Huge Condensation Issue - Solution Wanted!!! Damp can be a major issue in the home. Find answers to questions or post your own here.

[GregT]

We live in a victorian end terrace and our bedroom is suffering from a [b]huge [/b]condensation problem. Both the ceiling and wall of our bedroom (on the detahced side) are now almost completely covered in brown circular spots (i believe this is caused by dirt molecules as the air moves out of the room) which makes the room look awful and i am also worried about any structual implications this may have. Are there any?

Each morning i wipe the windows down and there is so much condensation that the towel is wet through after wiping.

We have tried to minimise condensation generating activities and be sensible with ventilation and heating but to no avail. I would love to sort this out so any suggestions hugely appreciated. What can i do to get rid of the condensation for good?!!!

[Perry525]

Condensation is due to people, the weather and badly designed and built homes.
Every hour each member of your family is indoors, they add 46cc of water vapour to the home, just by breathing. Add to that the water you add by washing and other domestic activities and its estimated that each person add about 2.5 litres of water to the home each 24 hours.
Try pouring that on the floor and see the mess it makes.

Every time you turn the temperature down or off in the home, you cause condensation. Warm air can hold up to 30cl of water vapour per cubic meter, and thats at 30 degrees centigrade, drop that temperature down to 10 degrees and you have a flood of water condensing onto your windows and into the very fabric of your home. It gets into your furniture, bedding, cloths everything.

Solution, stop turning the temperature down or off, keep the temperature steady 24 hours a day, this will avoid most condensation, you will still get some on the windows and other cold things. Think glasses of beer out of the fridge.

Buy a humidistat to see whats happening, buy a de-humidifier to soak up
all this water vapour, get one that can collect at least 10 litres per 24 hours, turn it on, keep it on 24 hours a day.

In a few weeks problem will be resolved.

[GregT]

Thanks for your reply, it really helps. Is running a dehumidifier expensive?

[LCL]

GregT

Few more pointers.

You need to reduce or manage the moisture at source. While humans do produce moisutre, it is no where near as much as cooking or running a bath. Therefore:

1. Make sure extrator fans are being used at all times where fitted.
2. If you do not have extractors fans, - get some.
3. For increased rapid ventilation open the kitchen and bathroom windows when these rooms are in use.
4. Use trickle ventilators or fan lights on windows to increase ventilation where possible.
5. Keep internal doors shut and lids on saucepans etc to help to reduce the migration of the moisutre laden air.
6. As Perry525 says, keep you heating on at a constant temerature at all times rather tha being tuned on and off.

Hope tis helps.

LCL

[matchmade]

I run a dehumidifier in a basement flat I rent out: the flat was created following all the building regs but there were problems with damp because of human activity. For example, the tenants closed the trickle vents on the windows - no, they are there for a reason - houses need draughts to exchange the air regularly! The tenants also insisted on drying their clothes on drying racks rather than using the tumble drier: result was lots of moisture in the air, which caused damp markings on their clothes in wardrobes with "dead" areas where air could not circulate.

The dehumidifier is not expensive - pence per week. Make sure you choose a quiet one if you run it 24 hours a day in the bedroom.

The reason you get condensation mould in the bedroom is probably because it's got the largest area of external wall, hence the coldest. Consider applying internal insulation to your walls when decorating, or add an extractor fan linked to your light switch.