Help & Support

Air contains moisture – this is called humidity. A good range of indoor humidity for comfort and health is between 30-60% during winter. Mould’s likely to occur if the humidity is 70% or more for long periods of time. Lots of things can cause the humidity level to rise, from the weather, drying laundry to leaks.
To lower humidity levels you can:

• Firstly, find out if you have too high or too low humidity through monitoring – we can help with this and supply a Hygrometer (comfort thermometer) that measures both temperature and humidity.
• If the humidity in your home is high, contact your damp and mould specialist, and in the meantime, you can find some steps to help reduce the humidity and moisture in your home below.

Condensation is more likely to occur in a home that’s under-heated. To prevent it, a reasonable level of heating needs to be in place. Between 18-21 degrees, with a humidity of 40-60%, is best to help avoid damp and mould occurring and where possible, no room should be unheated.

Heating controls & thermostats (gas & electric)
Heating controls and thermostats prevent your home getting warmer than it needs to be. They’ll turn the heating on until the room reaches the temperature you’ve set and then off until the temperature drops. During the winter months, try to set the temperature between 18 - 21°C, even when you’re out.

Timer (gas and electric)
Set your timer to come on 1 hour before anyone wakes up and continue until at least 1 hour after you leave your home. It should re-start at least 1 hour before people return and stay on until 1 hour after you go to bed. The heating should never be on for less than 3 hours at a time as short bursts of heat will only warm up the air, leaving surfaces cold. It’s recommended that you keep it on at a low level all the time if possible, even if you’re out – to allow the structure of the building to warm up as well as the air.

Worried about your bills?
If you’re struggling with managing your utility bills or would like some further advice, please contact us. We can offer a range of different help and support based on your circumstances.​​​​​​

Bathing and showering
If there’s an extractor fan fitted in the bathroom, ensure the door and window are closed while bathing or showering. If the window’s open, it can disturb the airflow of the fan and may suck out air that just entered through the window. When filling up the bath, run the cold water first then add the hot water – this will reduce the steam, which leads to condensation, by as much as 90%.

Drying washing indoors
When clothes are dried inside a home, the humidity within it can increase by up to 30% and up to 40% if items are dried on radiators. So, where possible, dry washing outdoors. If you need to dry clothes indoors, use an airer, ideally placed in the bathroom with the door and window closed - the extractor fan (if there’s one fitted) will reduce humidity spreading to other areas of your home. If you use a tumble dryer, place the ventilation pipe leads outside. If it’s a condensing tumble dryer, you’ll need to open a window to let the moisture out.

Cooking
Ventilation is needed in the kitchen when cooking and washing up. To help with this, open the windows and switch on a fan. If you don’t have a fan – please contact us and we can arrange to come and visit. Keep a lid on saucepans to reduce heat (this can also save you money as you can cook on a lower heat setting).​​​​​​

Natural ventilation
Use the trickle vents on your windows to allow natural air flow through property. Leaving windows open during colder months can decrease the temperature in and around the windows, causing a cold spot to form and risks mould forming.

Wardrobes, furniture and beds
The areas between furniture (beds, wardrobes, etc.) and external walls will encourage condensation to form because there’s no circulation of warm air to warm the wall and furniture. Make sure you leave a gap of at least 7cm to 10cm. Try to avoid putting too many things in your cupboards, wardrobes and under the bed as this stops air circulating. Leave wardrobe doors ajar to ventilate clothing.

Curtains and blinds
Open curtains or blinds during the day as if left closed, they make the surface of the window cooler which can increase condensation. If it’s winter and sunny, open the blinds or curtains in the morning to allow the sun to heat your home through the day—especially those that receive direct sunlight. In winter, about 76% of sunlight that falls on standard double-glazed windows enters to become heat.​​​​​​

When removing mould, it’s important to use a product that’s designed for mould cleaning and which is anti-fungicide as these will prevent the mould returning. Avoid using household cleaning items, such as bleach or detergent, as a remedy as these can sometimes make the issue worse. We recommend a line of products from a company called HG. If you’ve reported your damp and mould case, our team can provide you with a bottle of this when they visit, to help you manage milder cases – if agreed appropriate with our specialists.

• To use the mould spray successfully, it’s best that to not remove any mould, algae or fungi and risk disturbing the mould spores. We recommend that you wear gloves, safety googles and a mask, as recommended by HG, when using their product.
• Spray 2-5cm away from the surface and leave to work for 30 minutes. When finished, carefully blot any surplus product from the area and carefully rinse the cloth and leave to dry or if using a disposable cloth, throw away. For stubborn mould, you may need to repeat the process. When complete, clean the surface with a damp sponge and clean water (no need to scrub). 

If you have any concerns, or if you think that your issue is getting worse, please get in touch with your Damp and Mould specialist and provide pictures if possible.​​​​​​