The life and times of Condensation - Part Two [or how to get rid of it in your house]

If mould growth is not cleared there is an increase in growth which attracts more moisture in the air, allowing more growth of the protein. Weak bleach [half water /half bleach] clears the outbreak but it must be rinsed with copious fresh water, to remove the bleach after clearing the mould.

The treatment for condensation varies from property to property. Improving ventilation, installing cavity wall insulation and altering domestic heating arrangements are amongst the most common cures, although in extreme cases it may be necessary to install positive input ventilation machines in order to dilute, displace and replace the existing moisture rich air with cleaner, fresher and less damp air.

The very modern approach now has a system called “Passivent“ which has vents with pipework through the roof from the serviced rooms [Kitchen Toilets etc ] and common areas [Landings] with vents set in the window frames. The chimney effect ensures the slow movement of air and water vapour from the property, prevents the build up of moisture, so preventing condensation

However the main way of reducing the problem, within a modern insulated property, is to have extract units for Kitchens [made more difficult with open plan Kitchens ] and bathrooms, together with proper ventilation with the windows half open [at least half the window area being free air] of the Lounge and Bedrooms for about an hour each day. This removes the water vapour as you use the Cooker and the Bath/shower, and the other rooms when you vacate them. Always ensure that the doors are shut when in use,

Sometimes the cause of the problem is due to overflowing rain water gutters and downpipes. This causes the insulation to be saturated in the cavity walls [wet insulation is worse than having no insulation]. The insulation will most probably still be wet as it takes time to dry out, after you have realigned the gutters.

Moisture in the wall will be drawn inwards as that is the source of heat in the winter months, and is cooling down the wall, and increasing the likelihood of condensation for some time til the insulation dries out.

The condition of the insulation can be checked by drilling into walls to take samples to test for damp, but this would perhaps need scaffolding to test the wall from the outside, in suitable places.

Quoin [pseudonym of a Chartered Building Surveyor]