FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

If you’re confronted with dampness and timber problems for the first time, remember that many other home owners will probably have had to deal with them as well, so here’s how you can benefit from their experience – by browsing through the questions we are most frequently asked.

If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, then go to our ‘Ask the Experts’ page and let us help you on a one-to-one basis.

I have black damp/mould marks on my walls - in the kitchen and living room (end wall of house and front of house). 2 bedrooms have started to get white marks which are again on the end wall of house and the back of the house. I try to keep the windows open as much as I can. Does this sound like condensation? My windows are always wet through. Would a dehumidifier sort this out?

This certainly has all the hallmarks of a serious condensation problem. You are right to try andÿventilate roomsÿbut this alone is clearly not enough. Yes, a dehumidifier may help locally in a specific room butÿthe problem you describeÿcallsÿfor a whole house solution and for this we would recommend theÿinstallation of a positive input ventilation unit, either loft mounted if you have a roof space or else wall mounted if it's a flatÿor apartment. This will push warm, dry air around the whole property and help to eliminate condensation.

It may be necessary, dependingÿupon the house design, to supplement this with extract fans in the high humidity bathroom and kitchen areas.

For more information download our condensation controlÿleaflet for homeowners.ÿÿ