Having a constant stream of fresh air is important in every household to help prevent illness, condensation, damp and mould.
While there are many options available to improve ventilation, the advantages of whole house ventilation using a mechanical heat recovery system is often the most effective choice…read on to find out why!
Ventilation is the process of removing polluted, stale air from a room and supplying fresh, clean air from outside. This can be done by natural or mechanical ventilation, or a combination of the two.
In 2023, 3.8% of homes in England have some form of damp problem - equating to approximately 912,000 households. What’s more, the NHS estimates that it could save up to £38 million a year on treating patients with damp and mould-related illnesses, if issues were rectified.
Mould and damp is caused by condensation - when humid air comes into contact with cold surfaces to form water droplets. It typically occurs when temperatures drop overnight, resulting in us often waking up with water droplets on our windows (and sometimes walls and ceilings), mainly in winter months.
Good ventilation will help to reduce condensation by removing the moist air from your home before it has a chance to settle on a cool surface. As well as causing damage to your property which may be costly to repair, damp and mould can also have serious effects on your health - especially to individuals with underlying respiratory conditions, such as asthma.
Depending on your home and budget, there are different solutions for increased ventilation that you can adopt, but they vary in their effectiveness.
Natural ventilation
Rather than using any sort of mechanical element to push air around, natural ventilation relies solely on gaps in the building fabric, combined with any trickle vents or air bricks that may have been installed.
Natural ventilation can also be supplemented by opening windows and doors, however this is often only done in the warmer weather.
This type of ventilation is the cheapest and simplest option, and because of this, there are quite a few drawbacks.
Trickle vents don’t let much air flow unless it’s windy and they can produce a through-draught, whereas opening doors and windows to the outside can quickly make a home cold in winter. In the summer months, this method will likely let in lots of pollen and insects, and can also let in other pollutants from outside such as vehicle fumes.
Extractor fans
Extractor fans are one step up from natural ventilation, and have a simple mechanical element involved. In most houses, they’re typically located in rooms that generate more water vapour, such as kitchens and bathrooms.
They are effective in controlling moisture within the rooms that they are positioned in, however they also suck out the warm air that rises to the ceiling and they are relatively limited in the area they can cover. If you leave a door open after a bath or shower and water vapour escapes, it will travel around the house and can increase moisture levels in areas the extractor fan can’t reach.
While it’s essential to have extractor fans in your home, often these aren’t enough to completely reduce levels of moisture.
Mechanical ventilation heat recovery (whole house ventilation)
Mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) systems are modern, efficient units that provide ventilation to an entire house.
MVHR systems will ensure that condensation (and therefore damp and mould that can follow) doesn’t become an issue in your home, by removing all moisture-laden air and replacing it with filtered, heated air from outside.
As well as removing moisture, MVHR will also remove any harmful irritants in the air such as germs and pollen, causing illness and hay fever. They are also energy efficient, using no more than extractor fans because the built-in heat exchanger recovers warmth from outgoing air to heat the fresh air coming into the building. This means that it’s highly efficient, and helps to reduce your heating bills.
Are you interested in reducing condensation and helping your family to stay fit and healthy? Get in touch with our team of experts today to find out more.
Modern houses are designed to be more energy efficient to save owners money on their bills, meaning that they typically have high-quality insulation within the walls and roof to prevent heat loss, as well as effective double glazed windows to prevent heat from escaping.
While these improvements in efficiency are great at saving us money, they also make newer homes more airtight - meaning that without effective ventilation, humidity and air pollution levels can rise quickly. This increases the risk of condensation and damp, which can quickly lead to mould.
Condensation forms when the air temperature in the home falls below the ‘dew point’, meaning that the air can no longer hold as much water vapour and it needs somewhere else to go. When this happens, usually when the air meets a cold surface such as a wall or window, the water vapour is deposited, creating condensation.
As a well-insulated, efficient home is able to retain its heat better, there typically will be smaller differences in temperature during the day and night. This means that there is less opportunity for air to come into contact with colder surfaces - which is good news!
However, there is one downside - the flow of air is significantly reduced in a well-insulated, airtight property. This can result in humidity levels rising even quicker, meaning that the dew point of the water can actually become higher - so condensation can form at a higher temperature.
The most effective way to prevent condensation and mould is by using controlled ventilation. Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery (MVHR) units work by drawing in fresh air from outside to displace the humid air from indoors, working with extractor fans to combat indoor air pollution.
Our Business Development Executive, Joe Murray, said:
“The downside of making your home more airtight is that you’ll retain more indoor air pollution and could generate more condensation. As a result, we’re seeing more and more people come to us for ventilation solutions after improving their insulation.
“By investing in an efficient ventilation system, you’ll be provided with a constant stream of fresh, clean air in your home while pollutants are filtered out.”If you’re suffering from increased condensation, or have recently invested in efficient insulation and are worried about the lack of ventilation, then get in touch with our team of experts today for a no-obligation consultation.
Condensation forms when warm, moist air cools quickly. The warmer the air in your home, the more water vapour it can hold. When the temperature then drops - usually at night - it cannot hold as much moisture, so droplets will form on cooler surfaces such as windows and walls.
Without good ventilation to keep the air circulating and remove humid air, all houses can be prone to condensation. However, these problems tend to be more present in older homes.
A warmer house will typically have less condensation because the air doesn’t reach the dew point as frequently, causing less water vapour to turn into liquid.
Newer, more modern houses are required to be more airtight and energy efficient to comply with strict building regulations. This means that these properties are likely to have more insulation, and will be better at retaining heat.
Newer homes, if built to specification, generally feature double glazing, thick insulation in the loft, and dual-skinned walls with cavity insulation. This setup helps prevent heat loss through walls, ceilings, and the roof, keeping stable internal temperatures compared to older houses.
Older homes were built when building regulations weren’t as strict, and therefore tend to have considerably lower levels of insulation throughout. This is especially the case if your home was built before the 1920s, when solid walls were commonplace, meaning there’s no insulation or airflow within the wall to retain heat and prevent damp.
Unfortunately for owners, this means that ceilings, windows and walls will be cooler, and the overall air temperature will fall faster once the heating is switched off - meaning it’s more likely that condensation will be able to form.
Without good insulation and ventilation, condensation is more likely to become a major issue in older homes - especially around windows. While modern houses have UPVC window frames, older properties typically have windows made from wood which can be permeated by water. Even if your window looks ok on the outside, there could still be rot and mould lurking beneath the surface.
Older homes can also suffer from damp build-up in walls, as moisture can soak through the paint and reach the plaster, which then can result in damp patches arising. These patches are likely to cause the plaster to crumble and encourage mould to grow. If left unnoticed, it can turn into a very expensive repair job and a serious health risk.
In both new and old homes, the best way to reduce condensation is to improve ventilation - particularly in those rooms where it is more likely to occur, such as kitchens and bathrooms.
The first step is to ensure that you have modern, effective extractor fans to remove moisture at its source and prevent it from spreading throughout the property. The most efficient types tend to be those that are motion sensored, which will start and stop on their own, depending on humidity levels.
Extractor fans are absolutely essential, but it’s also a great idea to invest in a mechanical heat recovery ventilation system (MVHR) to further improve your ventilation, while helping to keep your home warm at the same time.
MVHR units will remove the humid, moist air from your home and replace it with fresh, filtered air from outside. It’ll also recover heat energy from the property and transfer it into the new incoming air via a heat exchanger, helping to reduce those heating bills at the same time.
Are you worried about the effect of condensation on your older property? We can help! Get in touch today for a free, no obligation consultation.
If damp is allowed to develop within your home, it can result in the growth of mould and potential damage to the structure of your property. If you find damp in your home, then you must act as quickly as possible to remove the cause and prevent the issue from getting worse.
Essentially, damp is able to form when moisture soaks into porous surfaces in the home, making them saturated. The most common form of damp is condensation, which forms when moist, warm air touches a cold surface, such as a wall or window but it can also build up in other ways.
There are three main sources of moisture within a home that can result in damp:
Penetrating damp
Penetrating damp is caused by water soaking through a wall or a ceiling. It may be caused by gaps around windows and doors, holes in the roof, leaking pipes, or damage to any external walls within the property.
It is usually identified by dark stains on the walls which are caused by pigments from underlying plaster, or rust, coming through the layers of paint.
Rising damp
Rising damp is caused by water soaking up into the walls of your home through the ground, due to a lack of a damp-proof barrier at the bottom of walls. It will only affect the ground floor of a property due to the nature of how it is caused. It can best be identified by stains on the plasterwork, located approximately up to one metre above the ground.
Both rising damp and penetrating damp need to be fixed professionally as soon as possible - typically by a builder or plumber. Once resolved, you may find that you need to redecorate due to the staining it has caused.
Condensation damp
The third main cause of damp is condensation, which forms when moisture inside your home soaks into the internal walls. In a house that is poorly ventilated, humidity levels can build up quickly - causing condensation to form on walls and ceilings.
If allowed to continue over time, this condensation can soak through the paint layers and saturate the plaster underneath, leading to significant problems if not resolved quickly.
The answer to this question is yes, it can help - however, it most definitely is more of a short-term solution rather than a long-term, permanent fix. Although heating can temporarily reduce dampness in your home, you’ll always need to address the underlying cause of the damp to prevent it from getting worse.
Nonetheless, using heating to keep a property warm is still essential and highly recommended, as it can help to slow down any spreading of damp. Whilst heating your home isn’t cheap at the moment, it can actually help to save you money in the long run by ensuring that your home remains structurally sound.
Condensation damp is caused by water from the air inside your home soaking into cold walls, so by warming these walls up and maintaining heat in the property, you will reduce the amount of condensation that is able to form.
Heating can also contribute to drying out damp surfaces once the moisture source has been removed, however, it is only a good solution if you identify the cause and stop the damp from occurring in the first place.
However, there is a downside to using heating to reduce damp. Unless you can dry out an area completely, heat can also speed up the growth of mould, so it could become a double edged-sword.
You’ll also need to make sure that, once you’ve managed to dry up any damp patches or puddles, you can let the water vapour escape through good ventilation. If not, you’ll find all that vapour will settle again on your walls and windows the next time the temperature drops.
Rising and penetrating damp are both caused by physical issues with your house itself, and therefore are best being resolved by professionals - such as a plumber or builder. They will fix the source of the moisture, meaning that the damp will reduce over time and gradually return to its original state.
However, damp caused by condensation can be prevented by you, by making improvements to your home ventilation. Firstly, make sure that you’ve covered the basics - including having extractor fans installed in all bathrooms and the kitchen to allow moisture to escape.
Bathrooms and kitchens contribute to some of the moisture in your home but drying clothes indoors, leaving towels on radiators, and even breathing can also add to the airborne moisture.
By installing a whole-house ventilation system, such as a Mechanical Heat Recovery Ventilation unit (MVHR), this will greatly reduce moisture levels whilst keeping your home warm at the same time. They work by displacing the moist air from within your home and replacing it with fresh, heated air from outside. As a result, this will greatly reduce condensation, damp and mould.
Worried about damp caused by condensation? Get in touch with our team of professional industry experts today to find out how we can help!
If you do not take the correct steps to prevent condensation and dampness in your home, you may find that mould has started to grow on your walls, windowsills and ceilings. Mould patches look unsightly, but they can also be a potential hazard to your health too.
Mould spreads in the form of microscopic spores, which are small and light enough to be carried through the air. These spores are present in low concentrations almost everywhere, but will cause the most damage if they are able to land on a damp surface, and are not then moved on by ventilation.
If your bathroom, en-suite or kitchen is poorly ventilated, you may start to see mould develop in small patches on the walls, ceilings, and around windows. These are the typical locations that condensation is lightly to occur, creating a damp patch for the mould to thrive in.
Once the mould is then established, it will continue to grow at a quick rate. When the mould patches ‘mature’, they will release spores, which can then encourage the mould to spread quickly around your home and be breathed in by anyone who lives there. If left untreated, larger amounts of spores will be released, which can start to cause harm.
Any mould in the home is not ideal and should always be removed as quickly and safely as possible, to prevent it from spreading. However, there are certain types of mould that can potentially do more damage than others - including toxic black mould.
Black mould is also known as Stachybotrys chartarum, and will grow and spread on materials as a result of warm temperatures and moisture-laden air. It can be particularly harmful to those who have allergies, as allergy symptoms can be triggered by the black mould spores in the air.
Allergy symptoms will occur when your immune system becomes hypersensitive to these spores, causing inflammation and irritation to the eyes, nose and lungs. If you have a weakened immune system, black mould exposure can also cause a fungal infection in your airways or other parts of the body - so it’s really important to prevent it from appearing if you can. Whilst it rarely causes very serious illnesses or death, it can be harmful to those who are more vulnerable, such as asthma sufferers and the elderly.
If you do spot any mould (black or otherwise) in your home, it’s important to get rid of it as soon as possible. To learn how to do this safely, visit our recent blog (insert link to blog on how to fight mould).
The only way to truly prevent mould permanently is to completely remove the conditions that allow it to get a foothold in your home, i.e. reducing dampness, humidity and condensation.
Moisture being released into the air from poorly ventilated kitchens and bathrooms will generate the condensation, which then kickstarts damp and mould. Ensuring that you have sufficient airflow within your home will help to remove moist air before water vapour can settle and soak into surfaces. To generate this airflow, you need ventilation.
The most simple ventilation (that should be fitted as standard in your home) is an extractor fan, which should always be switched on whilst bathing, showering or cooking. Whilst it is effective in removing moisture-laden air, you shouldn’t rely on it alone.
Whole-house ventilation systems are the most effective, efficient way to get rid of mould in your home permanently. By bringing in fresh, filtered, heated air from outside and pushing out stale, moist air from inside, this dramatically reduces condensation, damp and therefore mould. And because they can be left on to quietly and efficiently operate 24/7, you won’t be waking up to find condensation on the windows.
Interested in a ventilation system?
Get in touch with our team of experts today!
Unfortunately, mould and damp can be common in private rental properties, usually due to a lack of ventilation.
If you notice mould occurring, it is important to firstly report this to your landlord - as it is something that they should be aware of and should actively try to resolve to prevent it becoming a health hazard.
By informing them at the earliest opportunity, you’ll give the landlord the best chance of tackling the problem and identifying the cause before it takes hold.
Make sure to keep a record of where the damp/mould is, whether it is worse when you take a bath/shower for example and the temperature of your home. Don’t forget to take photos too, as this can help to determine the best solution.
Once you have reported the mould in your property (and taken pictures!), it’s important to get rid of it quickly to reduce the chances of it causing health problems for you and your family.
You’ll firstly need to ensure that it’s not toxic black mould, as this should only be removed professionally for your safety.
Once you’re happy that it’s safe to clean, purchase a fungicidal cleaner or make your own by diluting bleach with a ratio of 1:6 with water. Always remember to wear safety protection whilst cleaning too, such as gloves, a mask and glasses.
Spray your cleaner on the area and leave it for a minute or two to work, before wiping away with a clean cloth. Rinse the cloth regularly, and keep changing the water. Once you’ve finished, make sure that the cloths are washed on a hot cycle to remove all of the germs!
Condensation causes damp and mould to form, and is most commonly found in kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms due to the higher levels of moisture.
If your property is free from mould, then here’s our advice to make sure it stays that way and keep condensation at bay:
Maintain a constant temperature
Ideally, you want to try to keep your rooms between 18 degrees celsius and 21 degrees celsius when the temperature outside is freezing or just below.
Although your landlord is responsible for providing adequate heating that is as efficient as possible, you’ll need to ensure that you’re playing your part too, in order to maintain the heat levels in colder winter months.
Ensure that it’s well ventilated
Ventilation is absolutely essential to reducing condensation, and therefore damp and mould as a result. It’s a good idea to open windows on opposite sides of the property whenever you can to make sure there’s a good flow of air throughout.
Try to open windows after a bath or shower to ensure that fresh air is getting into the property, and not just trapping in the moisture. Similarly, if you’re drying laundry inside, keep a window or door open in that room. When cooking, try to cover your saucepans to reduce the amount of steam escaping.
Landlords are legally responsible for treating some damp problems - mainly those that relate to either repair problems, structural issues, or those that are impacting the tenants health.
It can be difficult to pinpoint who is responsible when it comes to condensation and damp, as occasionally, it can be down to tenants - hence why we’ve provided you with our advice to help prevent it!
Wherever possible, landlords should try to invest in preventative methods - such as whole-home ventilation - to stop the issues from developing. Here’s a list of things that you can recommend:
Improve the property’s ventilation
By installing a heat recovery ventilation system to ventilate the whole property, this will combat condensation and the associated health risks with mould, plus improve efficiency and energy bills in the long run.
Investing in an efficient ventilation unit will likely save a landlord money too over time, as it will reduce any chances of severe structural issues caused by dampness. You will also be happier, as they will be living in a mould-free, more environmentally-friendly home.
Damp defence options
There are many products on the market that will help to fight and prevent damp from occurring - such as anti-mould washes and anti-mould paints. Anti-mould paints can be used to prevent mould returning, and are a great idea for rental properties.
Invest in good insulation
Since 2018, it became a requirement for all rental properties to have a minimum energy performance rating of E. By improving insulation, landlords can not only help to comply with this law, but also keep the property warmer.
This in turn will encourage tenants to open windows and allow fresh air in, as the warmth will enable them to do so. For sustainable insulation, visit our partner company, SuperFOIL Insulation.
Are you a landlord looking to invest in ventilation? If so, get in touch with our team of experts for free, no-obligation advice.
Mould on your walls and windowsills is not only nasty to look at, but can be a potential danger to your health if not removed quickly. By removing mould as soon as possible, you’re reducing the risks of it spreading even further throughout your home.
It’s also important to consider the longer term solutions too, taking the correct preventative steps to stop the mould from growing in the first place.
As experts in ventilation, we’re sharing our top tips on how to eliminate mould from your home.
Essentially, mould is a fungus that grows on damp materials, and feeds off moisture for its growth. There are many different types and colours of mould - including black, green, brown, grey and white.
Mould reproduces from tiny spores, which float through the air and deposit on the surfaces in the home - most typically, in bathrooms and kitchens. With the right moisture, nutrients and temperature conditions, these spores can form new colonies of mould and spread rapidly.
Black mould is the most damaging of all, as it is the most hazardous to your health. Its spores can trigger an allergic reaction in your immune system, such as coughing, sneezing, irritated eyes and congestion. Those with weaker immune systems, such as the elderly and young children, are at a higher risk.
It’s worth mentioning before you begin, that you should only attempt to clean the mould yourself if you are confident that you have not had an allergic response to it, as this could make your symptoms significantly worse.
Additionally, if you think that your mould is toxic black mould, then this should be removed by professionals. Removing it yourself may result in you coming into contact with toxins during the process - which again, can be seriously damaging.
Once you’ve established that it’s not black mould, you’ll need to pick up a fungicidal cleaner to spray onto the mould directly to kill it off. Most supermarkets or home stores will sell these, making them relatively easy to get hold of.
Examples of suitable products include:
If you’re struggling to find where to buy, start your search at online shopping sites such as Amazon, supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsburys, or home stores like Screwfix.
Household bleach can kill mould on non-porous surfaces like tiles and sinks but, unlike the products above, it doesn’t work as well on porous surfaces such as wood or drywall.
Before you start cleaning, you’ll need three items - your mould spray, two cloths and a bucket of warm water.
When cleaning mould, it is very important to follow the instructions on the pack and this may mean wearing the appropriate protection - such as gloves, eye protection and a face mask if you can, to prevent toxins transferring onto or into your body. We also recommend wearing gloves and older clothes in case you get any of the product on you by accident.
Generally, you’ll need to lightly spray your chosen cleaner directly onto the patch of mould, and wait at least a minute or two for it to work before wiping it away with your cloth. Make sure to rinse your cloth after every wipe, and change the water at regular intervals to avoid spreading more of the mould onto other areas.
After wiping away all of the mould, you’ll need to use your other (clean!) cloth to wipe down all of the walls to remove any residue from your cleaner.
To prevent any further contamination, cloths should be washed immediately after use and dried for a longer time than usual. Ensure that you firstly rinse and soak them thoroughly in bleach or sodium hypochlorite before washing.
Even by using the most effective cleaners and staying on top of any mould that appears on your walls or window sills, this won’t prevent it from returning again in the future. The only way to completely remove the mould from your home is by tackling the root cause of what allows it to grow.
The root cause of mould is the conditions in which allows it to grow and thrive - which includes condensation, dampness and moisture. With this in mind, it’s important to make sure that you have an energy efficient, modern extractor fan fitted in all of your bathrooms and kitchen - as these are the rooms that create the most moisture.
The most effective prevention method is whole-house ventilation. By installing a mechanical heat recovery ventilation unit, this will constantly bring in fresh air into your home, removing the moisture-laden air that contributes to the growth of mould.
It will also create a better airflow throughout the building - reducing the mould’s ability to settle and start to grow, as the air will be constantly moving. The added bonus is that, by using a MVHR unit, you’ll have warm air coming into the property too - reducing your heating bills.
Get in touch with our team of experts today! We can talk you through all of the options available, and help you to make the right choice for you and your family.
Mould in your home can become a danger to your health, and is often a sign that there is a damp problem that needs to be resolved before it causes severe damage to both you and your property.
Essentially, mould is a type of fungus which grows and spreads through microscopic spores that are then released into the air (which means if mould is in your home, then you’re breathing it in!). These spores can travel over long distances until they find somewhere to grow - typically in areas of poor airflow such as windows.
Beware, it only takes a few spores to settle for mould to form - and it will continue to develop until it’s completely cleaned and removed.
Most commonly, you’ll find mould in the dampest places within your home - such as bathrooms. This is due to water vapour being released into the air when we have a bath or shower. If the room isn’t ventilated enough, the vapour will condense and eventually form damp patches.
Condensation is one of the most common causes of damp in the home - and it is this damp that unfortunately provides the perfect breeding ground for mould.
Without proper ventilation, mould will grow due to the build-up of condensation. This typically will occur from regular daily activities, such as drying clothes indoors, showering and cooking - all of which adds moisture into the air.
Another common cause of mould is humidity, and this is the reason that mould is primarily found in kitchens and bathrooms where steam is produced from cooking and showering. This steam then causes more humid conditions in these areas of the home in comparison to other rooms.
If you already have mould in your home, it can spread quickly so you need to act fast! At first, it can be hard to see, but within three weeks, it’ll have spread to a point where you can clearly see these patches on your walls.
As we mentioned at the start of this blog, mould can be very damaging to your health - so please don’t ignore it! Some species, known as ‘toxic black mould’ can be particularly hazardous, releasing chemicals - known as mycotoxins - and need to be removed by a professional.
Those who have conditions such as asthma, and individuals with weaker immune systems, can be greatly affected by mould - so if anyone in your household fits this criteria, it’s even more important to be vigilant.
Typical symptoms as a result of mould includes wheezing, coughing, allergic reactions, sneezing, worsening asthma, respiratory infections and even depression as a result. If you have eczema, it can also make your skin significantly worse.
Mould can be cleaned from surfaces using products found in a supermarket - such as diluted bleach for example - but it will grow back quickly if you don’t alter your living conditions. As long as it is not a toxic black mould, it can be usually wiped off walls with a cloth (don’t forget to wear safety equipment such as gloves and glasses!).
If your mould is particularly stubborn, you may need to use toothbrushes, scrubbing brushes and paint scrapers to help remove it fully. Make sure that you get into the tight spaces too - which is where a toothbrush will come in particularly handy!
Don’t forget to throw away any materials that you’ve done your cleaning with so that the mould doesn’t spread even further throughout the home.
Firstly, if you do have mould, you’ll need to completely get rid of it before thinking about investing in a longer-term solution. Once the mould is completely gone, you can then look into increasing the amount of ventilation within your home.
The best way to reduce your chances of mould within your home is to increase ventilation to reduce the moisture in the air. The most effective way to do this would be to invest in a ventilation system - which will draw in fresh, filtered air from the outside and displace all of that mould-causing moist air.
MHVR units work by extracting the moist and stale air from more polluted sources - such as the kitchen, bathrooms and toilets - and supplies clean air (that is also heated from the warmth of the extracted air) into the home.
Get in touch with our team today for more information or if you have any queries - we’re happy to help!
