‘Cheap’ solution to prevent condensation and ‘protect homes from damp’
Lynsey Crombie shares how to stop condensation on your windows
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If you’ve ever woken up to a film of water droplets over your windows in the morning, you likely have condensation. Condensation is the conversion of a vapour or gas into a liquid. Most commonly, it’s when water collects as droplets on a cold surface (like a window) when humid air is in contact with it.
Condensation is normal but it can cause mould and damp, especially if it drips onto windowsills, woodwork or walls.
Chris Michael, the managing director of Meaco has shared his advice for preventing condensation.
Chris is an expert on all things relating to damp in the home and has offered his practical tips to prevent the build-up of condensation.
Think about drying clothes
Although the British weather doesn’t always make this possible, try to dry your clothes outside rather than inside.
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When clothes are dried indoors, moisture enters the air as your clothes dry, and that’s when condensation occurs.
If you don’t have a washer-dryer or a tumble dryer, you might want to consider buying a dehumidifier.
Chris said dehumidifiers “reduce the humidity level in the air, reducing condensation anyway, but also helping to dry your clothes at the same time”.
He added: “In the cost of living crisis a low energy dehumidifier is significantly cheaper to run than a tumble dryer and is a sound investment to help protect the family and home from damp.”
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Briefly open the windows
Although this might not seem appealing in winter, opening the windows for a little while will help moist air escape.
Likewise, making sure air vents and air bricks are unobstructed will help the air circulate.
These vents are designed to work with double glazing for this purpose.
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Reduce moisture when cooking
Chris said: “If boiling or steaming when cooking try to use lids to reduce the moisture.
“Also, consider using the kitchen extractor fan.”
This is also the case for boiling kettles. Think about where your kettle is located and whether the steam could be causing condensation.
Install an extractor fan in the bathroom
Extractor fans don’t cost very much to run as they can be used briefly on demand after a bath or shower.
However, they “can make a real difference to the humidity in your home”, according to Chris.
On cold days, try to keep indoor temperatures at least 18C.
However, using a portable gas heater to heat your home can create high levels of humidity and are expensive to run.
Having a well-heated home can help reduce condensation and dampness so it’s important to keep temperatures consistent.
This is especially important in rooms that aren’t used regularly. Using a thermostat can be useful for this.
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