Condensation
What is condensation?
Condensation is the transformation of water from a gaseous state (water vapour) to a liquid state (water). Warm air rises, cools, and loses its ability to contain water vapour, resulting in condensation in the atmosphere.
When warm air full of moisture comes into contact with a cooler wall or window, the warm air is unable to maintain the same quantity of moisture, and the water is discharged onto the cold surface. This can also happen when warm air and cold air meet, causing condensation to develop.
Signs of Condensation
You can easily see the signs of condensation in your home and these include:
- Streaming windows
- Wet walls
- Damp areas on walls
- Peeling wallpaper
- Signs of mould growth
- Musty smell on clothes in wardrobes
Condensation is the most common type of damp, and it can contribute to the development of mould. When the temperature dips below the temperature of the moist air within the property, it forms on inside surfaces. Keep an eye out for condensation, since it may lead to an unattractive, musty property if left unattended. Also, it has the potential to trigger or cause health issues such as asthma and other disorders.
Many people are used to waking up to condensation on windows, especially in the winter, and this is generally the first indicator of a condensation problem. If condensation happens for an extended period of time, further symptoms such as moist patches on walls, peeling wallpaper, and eventually black mould growth will develop.
The Solution
Once we have identified that the problem is Condensation we will advice the best cause of action, this in 99% of cases will be the installation of a PIV (Positive Input Ventilation) unit.
What is a PIV?
PIV is a highly effective cure for condenstation dampness and its associated problems within residential properties. It pushes harmful air out of the home and replaces it with fresh, filtered air, installed in the loft space, with the input vent usually located on the upstairs hallway ceiling.
Positive input ventilation is a highly trusted, cost-effective, and simple solution to ensure clean air flows freely throughout your home, making poor indoor air quality a thing of the past. PIV units are used for a few different reasons, including the displacement of indoor pollutants, including stagnant and humid air. The installation of PIV units is generally recommended if you’re not looking to carry out a full renovation of your home yet require ventilation throughout the dwelling without removing any walls.
The average family produces up to 10 litres of water daily through simple everyday tasks such as cooking, washing, bathing and drying clothes indoors.
New and modern homes are at risk of condensation: poorly heated homes are prone to condensation dampness. In contrast, well-insulated homes with double glazing or insulation can trap moist air inside the house. When it comes to curing damp and condensation, PIV is the most cost-effective whole home system in the market today: that’s why it’s trusted by so many homeowners and landlords across the UK.
How energy efficient is a PIV?
The PIV units we use are incredibly energy efficient; that’s been a big focus for us ever since we invented this enduring and trusted ventilation strategy half a century ago, they take the existing PIV technology a step further, effectively tackling the problem of condensation dampness whilst using up to 20% less energy than other competitors, meaning lower running costs and life cycle costs.
If the temperatures remain warm and moisture is not dealt with promptly, mould will develop. When the temperature inside the home falls, especially at night when the heating is switched off, this happens in thousands of houses across the UK.
When the air can no longer retain all of the moisture that we make in our houses, it migrates to the coldest surfaces in our homes, such as windows and walls, where it condenses.
The Different Types of Condensation
Surface condensation is the most common sort of condensation, and it manifests itself as water on window glass.
Cold Bridge Condensation develops when warm, moist air comes into contact with surfaces at or below their dew point. This often happens at the base of external walls.
Warm-front condensation happens when moist, warm air enters a cold environment.
Interstitial Condensation is caused when warm, wet air diffuses into a vapour-permeable substance, such as fibrous insulation.
Reverse condensation or summer condensation happens when rain soaks a wall and then the sun dries it, the heat may actually drive water vapour into the wall.
Radiation condensation or clear night condensation is a kind of condensation caused by radiation. Condensation can form on the underside of roof coverings if the temperature drops suddenly at night.
Health implications
Damp and mouldy environments in general can cause a host of medical problems, particularly in people who are sensitive to the allergens that moulds produce. Common ailments are sneezing, a runny nose, red eyes and skin rashes, but moulds can also affect the immune system and trigger more serious problems such as asthma attacks. Cladosporium and Alternaria can provoke severe, and even fatal, asthma attacks, and long-term exposure exacerbates the risk. Stachybotrys chartarum causes sick buildoing syndrome, where toxins released by the fungus cause people to feel unwell. The fungus has also been associated with a potentially lethal condition called acute idiopathic pulmonary haemorrhage in infants, but a firm link has not been established.
Who is most at risk?
Babies and young children are at particular risk of health effects from mould, not least because of their small airways. Those with respiratory conditions, such as asthma and certain allergies, tend to be worse affected, as are people with skin conditions, such as atopic eczema, and those with weakened immune systems. A weaker immune system leaves people more vulnerable to fungal infections from spores breathed into the lungs.
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