United Residents Housing wants to help you keep your home free from condensation and damp. We hope you find this information useful.

What is condensation?

The air always contains some moisture, even if you cannot see it. Condensation is caused by high levels of moisture in the air. As the air cools it cannot contain all its moisture and tiny drops of water are formed. This is called condensation.

This is noticeable when the mirror steams up after a bath, the warm air touches the colder mirror and water droplets form. Condensation usually occurs when there is a difference between the temperate inside your home and the temperate outside. This is most common in the months November to March.

In your home, condensation most often occurs on the external walls or in places where there is restricted movement of air, such as in corners, near windows or behind furniture.

What can you do to avoid condensation in your home?

Cooking

• Keep pan covers on saucepans and pots
• Do not leave a kettle boiling
• Open a window

Drying clothes

• You should avoid drying clothes in doors
• Drying clothes on radiators will simply keep the moisture in the room

Double glazing

Your windows are fitted with ‘K' glass which:

• Improves insulation
• Reduces heat loss through your windows
• Traps heat from the sun to reduce heat costs
• Reduces heat loss by up to 30 percent

Please ensure your trickle vent at the top of all your windows are kept open at all times to aid ventilation.

Tumble dryers

• Ensure you purchase a condensing dryer
• Ensure that non vented dryers are vented through the window to prevent the build up of condensation

Central heating

It is not good practice to use your central heating intermittently, for example, two hours in the morning and five in the evening. It is far better and more economical, to have your central heating on continuously. Having the central heating on intermittently warms the air in your home but does not allow the walls to reach a stable temperature. This means that warm air from your radiator will hit the cold walls and could cause condensation to form. This gets worse when the radiators are turned off since the air cools rapidly. For more information of energy efficiency, please see our leaflet titled ‘Energy tips for your home'.

Treating mould

If you follow the advice in this leaflet, there is little chance of your experiencing mould in your home. If you already have mould, wipe it off with a thin bleach solution or with special fungicidal wash. You should wear rubber gloves when you are using any chemicals and you should read the manufactures instructions carefully. Please do not vacuum or brush the mould since this may release spores into the air which may cause breathing difficulties. Following this advice should ensure the mould does not reappear.

Please note that the treatment of damp is not classed as a day-to-day repair and will instead be placed in to a programme of works.

Further information

If you own your own home or rent it from a private landlord and if you are over 60 or have a child under 16 and receive an income-related benefit or Disability Living Allowance or other eligible benefit, you may be able to get an Energy Efficiency grant that includes draught proofing and loft insulation under the Warm Front Scheme.

For information on grants under the Warm Front Scheme contac:

Eaga Partnership (no stamp required)
Freepost NEA 12054
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NE2 1BR

Phone: 0800 316 2814 Customer Services Manager

Website: www.eaga.co.uk

Email: enquiry@eaga.co.uk

Eaga Partnership is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, closed weekends and bank holidays.