Controlling damp and condensation in your home

Northumberland County Council’s environmental health team are offering some simple top tips on how to prevent condensation and damp in your home. 

If you notice streaming windows, damp surfaces, mould and musty smells in your home, it might be down to high levels of condensation. 

Day to day activities such as, cooking, drying clothes, and showering add to the moisture in the air. If this moisture is allowed to build up it can cause damp. 

This can cause black mould growth on walls, ceilings, furniture and clothing. Some people do not realise that this mould growth is often caused by condensation from normal activities, mistakenly thinking these are signs of damp caused by problems with the property itself. 

Northumberland County Councillor Gordon Stewart, cabinet member for Looking after our Communities said: “Condensation occurs naturally in homes when moisture comes into contact with cold surfaces such as walls or windows and is very common at this time of year.    

“An average household can produce around 22 pints of water around the home through everyday activities such as cooking, washing and drying however, there are some simple steps you can take to reduce condensation, and therefore damp in your homes.” 

Tips on reducing condensation while around the house. 

When Cooking 

• Keep lids on pans when cooking. 

• Keep the interior kitchen door closed to prevent steam going into colder rooms, even after you have finished. 

• Open a kitchen window slightly or use an extractor fan or open window vents if fitted. 

When Bathing 

• Keep the bathroom door closed but open the bathroom window slightly. 

• Make sure the extractor fan is working and open window vents if fitted. 

• When filling the bath, run cold water first and then add hot water. This will greatly reduce the amount of steam. 

When Washing/Drying 

• Dry washing outside wherever possible. 

• Avoid drying laundry on radiators or in front of fires. It will dry them but will release moisture into your room. 

• If it is too cold to hang washing outside, put it in the bathroom and open the window or turn on the extractor fan. 

Heating 

• With energy bills rising we are all cutting down on our heating. However, in cold weather – the best way to keep rooms warm enough to avoid condensation is to keep low background heating on all day. When the home is warmer, condensation is less likely to occur. This is more effective than setting it high and turning it off and on. 

Air circulation 

• Allow air to circulate around furniture and in cupboards by making sure they are not overfilled and there is space between the furniture and the wall. 

You can download a leaflet which gives full details on how to prevent condensation and damp > https://nland.cc/condensation 

If you believe you have a damp problem which is not related to condensation, for example rising or penetrating dampness, then, contact your landlord if you rent your property.  If you are not satisfied with your landlord's response, you can contact the Council's Environmental Health Team on 0345 600 6400.  If you own the property, a builder will be able to advise you.