Ted and Smudge on a Frosty Morning
Ted and Smudge had an amazing time this morning on their first frosty walk of the year in St Ives, Cambridge. But the drop in temperature means that all of our tenants and landlords need to be aware of the potential increase of condensation in the home. If this is not dealt with quickly, it can lead to mould, particularly around the windows and bathroom fittings. Agreed, it’s a bit of a dry subject (excuse the pun) but if you don’t deal with condensation as soon as it appears you could have a problem down the line.
The main cause of condensation is lack of ventilation so the moisture in the home finds the coldest place to condense.
Typical places to find condensation:
- a window
- a corner furthest away from a radiator
- anywhere with cooler air than the rest of the room.
The science behind the water
Over the years we have spent a lot of effort to reduce energy wastage, so we have progressively restricted the movement of air between the inside and outside of the house. This means that any moisture produced in the home tends to stay there. Sometimes you will see this if your cupboards are full to the brim this will just stop the air circulating, which means your clothes will start to smell damp.
And we produce quite a bit of moisture, all of which goes into the air and stays there if it is not removed ~
- One person’s breathing produces 0.5 to 1 litre every 24 hours
- Cooking 0.5 litres for each hour
- Shower 0.25 litre for a 5-minute shower. If you have a bath, make that 1 litre
- Clothes washing and drying – 2 litres for every load of washing
What can help reduce the build-up of condensation?
The obvious one is to produce less moisture and it’s quite easy:
- When cooking, make sure that you cover your pans and don’t let the kettle boil for too long. If you have an extractor, make sure it’s on. If you have a door make sure that it is closed.
- Washing clothes, if you can its best to put them outside to dry. Of course, if you live in an apartment that is not going to be as easy, so try putting your clothes in the bathroom and make sure the extractor fan is on and the window is left slightly open. If you have a tumble dryer make sure you vent it to the outside.
- When you have a bath or shower always make sure that the door is closed, and the extractor is on or the window is slightly open.
How can Maxine Lester Lettings help you?
If you rent a property through us Sally and Bev will come to visit your property on a regular basis and can advise if you have any concerns. If you are not sure how to deal with your particular situation just give the team a call on 01480 494967 or email E: [email protected] or E: [email protected]
