Tips On Fighting Dampness In The House

By taking the following into account any remedial action you take to improve ventilation will be more effective.

Defeating damp. Identify and deal with sources of damp. The main causes are penetrating damp, rising damp, and condensation. It is not always easy to diagnose what may be the cause(s), and even specialists don't always get it right, so obtain professional advice from several specialist companies.

Improving insulation. Adding basic insulation will make your home warmer, more comfortable, and less expensive to run. Insulation will also help to eliminate, or minimize, cold spots, which, in turn, will reduce condensation and associated mould growth.

Draught-proofing (or weather stripping). If you make your home more airtight you will increase its comfort and save on energy. Draught-proofing (weather stripping) doors and windows is a good start, but there are other ways by which you can influence the amount of air that passes in and out of your home:

• When decorating, seal gaps under skirting (base) boards, around the edge of window frames, and under windowsills
• Check the ceiling for gaps where pipes enter the attic (loft) and draught-proof (weather strip) around the attic (loft) entrance
• Fill the cavity of the outside walls with insulation to stop unwanted air leakage, as well as reducing heat loss

However, having done this, you will then need to pay more attention to your home's ventilation to make sure that you have the right amount of air in the right place and at the right time.

Creating natural ventilation

All homes have some degree of natural ventilation. The wind blows through spaces in the building's structure - through the walls and gaps in windows, under doors, and so on. In addition, the natural rising of warm air and its exit from the top of a building pulls in fresh air from outside - an effect known as stack ventilation. In temperature climates (warm, wet winters and hot, drier summers), natural ventilation may often be enough to reduce humidity and dilute indoor pollutants to tolerable levels. You should, therefore, try sleeping with your bedroom windows slightly open, or at least open them when you first get up. This will reduce humidity, especially in winter, by bringing fresh, colder air in, and so help to reduce the mite population, which needs high humidity to thrive.

However, leaving windows open at night may not be advisable if cold weather induces asthma symptoms. In this case, air the bedroom well at other times of the day. If you suffer from a pollen allergy, also keep windows shut at night during the pollen season. Air the room during the afternoon, when the pollen count is usually at its lowest.

In addition, you should always open windows in the bathroom after bathing and in the kitchen when you are cooking to allow the moisture-laden air to escape to the outside. However, keep the doors to these rooms shut during use to prevent moisture from escaping into the rest of the home.



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