My council flat had terrible condensation until I made two simple exchanges
As we quickly approach the cold winter season, millions of Britons are dealing with the same problem: condensation and mold.
Long-term exposure to mold can cause respiratory disease, allergies and asthma, and can sometimes be fatal, with newborns, young children and the elderly being among the most vulnerable.
According to Homebrite, the problem in Britain is huge: an astronomical 58 percent of private rented households have reported problems with deadly mold.
With temperatures now falling, hundreds of Brits have taken to social media to seek advice and share their top tips for tackling mould.
Among them is a mother, known only as Gracie, whose council house is dripping with condensation and penetrating damp.
Desperate for a solution, the parent wrote on Mumsnet, explaining that her family are moving to a new property in January and that their new home is ‘mouldy’.
”The window in the master bedroom needs to be replaced, which is the cause of the moisture ingress. But am I right in thinking that the condensation can be remedied by opening the ventilation openings that the previous tenants had simply masked off?’ ‘ she asked fellow users of the parenting forum.
As Gracie is currently expecting – and her toddler has health issues – she wanted some advice from smart moms and dads.
”To be honest I don’t know much about it but I have an asthmatic 2 year old and I’m pregnant with #2 so I really hope the problem is resolved as soon as possible.
”Does anyone have any good tips for keeping the moisture under control while we wait for repairs?
”We don’t pay bills, so we can turn up the heat if that helps to dry it out. What do you think?
”And how long should I wait before redecorating the bedroom where the plaster has crumbled? Will the moisture continue to penetrate for a while?”
Luckily for the mum, there were a lot of comments, with other Mumsnet users sharing their best tips and recommendations.
While there were a lot of suggestions, there were two that proved to be more popular than all the others, including not drying laundry indoors.
One person said: ‘You can control condensation by not drying your clothes in the house.
“A bit difficult at this time of year, but we have noticed that if we can dry things outside or in a tumble dryer, we hardly have any condensation inside.”
What is condensation?
Condensation is water droplets that form on a window when moist air comes into contact with a cold surface.
Condensation occurs when:
Air cools
Warmer air can hold more moisture than cooler air. When moist air hits a cold surface, such as a window, the water vapor in the air turns into liquid water droplets.
Windows are colder than walls
Windows are often colder than insulated walls, which means there is a greater chance of condensation.
Windows are poorly insulated
Poorly insulated windows can lead to condensation, especially if they are made of aluminum, which conducts heat quickly. If left untreated, it can lead to mold and other serious problems.
Many readers also recommended ventilating the property as much as possible – and others urged Gracie to investigate thermal plaster for the walls.
”You can also buy thermal lining paper for walls which will keep them from getting as cold and therefore help prevent condensation and mold from forming on the walls,” another user wrote.
According to GPS Decorators LimitedThere are several benefits to investing in thermal lining paper this time of year – and it can even save you quite a bit of money.
The liner ”creates a warm blanket for your walls and ceilings, which significantly reduces room warm-up time, prevents heat from escaping through walls and ceilings, minimizes condensation, mold and moisture and also reduces your energy bills”.
”The most effective place to add a thermal barrier is on the inside of the coldest walls.
“It is especially effective on exterior walls, by which we mean walls that are open to the elements on the other side.”
Shoppers can get their hands on the winter home essential for £47 Cover your wallas well as ScrewFix where it currently retails for £53.99.