- Learn how condensation contributes to dampness indoors
- Discover the three main factors that can prevent condensation from forming
- Find ways to reduce mold from forming in your home
High moisture content in your home is often the result of condensation. Condensation can contribute to the formation of damp and moldy conditions. When your living space is high in moisture it can result in various health conditions and illnesses.
There are three main factors that you can control in order to reduce the amount of condensation forming in your home. Keep in mind that you will not be able to completely remove condensation, but you will be able to manage it to prevent mold growing inside your home.
Heating, ventilation and moisture are the key factors you can control in order to reduce the conditions that lead to condensation. In order to fully understand how you can do this, let's take a look at each of these factors individually.
Heating
Ways in which you can reduce the amount of moisture present in your home include:
- Setting interior temperatures in common areas to between 19° and 22°C / 66° to 72°F with bedrooms set to 16° to 20°C / 61° to 68°F
- Have temperature settingsprogrammed to not drop below 15°C / 59°F when the home is unoccupied
- Keep doors closed between cool and warm rooms to prevent warmer air from condensing on the cooler room's walls
- Proper insulation throughout your home will keep walls and ceiling warm reducing condensation
Ventilation
With proper ventilation, moisture can be reduced throughout your home with these suggestions:
- Always have a small window open slightly to create airflow
- Ventilate kitchens and bathrooms when they are being used to move the moisture created from cooking and bathing. Use venting fans that extract the moist air away from the rooms to the outdoors (don't extract the air into the same room, like some kitchen oven range hood fans do)
- Close doors to the kitchen and bathroom when they are being used to keep moisture from going into other rooms, and use the extractor fans mentioned above
- Never block vents in the home as they are designed to move air around the home
- To keep air circulating, do not over fill cupboards or wardrobes
- You can increase ventilation in shelving by cutting a ventilation slot in the back of each unit
- If you are draft-proofing rooms of your home, you may want to also consider how to increase circulation to these rooms. For example, during the warm days, leave doors and windows open to promote air flow and dry out the room.
Moisture
By reducing the amount of excess moisture produced indoors, you reduce the amount of condensation that can form. As well as improving the ventilation in each room of your house as mentioned above, here are some other ways to reduce moisture:
- Install and properly use a small dehumidifier in rooms that have high humidity. Alternatively, you can consider using a whole-house, basement or garage dehumidifier
- Cover boiling pots in the kitchen to keep moisture from escaping into the room
- Dry clothes either outdoors or in a vented dryer and not on radiators
Mold Removal
But what if there already is some mold forming in your home? Well, you are not too late to take control of the situation. However, you will need to remove what has already developed and here is how:
- Purchase a household fungicidal cleaner and wipe down all surfaces that have mold present to remove it
- Each morning, do another wipe down of condensation wherever it forms in your home to prevent further development
- Implement some of the steps above to minimize the build-up of moisture in the air
- If you have taken steps to reduce the moisture but condensation and mold are still a problem, consider placing a dehumidifier in the rooms or living spaces to control the moisture content
Final Thoughts
The key to reducing mold from forming is to remove the damp conditions that allow condensation to develop. By taking control of your home heating, ventilation and moisture you will be able to breathe easier.
Without mold forming in your home, you will make your home a much safer and healthier place for you and your family.
