Definitive guide to getting rid of condensation

[LookingUpAtTheStars]

I've just discovered more black mould on another outside wall. It's at the point were I am going to be unable to keep any furniture next to the outside walls of the house because it ruins the furniture and makes it harder for me to clean the walls. Every fucking room.

So what do I need to do to get rid of this?

We do not dry wet clothes inside. We have a condenser tumble dryer and a heated airer, but these are in the kitchen (the only room in the house which is not suffering).

I have tried opening the windows to clear condensation in the morning but it doesn't clear it no matter how long I keep the windows open. I have to wipe down every window with a towel which is sopping wet by the end.

The walls are even dripping wet right now, so it's not even just a morning thing. Having a slight fit if rage about it right now.

Can someone please give me a run down of what I need to do every day to sort this out?

Watching this thread as I've got the exact same problem.

We've literally tried all sorts. The best result has been the dehumidifier- it clears the windows but we still get the mould!!

It's horrendous!!

Another one who came along thinking you had a definitive guide, we too are fighting an endless battle!
The dehumidifier has helped a little but sort of completely replastering and refurbishing house I can't see how we are ever going to have a healthy home

We live in a old house and had this problem.we got a dehumidifier which we put on every day in the winter, open windows daily and no wet clothes lying about, but we found the biggest help was replacing the shower curtain with a shower screen which we dry after every use and to keep extractor fan on during and about 15 mins after cooking

OP, you say it's wet in every room.

Do you mean condensation or damp ingress?

Are all the walls sopping wet or just the exterior walls?

Where is the mould growing? Is it low level on the walls or high up? Or is it all over?

There are lots of causes of damp and some of them are due to bigger issues with a building rather then something you're doing inside (eg drying washing)

Do you have decent central heating? Ie can you get the house really warm or are the radiators just tepid? If your central heating isn't working properly, it certainly won't help.

Do you have good bathroom extraction?

Do you have insulation (loft, cavity)?

Do you have double glazing?
If you've got excellent double glazing and you don't ventilate by opening windows at least twice a day for a short while, all the moisture of your breath, cooking, sweat etc will remain trapped inside the house and add to condensation.

What type of house do you live in? Is it very old, last century or very new? You can get damp and condensation in all types of houses but the causes will vary with house type.

If it's genuinely "just" condensation rather than damp coming from outside in, then efficient heating and ventilation (windows open minimum 20mins twice a day) will be key along with the old favourites of not drying laundry inside and having good bathroom extraction.

Clearly you can't stop breathing or sweating so you need to remove this moisture by opening windows. Preferably while the heating is on. It sounds daft and wasteful but it's the best way of getting the moisture out.

There is no magic bullet. You need to do lots of things that each take one or two percent of the problem away. You are all describing the same problem we are also battling (and winning, so far). It's a specific problem to this time of year when the outside walls are cold, the inside air is warm but the house is not fully heated and the ventilation is poor because the windows are left shut.

So, increase ventilation.

Open windows, install airbricks, pull furniture slightly away from walls. If you have a chimney it should be open at both ends or shut at both, not one or the other. Open windows in kitchens and bathrooms especially as they are sources of moisture, but also curtains and windows in bedrooms.

Use anti fungal paint when you decorate. And rockwool - style lining paper. It will insulate the walls.

Turn the heating up earlier. It will stop the temperature differential that causes condensation, like turning the temperature up on your windscreen blowers when they're misty.

If you can get cavity insulation, do it. It will warm the walls.

I lived in a student house that was damp like this. It's really important to heat steadily rather than up and down. My housemates hated me but it didn't cost more to heat to a constant temperature if that temperature was just below what they were heating the house to.

I also changed my bedroom light for a ceiling fan. Get one that is for summer and winter as you want the heat pushed down this time of year. I felt a difference in terms of helping to heat the room and as it kept the air moving it dried it out.

Showers were a nightmare. You need a powerful extractor fan and dry the shower tiles when you finished. I also hated that one BF of one of the housemates would wash up not using a wash bowl. The hot water would steam up the kitchen. I used lids when boiling water, namely because of the money saved but it also cut down on the steam generated.

Windows are very important. I don't think these new energy efficient houses are healthy when they are sealed off. You need ventilation otherwise nasty stuff like mould is likely to grow. I opened my window for half an hour a day. I could see when they had installed them they had sealed the whole area thinking it would be beneficial. It had the opposite effect!

We had this problem and didn't know if it was damp or condensation so got some specialists (Peter Cox) to come and look. They said it was condensation and recommended a dryair house ventilation unit www.petercox.com/homeowners/condensation-control/
I'm on the app and can't work out if that link has worked (can't preview) but google it otherwise.
We got one installed and it is completely amazing! Has solved the condensation problem and got rid of the musty smell that used to come when we'd been away even for a weekend. I totally recommend it.

The Karcher window vac is really good foe sucking up condensation from windows in the morning so you don't have to deal with siping wet towels too!

Found that having heating on for longer and low does help.

That amount of dampness would suggest a leak somewhere. Do you have a water meter? Can you check it to see if it's moving when everything is off? Is your heating system ok? Do you have any pipe work/drains running under the house? What is your guttering like? Is it coping with this heavy rain?

I would expect to have to wipe down windows after a cold night, and to end up with a wet towel which needs to be put outside.

otherwise; is it an old house with solid walls? Problems with guttering/damp course/other leaks? How much heating are you doing?

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