Phase 3 Interior & Exterior Finishing
I
t’s a delicate balance to maintain the ideal
humidity in our homes, and many everyday
activities create a build-up of moisture which
can then be absorbed into the walls, effecting
not only the integrity of the structure, but
also our health.
From showering and washing up, to boiling
kettles and drying laundry, it can feel like an
impossible feat to prevent mould, mildew, damp
and condensation building up in your home.
What’s more, newly built properties tend to have
excellent levels of insulation. Whilst this is great
for keeping you warm in the winter, it’s not ideal
for ventilation and that’s when excess humidity
can build up.What are the signs of
humidity within the home?
One of the main signs that your home is
suffering from too much moisture is damp and
condensation appearing on walls, curtains and
windows. This then causes mould to grow, which
not only looks unsightly but has an unpleasant
odour too. The interior décor of a property mightalso be affected, with paint peeling and f laking,
and paper coming away from the wall. As soon
as that damp and condensation appears, it is
important to tackle the problem straight away,
before it develops and becomes more difficult
to resolve.What causes high levels of humidity?
Poor ventilation causes moisture to linger.
Most households are on a regular cycle of
bathing, cooking, washing and cleaning, all of
which uses gallons of hot water, creating steam.
If nothing is drawing the moisture outside,
such as open windows and vents, then it’s not
surprising our properties suffer. Drying clothes
outside during the cold, wet winter months in
the UK is incredibly difficult and unsurprisingly,
we are more likely to leave our laundry to dry
inside. This is a major source of excess moisture.
Typically a 3.5 kilograms washing load after a
1000 spin cycle returns 1.5 kilograms of excess
water. This water does not simply vanish, and is a
common cause of excess damp and condensation.
This is the kind of problem a dehumidifier isdesigned to tackle and can be a valuable asset
for any laundry room.What does a dehumidifier do?
A dehumidifier can help prevent damp and
condensation by keeping the humidity levels
under control, as well as potentially assist with
drying laundry indoors. They do this by drawing
excess moisture from the air.What size dehumidifier do you need?
Different dehumidifiers can be used for
different sized homes, so make sure that you
pick a model that will best suit your home size,
as well as the severity of the problems you are
facing. As a rule of thumb, the following provides
an accurate guide:- Small house with 1-2 bedrooms: 10 litre
- Medium house with 3-4 bedrooms: 16 litre
- Large house with 4+ bedrooms: 20 litre
http://www.dimplex.co.uk
@DimplexUKNick Paul, Product Manager at Dimplex, provides
expert advice on preventing damp and condensationHUMIDITY
IN THE HOME