Condensation can be horribly destructive if allowed to persist inside of your home over a long period of time. It can cause a multitude of problems for your indoor spaces, including but not limited to peeling your paint, creating an environment conducive to toxic mould, or even damaging the structural integrity of your home!
Condensation, defined simply, occurs when moisture already present in the air meets a cooler surface within your home. This causes the water to condense back into a liquid form. The presence of liquid water in the various nooks and crannies of your home may go unnoticed until extensive damage has already been done. Thus, it is imperative that your prevent condensation and its associated issues from occurring in the first place.
If you’ve already noticed beads of water dripping down your walls, which is a key sign of a condensation problem, then you need to act. Generally speaking, one of the best ways to stop condensation within your home is to remove the source of the problem.
Ventilation = Prevention
Condensation often forms in regularly damp environments, such as bathrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchens. You can prevent condensation from occurring by removing hot water from these rooms. Examples of this can include installing a fan within your bathroom, an overhead ventilator in your kitchen, or an external vent in your laundry room.
These basic steps will remove water vapour from your home at the source. In most cases, this is the absolute best thing that you can do to prevent condensation damage from occurring. You can check the humidity level in your home using a hygrometer, which will let you know when you’ve successfully reduced the moisture level in the air to a safe level.
Ventilation is the key to prevention, and wherever you can increase the air flow in your home, you can reduce condensation. This can be as simple as opening a window whenever possible, temperature permitting.
Use a dehumidifier
However, all hope is not lost if you’re incapable of taking these measures within your home. One of the most convenient methods you can take advantage of is making use of a dehumidifier. These devices draw moisture from the air and condense it internally. You simply empty the vessel once it is full.
Dehumidifiers are a fantastic means of preventing condensation and subsequently mould damage in basements and other damp rooms. It is perhaps one of the easiest ways to reduce condensation as well. A good dehumidifier for the home will cost you anywhere between about £30 and £200, depending on the model and retailer. You can read our reviews of dehumidifiers under £50 or see these more powerful models in the £50-£100 range.
Try to remove temperature differences
Alternatively, you can prevent condensation through equalising the temperature differences in your home. Condensation occurs when warm water vapour meets a cool wall or surface. Simply put, keeping your walls warmer than the internal water vapour will prevent condensation.
Depending on the cost of heat in your area, you can accomplish this through simply turning up your heat in naturally cooler rooms. However, as the cost of fuel may make this prohibitively expensive over the long term, it may be far more economical to simply improve the insulation in your walls and windows. Preventing heat loss will make it easier to equalize the temperature between your surfaces and the internal air.
Ultimately, to prevent condensation from wreaking havoc within your home, you must prevent it from appearing in the first place. The only ways to do this effectively are to remove the moisture through ventilation or technology, or to prevent it from occurring by controlling your internal environment.