There are not many homes that will not suffer from damp or mould at some stage. During the winter months, preventing damp and the build-up of moisture in a home can be a headache. Second homes are particularly susceptible to this problem, especially when left vacant for long periods. Valuable and cherished possessions risk being damaged. Even if a property is regularly lived in, some properties habitually suffer from damp, due to their location (perhaps built against the side of a hill) or age, posing a risk to possessions.
As the temperature falls, condensation rises, creating moisture on windows each morning, which will eventually cause mould and damp. Condensation is particularly noticeable in conservatories, which can be dripping with water at this time of year! Just turning up the heating in the winter will not get rid of condensation. A damp property means damp air, and raising the heating thermostat will only heat up the wet air molecules, rather than raise the room temperature.
This is where a dehumidifier comes in. Dehumidifiers quite simply are appliances that remove excessive moisture and humidity in the air. It will reduce the level of humidity in the air, by sucking in air from the room at one end, removing the moisture, and then blowing it back out into the room again, adding warmth in the process.
Amy Cutmore from Ideal Home, has recently published an article about how to deal with this seasonal problem, with expert commentary from Chris Michael, Managing Director of Meaco. She looks at: What causes damp, What type of damp you might be suffering from, and ideas on how to deal with it.
You can read the full article here: https://www.idealhome.co.uk/project-advice/how-to-get-rid-of-damp-185033
She touches on:
- Condensation: the most common form of damp, often caused by poor heating and ventilation, and from cooking
- Rising damp: when water enters a structure from the ground
- Penetrating damp: when water enters a building from outside and moves through the walls (a leak from the chimney stack, a leaking gutter perhaps)
Amy gives suggestions on how to handle this:
- Fungicidal sprays
- Opening windows, however, this not always feasible in cold wet weather!
- Deal with steam from cooking
- Insulate
And finally, another great tip is to invest in a dehumidifier, such as the Which? and Best Buy 2016/17 Meaco DD8L Zambezi Dehumidifier.
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Products featured: Meaco DD8L Zambezi
