Cold temperatures and wet weather can wreak havoc with our homes. Beyond surging energy bills, it can mean more often dealing with condensation, ideally before it can lead to damp and mould.
Knowing how to keep your home warm in winter is more than just ensuring a comfortable environment, it can also be key to avoiding any health-harming issues caused by excess moisture levels. If, like me, you’re concerned about risk this may pose in your home, the good news is that there is a heating trick you can use to ward it off and prevent it from forming in the first place. And it’s definitely something I’m trying this winter.
The heating trick I’m using to prevent damp and mould forming
Experts are agreed that a key way to prevent damp and mould forming in your home is try and maintain a consistent temperature above 18°C, so I’m definitely making sure I follow that logic now that the weather is getting wetter and colder.
‘When it comes to preventing damp and mould, maintaining a consistent temperature of around 18–21°C throughout your home is key, as this helps fight off condensation, which is one of the main causes of damp and mould growth,’ says British Gas engineer Peter Knowles. ‘This is especially important in rooms that contain more moisture like the bathroom and the kitchen, although it’s a good idea to ensure that all rooms receive at least some heat on a regular basis.’
‘The biggest culprits for mould growth are cold spots, such as external walls and windows, where condensation is most likely to form,’ adds Sam Carter, radiator expert at Appliances Direct. ‘In a well-insulated home, the internal walls stay closer to the air temperature, making it much harder for mould to take hold.
‘If your home regularly drops below 16°C, you’re creating the perfect conditions for mould and dangerous black mould to grow.’
Fortunately, achieving this doesn’t mean having your heating on all the time, which I’m definitely keen to avoid as part of my mission to lower my energy bills. Instead, I’ll be using my heating at tactical times throughout the day — for example, first thing in the morning, for an hour in the early to mid afternoon and a couple of hours in the evening. So far this has worked for me.
If you notice your home is struggling to retain the heat you are generating, then it’s worth getting some professional advice, as it may be that you need to remove old insulation and replace it with something new. But make sure you don’t put insulation in the spots that could actually cause damp and mould.
It’s also worth looking for draughty spots around windows, doors and sockets and sealing them up, using something like this draught-excluding tape, which costs less than £5 from Amazon.
I’ve also found radiator reflectors to be really effective at making my home feel warmer (meaning I can set my thermostat lower and save energy).
YANKUIRUI
Draught Excluder Tape
You’ll get two 3m strips in this pack which can help you block draughts around windows, doors and sockets. This’ll not only keep cold air out, but also prevent the heat you are generating from escaping too quickly.
Radflek
Radflek Radflek, 5 Sheet
I bought this 5-sheet pack of radiator reflectors back in the height of the energy crisis and haven’t look back since. This was enough to do all the radiators on external walls in my three-bed home, and my home definitely feels warmer as a result.
Hive
Hive V4 Wireless Heating Opentherm Smart Thermostat
Using a smart thermostat can help you accurately control the temperature in your home. This one is designed to work with combi boilers.
Can you use your heating to get rid of existing damp?
I’m lucky that I’ve not seen any existing signs of damp, but due to some dodgy DIY by the previous owners, it is something I have had to tackle before. If your home is already showing signs of rising or penetrative damp, then there is no heating hack that will solve the problem. However, it can prevent it from getting worse, which can buy you a little more time to get the issue resolved.
‘While keeping your home at a steady temperature won’t remove existing damp, it can help stop it from getting worse,’ says Peter Knowles. ‘Combining consistent heating with good ventilation, such as opening windows briefly each day or using extractor fans, will let moist air escape and reduce the risk of further mould growth.’
What other tricks can help keep damp at bay?
I’ve always found that the best results come from mixing multiple methods, at least that’s definitely been the case with reducing my energy bills. So it makes sense too that while ensuring your home remains a relatively consistent temperature is key to staving off damp, combining it with other methods is a sure fire way to keep your home comfortable and healthy all winter.
So what else can you try?
Keep your home well ventilated
Ensuring good ventilation is vital for a healthy home, but this doesn’t mean you have to leave your windows open all year round. Instead, you need to be burping your home.
‘Ventilation, ventilation, ventilation,’ says property expert and founder of Move iQ Phil Spencer. ‘No, that’s not the title of my new show – even if it does have a ring to it. It is however, the best way to prevent the chief contributing factor to mould – moisture in the house.
‘In summer, we tend to have the windows open a lot, and this creates plenty of cross-draught ventilation which naturally carries moisture outside. As the nights draw in at this time of year, we’re more likely to have the windows closed, and the lower temperatures can cause humid air to form condensation on windows and other cold surfaces.
‘Even if it’s chilly outside, try to open your windows at least once a day to encourage the air to circulate – especially in bathrooms and kitchens.’
Use your extractor fans wisely
Make sure you use your extractor fan if you are doing anything that will create a lot of steam, like showering or cooking. This will pull the moist air out before it has the chance to cause damp.
It’s also a good idea to keep doors closed to prevent the steam from finding its way to other areas of your home. After all there are common household items that are silent absorbers of moisture.
Vybra
Absodry Moisture Absorber
For an additional chance at moisture removal, this Absodry moisture absorber is a firm favourite with the whole Ideal Home team.
Wipe condensation away quickly
‘As winter approaches, colder air temperatures can cause moisture in the air to condense – forming droplets or pools of water on windows, window frames and other hard surfaces,’ explains Phil. ‘If you spot condensation, wipe it up rather than letting it gather.’
For a super-affordable option, this 80p squeegee from Dunelm is a no brainer. You’ll also need a dry cloth or tea towel to wipe away the water residue.
Kärcher
Kärcher Window Vac
For something a bit more substantial that can also make cleaning your windows a doddle, I have this window vac and can confirm it is well worth the money.
Limit the moisture you add to the air
This might seem obvious, but if you want to prevent moisture build up in your home, it’s best to avoid adding to the moisture levels.
Keeping lids on pans while cooking can help, and if you can, avoid drying clothes on radiators. Choosing one of the best heated clothes airers with a cover can be a good shout in winter, when you are left with no option but to dry clothes inside.
Another option is to invest in one of the best dehumidifiers to help you get rid of excess moisture before it can cause damage to your home.
FAQs
Can your home being too cold cause damp?
Yes, your home being too cold can definitely lead to issues with damp and mould, as James Kane from EnviroVent, explains: ‘Every 1-degree change in temperature can impact moisture levels in your home. If the heating in your home is reduced in temperature by just 2 degrees, humidity levels will increase by 10%.’
Keeping track of your home’s moisture levels can help you tackle the issues before any permanent damage is done.
Tapo
Tapo T310 Smart Humidity Meter
Investing in a hygrometer that will measure the moisture levels in your home is well worth it if you are worried about the risk of damp over winter.
If it feels like your home struggles to stay warm, try these home upgrades to ward off the winter chill.
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