30 Jan 2023 Dealing with damp and mould in your home this Winter

Many people will experience issues with damp and mould in their property at some point, particularly during the colder months. To help look after your home this winter, Ryedale District Council has released its latest advice on how to help keep damp and mould at bay.

Even in warm, well looked after properties mould growth can occur. This is mostly due to condensation; however, some instances of damp and mould may be the result of penetrating dampness or rising damp.

Causes of dampness and condensation in your home include a lack of adequate heating and/or ventilation, water coming in from the outside through leakage, rising damp, or high levels of moisture or water vapour being produced inside the home.

Ryedale District Council has outlined four key actions needed to help minimise dampness and condensation in your home:

1. Reduce the amount of moisture produced in the home.
2. Provide ventilation, particularly in moisture-prone areas.
3. Increase heating to raise the temperature of the air and the cold surfaces.
4. Insulate the building to warm up cold surfaces and keep the heat in.

With many households facing financial difficulties as a result of the current cost of living crisis, ensuring homes are adequately heated this winter has proven challenging. However, keeping your homes indoor temperature to at least 18°C on cold days could help to improve damp and mould related issues. In addition to this, avoiding the use of gas heaters, installing a heater in your bathroom, and purchasing a dehumidifier to extract moisture from the air, are all ways that can help to reduce humidity in your home.

Some additional low-cost options to help minimise dampness and condensation in your home are:

• On dry days open some windows to allow humid air to ventilate out of the house.
• Keep lids on your pots and pans when you cook.
• Keep the doors to the bathroom and kitchen closed when you are bathing or cooking as hot damp air will move through your house and increase the potential of mould growth.
• If you can, run the extractor fan in the bathroom for at least 30mins after your shower or bath.
• Use thermal or lined curtains, keeping them open in the day and closed before dusk. This will capture the free heat from the sun and help to lift indoor temperatures.
• Always wipe excess moisture from windows – if you don’t the moisture will collect on the frame which may start to rot. It may also re-evaporate during the day, raising humidity levels and making condensation worse when the room cools down.
• Install temporary plastic window insulation kits on your windows for the cooler months of the year.
• Keep furniture away from outside walls to allow air to circulation.
• Where possible dry your clothes outside. If this is not possible and you need to dry your clothes inside on an airer, do this in a well-ventilated room with the doors closed to the rest of the house.
• If you use a tumble dryer, make sure that it is vented outside.

Phillip Spurr, Director of Place and Resources at Ryedale District Council said:

“The colder months can put a big strain on households both physically and financially, especially at present with the cost-of-living crisis. We hope the advice and low-cost tips from Ryedale District Council will help to support households across the district help to manage issues faced in their homes this winter”.