What's lurking under the surface..?

Recently we discovered that one of our properties had a bit of a condensation problem. Well a bit more than a bit actually. The tenant noticed that three of the rooms which faced north and were connected via the same outside wall were covered in droplets of water on the inside wall. This occurs from the process of heating a slightly damp house and the water that is invisibly present condensing on the cold wall surface (fairly basic physics which even I can understand). The house itself is not actually damp, but drying clothes inside, not opening windows sufficiently, or letting bathroom steam escape into the house are all reasons why this can happen.

This is quite a serious issue as it can lead to mould, which is not only not nice but can really exacerbate health problems like asthma.

There are a number of remedies which we are currently implementing - the first being sufficient insulation. Warm Front grants are still available until March 2012 although in some parts of the country they are being withdrawn by December 2012. These grants enable you to have loft insulation and cavity wall insulation for free, if you qualify. Go to the website to check out if you meet the criteria.

So that's our first plan of action. The next is to try to remove some of the moisture invisibly present in the air. We have provided the tenants with a dehumidifier, which hopefully will produce some immediate benefits. We are going to have an extractor fan fitted into the bathroom too, and also replace the air bricks in the rooms which have condensation problems.

There are various sources of information for dealing with damp and condensation (by the looks of it many people suffer with these kinds of problems) - so here are a few links to discover more.

I love this one from Falkirk council!!

A guide to condensation for landlords

Envirovent