How can you prevent dampness and mould?

Damp and condensation may become an issue in your house during the colder months. We’ll look at methods for preventing them…

Condensation

The most prevalent reason of dampness in a home is condensation accumulation. It’s critical to inform your renters that they are responsible for preventing condensation in the house.

Once you’ve installed extractor fans in bathrooms, remind renters to turn them on when they bathe or wash their hair. It’s possible that a powered extractor fan that turns on automatically in time with the bathroom light would be worth the investment. You won’t have to rely on your renters to remember to do so if this is the case.

The extractor fans should also be installed in the kitchen above the hob. If not removed, boiling water will produce a great deal of steam that will settle on the walls and windows.

It is important for you as the landlord to advise your tenants to open their windows on a regular basis, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom. They may be hesitant to do so during the colder months, but merely opening windows for ten minutes each day will make a significant difference in the amount of condensation build-up. Remind them that they must close and lock all of their windows before leaving home every day.

In addition, inform your tenants not to put wet clothing on radiators. The water vapour will mix with the hot air and rise before settling on walls and windows. Consider installing a clothesline to encourage your tenants to dry their clothes outside.

Rising Damp  

When the damp course of a property fails, as it does when bricks and mortar are saturated with water from a leaking roof, rising damp occurs. It is your duty as a landlord to repair the structure’s wetness by installing a new damp course. The cost should not be billed to your tenants.

You should seek expert assistance; rising damp is frequently misdiagnosed, and fitting a new damp course might be a needless expenditure.

Penetrating Damp

When water penetrates a home’s external wall or the roof, it will settle inside. This is almost always due to an issue with the structure, such as holes in the roof, leaking gutters, or cracks in the outer render. It’s your duty to make sure these problems are addressed and that the property is safe to live in.

Repairs for wet problems are usually straightforward. Make a note of any locations where damp appears on the outside of your property and find that point on the exterior. You should be able to quickly identify and repair any faults in this region with some simple DIY. Consult an expert surveyor if the problem is serious.

A thorough inspection of the entire structure may be required to ensure that the damp hasn’t grown wet rot, which would jeopardise the structural integrity of your property.

Resolving Damp Issues