Advice for tenants about condensation and mould in your home

The arrival of the colder weather (togther with the very wet conditions recently), tenants in many properties are beginning to see condensation on windows. In extreme cases, water will form in the corners of walls and along the edge of the ceilings. If left unchecked, these conditions will quickly lead to black mould in these areas and also on furniture and personal belongings. Living in mouldy conditions is not good for your health and you need to be proactive about dealing with it.

What do we recommend a tenant does about condensation and mould.

Condensation and mould can be a significant problem for tenants in the winter months. As soon as you see condensation forming in the corner of windows, you need to start taking steps to make sure the condnesation issue does not become a severe mould problem that can affect your families health. Below are some steps you can take to prevent severe mould problems this winter.

Initial steps to control condensation and stop mould forming in your home

1. If you notice condensation water on your windows – crack open the window (ideally the small fan light window at high level) open a little – this will allow a bit of fresh air to flow and will reduce the condensation. Once the condensation has gone, you can close the window.
2. Check that you have extract fans in the bathroom, kicthen, utility room and separate WC’s – or central ventilation system such as an Mev, PIV or MVHR. This is a requirement and if not present you should speak to your landlord about adding such ventilation equipment if not present.
3. Check that this ventilation equipment is in good working order and most importantly, that you are using it. If you have fans but you are not using them then you are likley under ventilating your home. An easy test is to place a small piece of toilet paper against the fan, if it is pulled tight towards the fan then it is working, if not then fan may be running but it is not extracting much air and should be serviced or replaced.
4. Check you have trickle vents on the windows, if you do then keep them open especially if there is condensation on the windows.
5. Check that there is a gap under your doors throughout the home – this should be a minimium of ~10mm or just less that half an inch. This allows good air circulation in your home.
6. If you have a loft and are able to enter it and check the levels and positioning of loft insulation then do so – you should have a minimum of 270mm of cross laid, evenly spead insulation throughout teh loft and the loft hatch should also be insulated. If less than this, or the insulation is not evenly spread then speak to your landlord
7. During the early part of condensation season in properties that are known to suffer condensation and mould, to apply a little bit more heating especially if you are noticing heavy condensation on windows or musty odours beginning to form. This can be difficult decision due to cost of heating but it is one of the most effective steps that can be taken to prevent severe mould and dcondensation problems in your home. There are some council and government schemes avialble for low income families and we would recommend that you check out what is available.
8. Take the following steps to minimise moisture production and how moisture spreads throughout the home
   1. Dry clothes outdoor or in a tumble dryer. If you must dry clothes indoors make sure the room is well ventilated or use a dehumidifier whilst clothes are drying.
   2. Ventilate bathrooms and shower rooms externally during and after use, keeping door closed.
   3. Maintain an even temperature within the building. Avoid periods of very high or very low temperatures.
   4. Use an extractor fan when cooking or bathing
   5. Keep a gap (3″-4″, 75mm-100mm) between external walls and any furniture or personal belongings
   6. Try not to over fill wardrodes (or under bed spaces) that are close to external walls
   7. In rooms affected by severe condensation and mould, ideally the curtains and blinds should be opened in the morning to allow airing of the window areas and sunlight to enter the room to provide passive solar gain (free heating) and the ultra violet light can help reduce mould.
9. If you notice black mould beginning to form, note the location and immediately clean off using a shop bought mould cleaner. If black mould starts to appear in several areas, you should notifiy your landlord and they should arrange for a specialist to visit to determine the cause of the mould issue.
10. It is important that you and your landlord work together to prevent any severe condensation or mould problems in your property. This will prevent damage to the property which you may become liable for and also make sure that your home is safe and health. The landlord has an obligation to provide a property that is fit for purpose in terms of ability to heat and ventilate, and should be adequately insulated. You have an obligation to live in the property in a tenant like fashion which includes provide adeqaute levels of heat and ventilation. In our 25 year+ experience of dealing with condensation and mould problems, the outcomes are always better when both tenant and landlord enage in dealing with the problems proactively and cooperatively at an early stage. If you are not receiving any assistance from your landlord or their agent, then state that you will have no choice but to escalate to the council (Environmental health) and Housing Ombudsman (if your landlord is a member). This will usually get a reponse but if not then contcat them for advice on next steps.

Further steps to control condensation and stop mould forming in your home

If the problem continues to get worse after the above measures and you are getting persistent condensation or mould growth, then the following steps can be taken

1. Use domestic dehumidifiers – ideally those that can be set to 50% relative humidity. This should be viewed as a temporary solution due to running costs, but they will have an immediate benefical effect on condensation and mould
2. If radiators are not on external walls, and those rooms suffer from mould growth on external walls, then repositioning the radiators/heater to external walls can be benefical .In addition, checks should be carrie dout to ensure that the radiators are correctly sized and controllable.
3. If trickle vents not present (assuming an extract fan, PIv or Mev type ventilation system, then retrofitting ventilation strips (trickle vfents) to windows can be carried out.
4. Use of antifungal paints on poorly insulated window reveals
5. Retrofit thermal linings to walls
6. Testing of ventilation equipment to ensure taht teh extract flow rates are correct and suitable for your home. There may be a requirement to increase ventilation rates due to size of proeprty or number of occupants.

We hope the above will help you prevent severe condensation and mould growth in your home this winter. If you need any further info please do not hesitate to contact us.

Contact Biocraft for more information on condensation and mould

Based in Reading, Berkshire, Biocraft offers services throughout Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey and Oxfordshire.

We can cure condensation problems in Reading, Newbury, Hungerford, Oxford, Basingstoke, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Henley on Thames, Marlow, Slough, Windsor, Ascot, Sunningdale and other locations within Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey and Oxfordshire.

Biocraft is a member of the Property Care Association (PCA), the Federation of Master Builders and Construction Line. Biocraft is an approved installer of Nuaire home ventilation products.

For advice on condensation control or to arrange a survey please use the contact us button on the website