Why Damp and Condensation Get Much worse in Winter

Why Damp and Condensation Get Much worse in Winter

By Ruth MacEachern

Product Manager

Do you have dripping windows or, worse, dripping walls?  Have you seen black mould growing around your window frames and on your walls?  These are the tell-tale indicators that your house might be suffering from condensation.  Unfortunately, because of the large temperature differential between the warm interior of your home and the chilly exterior, dwellings are more prone to condensation throughout the winter months.

Wintry weather tempts homeowners to preserve as much heat as possible in order to keep warm, which means the warm air moving around your home has nowhere to go.  Condensation will occur on surfaces below the dew point of the surrounding air as a result of this.

What Causes Condensation in Cold Weather

• Indoor humidity is exacerbated by traditional heating systems such as radiators and fireplaces.  During the winter, households are more likely to rely on these traditional heating techniques to remain warm, resulting in increased moisture production and transmission in the air.
• Radiators may be left on throughout the day to dry clothing and other laundry, however this raises the volume of water vapour in the air.
• In order to preserve heat, homeowners are more inclined to keep their windows closed during the winter.  This ensures that any moisture created by cooking, showering, bathing, or other daily activities will be trapped inside the house with no way to escape.  As a result, moisture in the air will condense and settle on colder surfaces.
• In the winter, draught excluders are sometimes installed in the home as a convenient way to keep any chilly air from the outside out.  Any interior humidity will be confined inside the house once more, resulting in moisture in the air condensing on any surfaces that are colder than the surrounding air.

What you can do to Reduce Condensation on walls in winter

EnviroVent are specialists in solving damp and condensation problems through improved ventilation in homes and businesses.  You can find more advice about the many ways in which condensation on walls and windows is caused, and practical steps you can take to reduce the problem by reading our useful tips on condensation and damp problems.

Condensation can be a major problem for homeowners during the winter.  If the causes of condensation related damp are not addressed, it can cause substantial damage to your property and leave you with a large bill to replace window frames and plasterwork.  If the condensation is allowed to damage wooden window frames, the fibres can spread apart allowing more moisture from outdoors to soak in, which can freeze and cause the wood to split.  Damp also creates an environment where mould and dust mites can thrive.  These can cause major health problems for residents and should not be ignored.

Find out More

Our ventilation specialists can provide a free home survey to get to the root of your condensation or damp problem and provide advice to help you resolve them. Speaking to a specialist before the winter weather worsense your condensation problem means that you will be able to avoid some of the worst issues with condensation this year. Contact us today to speak to your local expert and make condensation a thing of the past.