Maintaining your home can seem like a neverending battle, from woodworm to mold, there are so many issues that can crop up ad jeopardize the health and safety of your home and the people who live in it. That’s why it is important to be proactive about taking care of your home as best you can.
One very common problem that it is particularly important you keep on top of is condensation. Once your home has lots of condensation, then it is only a matter of time before damp and mold follow and your home is less safe than it once was.
Below, you will find some simple measures you can do to keep your home (mostly) condensation free and ensure that it is a healthy environment for you and your family to stay in.
Open the windows
Even in the winter months, it is important that you open the windows in your home every day, even if just for 15 minutes every morning and evening, ventilation is the most important part of keeping condensation at bay and opening your windows to let fresh air circulate is undoubtedly the best way to achieve good ventilation in almost any space you can think of.
Use extractor fans
If you do not already have extractor fans in your kitchen and bathrooms, then install them asap, and once you have them, make sure you use them whenever you are cooking, showering or taking a bath. This will ensure that any excess moisture produced by cooking or showering is removed from the property asap, which means it is far less likely that any significant amount of condensation will have time to form.
Fix leaks fast
The more moisture there is in your home, the more chance there is that condensation will start to form. So, if you notice a leak in your property, even if it is a minor one. Such as a dripping tap, then you need to deal with it fast. Call in the best plumbers you can afford and have them patch up any leaks before condensation, as well as mold and damp patches can form on your property and it will save you tons of time and money in the long term.
Line dry clothing
If you are permitted to do so in your neighborhood, then line drying your clothes outdoors is a good measure to help stave off condensation. When you dry clothing indoors, then the moisture contained within the wet garments is released into the air, and this can cause condensation to form very quickly, which is why drying outdoors is a good idea.
If you must dry indoors, then doing so in an enclosed laundry room with an open window and closed door will minimize the amount of moisture released into your home’s air, which will help to keep condensation from forming too.
Use a window vacuum
These days, you can buy window vacuum cleaners very cheaply. If you have noticed that your windows get a lot of moisture building up on them, especially in the cooler winter months, then using a window vac is a good way to keep condensation at bay. You simply use the vacuum to suck up any water that is formed on the windows and then empty it down the sink so that the moisture cannot cause your problems inside the property.
Use a dehumidifier
Running a dehumidifier in your home is also a sensible measure to take if you want to prevent condensation from taking hold, It will pull moisture out of the air where it can do harm to your property and enable you to dispose of it safely. It is also pretty good at getting rid of allergens like dust and pollen in the air too, so if your family has allergies, it is an especially useful gadget to have available.
Pull furniture off the walls
If your furniture is pushed right up against the walls of your home, it would be a good idea to pull it out a little so there is a bigger gap between wall and couch or bookcase or whatever. This will make it easier for air to circulate around your home, and when that happens, walls are less likely to suffer from condensation or a buildup of mold, which could cause you significant health problems, as well as problems to the structure of your home, if left unchecked. Even a gap of a couple of inches will be better than nothing.
Unblock vents
If you have air vents and chimneys in your home, then you need to ensure that they are as clean and unblocked as possible, again, so that the air in your property can flow more freely and allow proper ventilation of your home to take place. Having a professional come in and clean them once or twice a year is probably the best way to endure they are in good shape, but of course, you can do them yourself if you have some basic DIY knowledge and the right tools for the job.
Keep your home warm
In the cooler months of the year, you really do need to ensure that you are heating your home regularly to prevent condensation and damp from taking hold Heating your home to at least 35 degrees is likely to be enough to stave off condensation and help to keep you and your family healthy too, and if possible, keeping the temperature constant is a good idea as sudden changes in the warmth of the air can cause problems.
Repair the roof
If your roof is in bad shape, a leak is likely and leaks lead to damp, condensation and worse, so get it fixed asap.
Condensation is always a threat to your home, so it is important that you do all of the above regularly if you want to keep your home free from condensation and the problems, like mold and dampness, that it can bring with it, but as long as you do the above, you should be good.
