Dampness, Condensation & Mould
If you have any concerns about dampness in your home, please report it to us as soon as possible.
There are 4 different reasons for dampness in your home:
1. Rising Damp
Damp that comes from the ground up into the walls and floor of your home. It affects ground floors and basements only. It can leave a tide mark on your walls and salt crystals in the affected areas. This requires us to inspect and if necessary, organise repair work.
2. Penetrating Damp
This happens when an external water source such as a leaking roof or gutter comes through your stone or brickwork. It will show as a stain on your ceiling or wall and you may see water leaking. This requires us to inspect and/or organise repair work.
3. Defective Plumbing
This is usually a leak from an internal pipe, toilet, shower or sink. It can also come from radiators. It is usually an obvious damp patch and if it affects a large area and is left too long, can cause a mould that can be harmful to health and can cause rot in floorboards and joists. This requires us to inspect and/or organise repair work.
4. Condensation
Condensation happens when moist air comes into contact with a colder surface. So for example if you are having a shower, often a window or mirror will show condensation. But you can get it on walls too. Most of our houses and flats are well sealed and if the ventilation mechanisms in the house are not used, it stays trapped. It can cause mould and sometimes it isn't noticed if it is behind a wardrobe or in a cupboard. You can help stop condensation in your home by using the ventilation fans or vents in your windows or by opening windows when you have a bath or shower or are boiling water in the kitchen. Also, it is best to heat your home where you can, even at a very low temperature to increase the temperature of surfaces.