How to stay safe at home: Mould and condensation guide
Read our guide to help keep your home healthy and free from mould and condensation.
Help keep your home healthy
The Scottish Housing Quality Standard requires Tenanted homes to be kept free from serious disrepair and meet standards regarding their condition. Penetrating damp can be caused by water coming through external walls or the roof. It can also be caused when there is an internal leak or plumbing problem or rising damp from under the ground floor. Where penetrating damp is found in a Tenanted property we will carry out an inspection and ensure repairs are carried out to resolve any issues.
There is always some moisture in the air, even if you cannot see it. If air cannot circulate or gets colder, it is unable to hold all the moisture in the air and tiny drops of water can appear. This is condensation which can build up and cause mould to form on cold surfaces.
Moisture and condensation are caused in the home by carrying out everyday tasks such as drying wet clothes, cooking and showering, which can cause mould to form in the damp environment if a home is not adequately heated and ventilated.
- Close internal doors when you cook or shower and always open windows in the rooms to allow the moisture to escape outside
- Avoid drying wet clothes over radiators, or by hanging them on internal doors or on stair bannisters. Moisture from the clothes will settle on the walls and windows and result in water forming.
- If you must dry clothes/towels in your home, use clothes-driers in well-ventilated rooms.
- Leave a gap between furniture and external walls to allow heat and air to circulate.
- Open windows throughout the day when you can to ventilate the rooms and keep any vents fitted open and clear to allow moisture to escape and air to circulate.
- Wipe down windows and cills in the morning if condensation has formed. This can be caused by moisture in the room settling on the glass or hot air meeting the cold glass of the windows. Using small vents fitted in windows to circulate air at all times will also help reduce condensation.
- Fungicidal wash and paint products can be used to treat mould caused by condensation.