will remove at least 5 litres of water every 24 hours. Avoid smaller, cheaper models.
  • A good dehumidifier costs around 17p per hour to run (based on a price for electricity of 27p per kWh, November 2023).

Useful Information

We've put together some links which you may find useful, this includes the Government guidance on Understanding and Addressing the Health Risks of Damp and Mould in the Home, first published in September 2023.