Condensation and dampness
What is condensation?
There is always some moisture in the air, even if you cannot see it. If the air gets colder, it cannot hold all the moisture and tiny drops of water appear. This is condensation. You notice it when you see your breath on a cold day, or when the mirror mists over when you have a bath.
Condensation occurs mainly during cold weather, whether it is raining or dry, it does not leave a 'tidemark'. It appears on cold surfaces and in places where there is little movement of air. Look for it in corners, on or near windows, in or behind wardrobes and cupboards. It often forms on north-facing walls.
Is it damp?
Damp can be caused from:
-
Leaking pipes, wastes or overflows.
-
Rain seeping through the roof where a tile or slate is missing, spilling from a blocked gutter, penetrating around window frames, or leaking through a cracked pipe.
-
Rising damp due to a defective damp-course or because there is no damp-course. Rising damp only appears in ground floor rooms, and only to a maximum of 1m up a wall.
These causes of damp often leave a 'tidemark'.
If your home is newly built it may be damp because the water used during its construction, for example, in plaster is still drying out.
If your home is damp for any of these reasons then you should contact us and we will arrange for one of our inspectors to visit your home and look at the problem.
If you do not think the damp comes from any of these causes, then it is probably condensation.
Further information
Back to previous page.
Document Created:
01/09/2009 11:30
, last modified:
08/12/2010 09:54