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Tackling and preventing damp and mould in SHP homes - info & advice 

SHP takes damp and mould very seriously and we're working as hard and fast as we can to address reported cases.

If you have a damp issue, please contact our Repairs Team immediately on repairs@suttonhousingpartnership.org.uk or call us on 020 8915 2000. 

We will organise a surveyors’ visit to diagnose it. They will assess the damp and mould problem and discuss and agree the next steps with you.

Tenants can also find advice here in our Damp and Mould leaflet and below to take measures to reduce it while waiting for service visit.

 

Keep your home free from damp and mould 

Is your home damp?

Damp can cause mould on walls and furniture and make timber window frames rot.

Damp housing encourages the growth of mould and mites, and can increase the risk of respiratory illness. Some mould is caused by condensation.

This guide explains how condensation forms and how you can keep it to a minimum, so reducing the risk of dampness and mould growth.

Your first steps against condensation

You will need to take proper steps to deal with the condensation, but meanwhile here are some simple measures you can take right away:

• Wipe down the windows and sills every morning. Wring out the cloth rather than drying it on a radiator

• Condensation channels and sponge strips can be bought at DIY shops.They are fitted to windows to collect the condensation and help prevent window frames from rotting and avoid damp forming under sills. Care must be taken to fit these devices properly

 

Your first steps against mould

First treat the mould already in your home. If you then deal with the basic problem of condensation, mould should not re-appear.

• To kill and remove mould, wipe down walls and window frames with a fungicidal wash which carries a Health and Safety Executive ‘approval number’. Follow the manufacturers’ instructions precisely

• Dry-clean mildewed clothes, and shampoo carpets. Disturbing mould by brushing or vacuum cleaning can increase the risk of respiratory problems

• After treatment, redecorate using a good quality fungicidal paint to help prevent mould. Note that this paint is not effective if overlaid with ordinary paints or wallpaper

• The only lasting way of avoiding severe mould is to eliminate dampness

 

Is it condensation? 

Condensation is not the only cause of damp. It can also come from: leaking pipes, wastes or overflows; rain seeping through the roof where a tile or slate is missing, spilling from a blocked gutter, penetrating around window frames, or leaking through a cracked pipe; rising damp due to a defective damp-course or because there is no damp-course.

These causes of damp often leave a ‘tidemark’. 

If your home is newly built it may be damp because the water used during its construction (for example, in plaster) is still drying out. If your home is damp for any of these reasons it may take weeks of heating and ventilating to dry out.

Hiring a dehumidifier will help. If you do not think the damp comes from any of these causes, it is probably condensation.

 

What is condensation?

There is always some moisture in the air, even if you cannot see it. If the air gets colder it cannot hold all the moisture and tiny drops of water appear.

This is condensation.You notice it when you see your breath on a cold day, or when the mirror mists over when you have a bath.

Condensation occurs mainly during cold weather, whether it is raining or dry and it doesn’t leave a ‘tidemark’.

It appears on cold surfaces and in places where there is little movement of air. Look for it in corners, on or near windows, in or behind wardrobes and cupboards. It often forms on north-facing walls.

 

How to avoid condensation 

These few steps will help you reduce the condensation in your home.

• Produce less moisture - some ordinary daily activities produce a lot of moisture very quickly

• Cooking - to reduce the amount of moisture, cover pans and do not leave kettles boiling

• Paraffin and portable flueless bottled gas heaters - these heaters put a lot of moisture into the air, one gallon of gas or paraffin produces about a gallon of water vapour. If you have a problem with condensation, try to find an alternative means of heating

• Impact of Drying Clothes - Wet clothing accounts for one of the largest amounts of moisture generation in the home, as the moisture from the clothes will naturally move to the dryer air. Drying them on a radiator is the worst thing that you can do in terms of managing condensation mould. If your only option is to dry your clothes inside then it is best to use a clothes airer and keep the radiators clear. Airers are best positioned where possible in the bathroom as it will be the best ventilated room. Keep the door closed and the window slightly open in the locked position. The worst place to dry clothes is in the bedroom, as the heating is never in the right cycle and we breathe out moisture during the night which adds to the moisture from the clothes

• If you have a tumble dryer make sure you vent it to the outside (unless it is the self-condensing type). DIY kits are available for this

• The quickest and easiest way to bring in dry air is through opening and shutting of windows. An option is to open a window and count to five and then close it immediately. If you get cold whilst opening the window then that is too long. This is enough to reset the room as water as a gas is always looking to get out of the house as fast as possible. The object is not to “air” the house for hours at a time. That is only for the summer. The golden rule is to do this in each room before you do any activity such as having a bath or shower or cooking. It should also be done as you get up in the morning to allow any moisture that has built up in the house overnight to evaporate

• Ventilate to remove the moisture - you can ventilate your home without making draughts. Some ventilation is needed to get rid of moisture being produced all the time, including that from people’s breath

• Keep a small window ajar or a trickle ventilator open when someone is in the room. You need much more ventilation in the kitchen and bathroom when cooking, washing up, bathing and drying clothes. This means opening the windows wider

• Better still, use a humidistat controlled electric fan (these come on automatically when the air becomes humid, and are cheap to run)

• Close the kitchen and bathroom doors when these rooms are in use even if your kitchen or bathroom has an extractor fan

• Doing this will help stop the moisture reaching other rooms, especially bedrooms, which are often colder and more likely to suffer condensation

• Ventilate cupboards and wardrobes. Avoid putting too many things in them, as that stops the air circulating

• Cut a ventilation slot in the back of each shelf or use slatted shelves 

• Cut ‘breather’ holes in doors and in the back of wardrobes. Leave space between the back of the wardrobe and the wall

• Put floor-mounted furniture on blocks to allow air underneath. Where possible, position wardrobes and furniture against internal walls (walls which have a room on both sides) rather than against outside walls

• If you replace your window units at any time, make sure that the new frames incorporate trickle ventilators

• Insulation in the loft, cavity wall insulation and draught proofing of windows and outside doors will help keep your home warm and you will have lower fuel bills as well.When the whole home is warmer, condensation is less likely

When draught proofing:

• Do not block permanent ventilators

• Do not completely block chimneys (leave a hole about two bricks in size and fit a louvered grille over it)

• Do not draught proof rooms where there is condensation or mould

• Do not draught proof a room where there is a fuel-burning heater (for example, a gas fire) or cooker

• Do not draught proof windows in the bathroom and kitchen. If you live in a house, insulating your loft is a cost-effective way of cutting heating costs

 

• Remember to draught proof the loft hatch but do not block the opening under the eaves. Cavity wall insulation is also an effective way of cutting heating costs. Before deciding on this method of insulating, however, you should talk to your local building inspector as building regulations approval is required

• Secondary and double glazing of windows reduces heat-loss and draughts, but you must ensure that there is some ventilation

• Optimum temperature and Heating your Home - 

Heat is key to managing condensation mould and the temperature within a home should always sit between 21 degrees in the day and 16 degrees at night. To avoid condensation problems the temperature should not drop below 14 degrees. 

The trick is to make sure that the house is ready for when you come home. So, first thing in the morning, or when you are coming home from work or school etc. This will vary from household to household, but programming the heating to come on about an hour before you get up and to go off when you are up. Waiting until you get up to switch on the heating is too late. 

In cold weather, the best way to keep rooms warm enough to avoid condensation is to keep low background heating on all day, even when there is no one at home.

This is very important in flats and bungalows and other dwellings where the bedrooms are not above a warm living room.

So if possible, install a very small heater with a thermostat in each bedroom (but do not use a paraffin or flue-less bottled gas heater for this purpose).

The thermostat will help control heating and costs. Dehumidifiers will help dry out damp in newly built houses.They can also help reduce condensation in warm rooms with a lot of moisture, but they are of little use in cold damp rooms.

 

10 things you need to know about condensation

• Mould only grows on clean water i.e condensation

• If water stays as a gas in the air, there will be no problems with condensation

• Air can only keep hold of water as a gas if it is warm enough

• The warmer the air is the larger amounts of water as a gas it can hold

• Water, as a gas, mixes with warm air to move around rooms in a house

• Air is cooled in a house when it comes into contact with a cold surface or mixes with cold air

• We can only move water, as a gas, using fans and windows if dry air comes into replace it

• Air containing water, as a gas, naturally forces its way through the walls to the outside

• There is fast condensation (showers and cooking) and slow condensation (heating set too cold for a long time)

• Early misinformation given or used is one of the main causes of escalation

 

Other information and advice on costs

The Energy Efficiency Helpline on 0845 727 7200 and

www.saveenergy.co.uk website gives advice about efficient ways to keep homes warm.

For advice and help on insulation and heating contact your local council office, Citizens Advice Bureau or DSS office.Your local gas or electricity company can give advice about budget schemes like fuel saving stamps which spread the costs of heating.

If you are a householder who receives an income-related benefit or Disability Living Allowance, you may be able to get a ‘Warm Front Grant’ for draught proofing, insulation and heating. Grants of up to £1,500 are available (up to £2,500 for the over 60s). 

If you are an owner-occupier or private tenant (and receive any of the above benefits) you may be eligible for a renovation grant or minor works assistance to help you carry out insulation, draught proofing or heating works.

Contact us

If you would like to contact us you can do so in the following ways:

By phone on:

020 8915 2000 (call charges may vary depending on your network).

By post to:

Sutton Housing Partnership Sutton Gate, 1 Carshalton Road Sutton, Surrey SM1 4LE

Via email

customercare@suttonhousingpartnership.org.uk

At our website

www.suttonhousingpartnership.org.uk