How to avoid condensation and mould

What causes condensation and mould?

Condensation occurs when warm, humid air meets a cold surface such as a window, tiled surface or outer walls. If not dealt with quickly, constant condensation can cause damp and mould to form in your home. Damp and mould are both hazardous to your family’s health and can cause damage to your home and possessions. Common sources of the humid air that cause condensation are the kitchen, the bathroom and drying laundry inside.

Tips to avoid condensation

There are several things you can do to try to avoid condensation build up in your Huddersfield home. Let’s look at each problem area in turn to see what can be done.

In the kitchen – 

• Minimise steam from cooking. Busy kitchens produce lots of steam. To help keep steam to a minimum, make sure to pop the lids on pots and pans.
• Open the window. This is an obvious one but try to open the window to encourage that damp air out.
• Shut the kitchen door whilst cooking to stop the steam from escaping to the cooler areas of your home.
• Use a kitchen extractor fan to remove the humid air.

In The Bathroom – 

• As with the kitchen, open a window. This can be done after you shower or bathe so that you stay cosy.
• Keep your bathroom door closed to trap the moisture.
• Wipe down or squeegee surfaces after a shower or bath. This helps remove a lot of moisture that could otherwise cause a problem.
• Install a suitably powerful extractor fan to help to clear the excess moisture. If your bathroom extractor isn’t clearing the steam, it may be time for an upgrade.

Drying Laundry –

• Try to dry clothes outside whenever possible. Clothes can be dried outside all year long if it is dry. They may still need to be aired inside to finish them off but it’s amazing how much moisture a fresh breeze can remove.
• Open the window in the room in which you hang your laundry to dry and keep the door closed to keep the humid air contained.
• Use an extra spin cycle at the end of your wash cycle to remove as much moisture as possible.
• Place laundry in the bathroom and put the extractor fan on to help clear the air of moisture.

Using an extractor fan to control condensation

Good ventilation is the key to controlling condensation and mould in your home. Opening the windows is a great place to start but is not always practical, particularly when heating our homes has become so costly. The last thing anyone wants is to let that expensive heat out and unfortunately that allows moisture to build up. A good quality, properly installed extractor fan – preferably in both kitchen and bathroom, will help you to remove that excess moisture from your home without sacrificing the warmth. There are many different models of extractor fan on the market. You can choose from some that come on automatically, low noise models, inline or in ceiling extractors – the list goes on! Your electrician is best placed to advise you which would suit your needs and will be happy to do the calculations for the power of the model you require.  

If you are based in Huddersfield and would like to speak to your reliable local electrician about how to avoid condensation and mould in your home, contact JP Electrical. Our friendly electricians are experienced, fully qualified and NICEIC registered. We will be happy to talk through your options and help you keep your home well ventilated and mould free this winter.