Mould growth caused by condensation

Condensation is the most common cause of damp and mould in homes. 

Condensation is a collection of water droplets that form when warm, moist air in your home comes into contact with a colder surface, like windows, mirrors, external walls or pipes.

Condensation is common in all homes and is caused by moisture created by everyday activities like showering and cooking.

We all get condensation on our windows sometimes. This isn’t necessarily a problem if it’s cleared up quickly. If left, condensation can lead to mould appearing, which can look unpleasant and damage clothes and furniture.

Here are some easy steps that you can take to reduce or prevent condensation from occurring in your home.

1. Keep it cosy

• Close doors so that moist air does not spread through your home and prevent heat from easily escaping
•  Leave the heating on low all the time during colder weather including in rooms that you don’t use regularly.

2. Hang out

• Dry your washing outside or use a tumble dryer if you have one. It needs to be vented to the outside (unless it is a self-condensing type)
•  If drying clothes indoors, keep them in one room with the window slightly open and the door closed. This helps the moisture to escape and not collect in your home.

3. Put a lid on it

• Use lids on boiling pots and pans. This also helps the food to cook quicker and uses less energy.

4. Don’t steam up

• Keep a small window or vent open when there is moisture in a room. The window only needs to be slightly open to increase airflow and reduce condensation
• Increase ventilation when cooking, washing up, bathing or drying clothes by using extractor fans (where these are fitted) or opening windows
• After showering use a squeegee to remove water from the tiles and screen (if fitted). This reduces the amount of moisture in the room and prevents unsightly watermarks.

5. Keep it moving

• Allow space for air to circulate around your furniture
• Open cupboard and wardrobe doors to help keep them ventilated. Try not to overfill them as this stops the air from circulating
• Where possible, position freestanding cupboards or wardrobes against internal walls
• Do not block vents or turn off positive input ventilation (PIV) units (if fitted). PIV units use a fan to push out moist and stagnant air increasing the ventilation in your home and stopping mould from forming.

To avoid mould forming, wipe down surfaces when condensation appears.

If mould appears, there are lots of cleaning products available from most DIY and hardware stores to clear it. This usually involves spraying a fungicidal wash onto the affected area, leaving for a short time and then wiping clean. Check that the product carries a Health & Safety Executive approved number and always follow the manufacturer’s safety instructions when using cleaning products.

Sometimes, mould and damp is caused by a more serious problem, such as:

• Leaks – for example, from pipes, windows, roofs or guttering
• Moisture penetrating through walls
• Rising damp.

If you suspect this is the case in your home, let us know as soon as possible, so we can arrange to put it right.

As part of our proactive approach to dealing with damp and mould, we have/are:

As part of our proactive approach to dealing with damp and mould, we have/are:

• Invested nearly £5 million on kitchen, bathroom and heating replacements, as well as for roofing and external insulation, and projects to reduce CO2 emissions across our homes
• Installed more than 1,000 extractor fans to our homes and over 50 positive ventilation units, which continuously supply fresh, filtered air into properties
• Increased our empty property standards to include, decoration and flooring works, as well as enhanced programmes for installing extractor fans
• Increasing our levels of property surveys to help identify those homes where damp and mould could be an increased risk due to property age, property type and building materials used
• Revisiting properties with previous reports of damp and mould to ensure the problem has been resolved
• Ensuring all Property Surveyors receive accredited training on how to detect damp and mould and equipping them with the skills to correctly investigate and organise repair works
• Introduced a programme for purchasing equipment to detect issues and ensure we have the correct information and data when investigating
• Increasing capacity in our repairs team with an additional five operatives, a Senior Surveyor and an additional Surveyor to ensure we fulfil all repairs within our agreed 28 days from reporting
• Ensuring issues can be directly reported and actioned via our housing management system by operatives when onsite.

We take reports of damp and mould very seriously.

If you spot signs of damp and mould in your home, please report it to us immediately, even if the problem is only small.

You can speak to any Trent & Dove colleague about any concerns you may have. Please contact us.

We aim to manage reports of damp and mould or contributing factors (such as condensation) in a proactive way. This may involve completing repairs, planned works or providing advice and information on measures that can help manage damp and mould in your home.

When you report damp or mould to us, the repairs team will arrange a mutually agreed appointment to visit your home and inspect the areas of concern.

If further work is required, the timeframe and duration of the repair will depend on the severity of the issue. Any work will be agreed with you.