Preventing mould, damp and condensation

Condensation and mould are caused by excess water in the home which evaporates and can’t escape. Many homes can be affected by condensation and mould but there are ways to prevent it.

What we can do

If you are experiencing mould in your home, please contact us to speak to one of our customer services officers who will ask questions and might ask you to send in photos to assess the best course of action. Sometimes an immediate visit is necessary, and we will arrange a convenient appointment with you. In most cases we’ll be able to supply you with a free ‘mould kit’ which includes mould solution, paint, gloves and more to help you treat your mould problem.

We’ll ask you to treat it regularly for 6 weeks and if you are still having problems, we’ll send someone out to look into the problem. Depending on the issue there are things we can provide you with or fit in your home to help combat the issue. These range from Passive Air In-take Systems to Mechanical Heat Recovery Units.

Are you elderly or have support needs? Don’t worry, we can come out to treat your mould for you (subject to criteria).

 

Keeping your home efficient

Every home will be fitted with a new boiler every 15 years. These will be fitted by PH Jones and are extremely efficient, making it cheaper for you to run.

 

Do you have an old extractor fan?

Extractor fans are a great way to ensure that rooms most likely to have condensation in are well ventilated, but older fans may not be doing the job. If you have one of these older extractor fans (see below), please email your name, address and photos of your current extractor fan to customer.services@greatwellhomes.org.uk. If you do have an old extractor fan, we’ll be able to install a new, efficient fan to help ventilate your bathrooms, kitchens etc.

What you can do

Heat

  • Heat your home to at least 16° degree during the colder months
  • Don’t block any radiators with furniture or any other large items

!! We know heating your home is very expensive right now, but it is important to keep it on even a low temperature to ensure your home doesn’t get damp or mould. If you’re struggling to pay your energy bills, there are ways we can help and you can learn more here. !!

Ventilate

  • Open air vents on your windows in every room (if you have them)
  • Ensure your extractor fans in your bathrooms and kitchen are on for at least 10 minutes after showering or cooking. Don’t have an up-to-date extractor fan? Do the steps above and we’ll fit you a new one.
  • Ensure furniture and beds are not positioned up against walls – ideally there needs to be room to allow air to circulate around the furniture.

Treat

  • Use our free mould kit to treat your mould (see information above on how to get one)
  • Wipe down condensation on windows in the morning to remove moisture

Try not to:

  • Use your heating only on ‘boost’
  • Tape over your air vents
  • Turn off extractor fans
  • Place damp clothes on radiators – an airer is much better for this
  • Ignore the mould – contact us when you notice the problem

 

VIDEO: How to prevent mould and condensation