Can Condensation Damage Walls

Can Condensation Damage Walls

By Ruth MacEachern

Product Manager

Condensation is a common issue in many homes, especially during colder months. It occurs when warm, moist air meets cold surfaces, such as windows, walls, and ceilings. This process causes the moisture in the air to cool and condense into water droplets. While condensation might seem harmless at first, it can lead to significant problems with damp and even mould if not addressed promptly.

Why condensation forms on cold surfaces

The air in your home contains water vapour that comes from activities such as bathing, cooking and drying clothes. When this warm, moist air meets a cold surface, the temperature drops, and the air can no longer hold as much water. This water vapour forms into droplets on the cold surface.

While condensation is most visible on windows in the morning, it can form on any cool surface including walls and even furniture. While condensation on a non-porous surface such as glass or tiles can simply be wiped away, when the condensation forms on a porous surface, it can soak in to form patches of damp.

How condensation causes damage in your home

When condensation occurs frequently, the resulting moisture can start to soak into the walls of your home. This is particularly problematic for materials like plasterboard, which are porous and can absorb water easily. Over time, the absorbed moisture can lead to several issues:

Damage to Plasterboard

Plasterboard is especially vulnerable to moisture. When it absorbs water, it can become soft and weak, leading to structural damage. The plasterboard may start to sag, crumble, or even develop mould, which can further compromise its integrity.

When a plasterboard starts to fail, you will see bulges form. Plasterboard cannot be repaired, and as such, any damaged sections will need to be cut away and replaced, which can be an expensive process.

Damage to paint and wallpaper

The damp patches where condensation has soaked into a wall can cause paint to bubble, peel, or blister. This not only affects the appearance of your walls but can also lead to further damage as the underlying material becomes exposed to more moisture.

For the same reasons, wallpaper will start to peel away from damp walls, creating an unsightly mess that will need to be redecorated. When redecorating damp affected walls, you may need to strip away the underlying layers of plaster before painting or putting up wallpaper to prevent the problem from recurring.

Mould Growth

One of the biggest problems caused by damp patches is mould growth.

Mould thrives in damp conditions and can quickly spread around your home. Some species of mould release chemicals called mycotoxins that can seriously damage your health, but even mild mould infestations will release large amounts of spores into the air that cause allergic responses.

Mould may need to be professionally cleaned, and affected areas will often need to be redecorated to remove the stains.

Preventing condensation damp

There are steps you can take to reduce the presence of condensation and damp in your home.

Reduce the amount of water vapour being released into the air by avoiding drying clothes indoors, using pan lids when cooking on the stove and keeping bathroom doors closed when using the bath or shower.

Maintain a constant temperature around your home to avoid creating cold spots where the condensation is most likely to form.

Improve your home ventilation by fitting modern extractor fans in bathrooms and kitchens or investing in whole house ventilation such as a Positive Input Ventilation system that draws in dry air from outside to displace the humid air before it can build up.

Get help to stop condensation damp on your walls

Condensation might seem like a minor inconvenience, but it can lead to significant damage if not addressed. Our local ventilation specialists can visit your home to carry out a free survey that will identify the sources of condensation and provide you with advice about the best way to deal with them.  Enter your postcode below to find an expert in your area.