How Can I Prevent Condensation in My Home During Summer?

September 1, 2022

Condensation problems at home? You’re not alone – around 1 in 5 households are affected by this plight, and although it tends to be worse in winter, condensation and damp can still be a pain in the summer too.

If you are one of the 20% suffering with condensation in your home, then read on for more tips on how to tackle this problem with ease.

Why does condensation form?

Firstly, it can be helpful to understand why you have condensation in your home to begin with. Condensation happens when the water vapour in the air turns into liquid form, and when it comes into contact with a surface which is a lower temperature (usually a window or other similar surface), it becomes chilled and this results in droplets of moisture.

The warmer the air, the more vapour it can hold (hence why you still have condensation problems in the summer), but the outside temperature is also a factor in condensation build up (much more important in the winter).

Where in the home are you likely to get condensation?

There is water vapour present all over the home, but common places you are likely to see more of it are in the bathroom, the kitchen (especially if you cook a lot without an extractor fan or without lids on the pots and pans), and in the bedroom overnight (as you create warmer, damp air though respiration whilst you sleep).

It can also build up in rooms where you hang wet laundry to dry, without opening a window or using a dehumidifier to draw this excess moisture out of the air.

How can you control condensation at home?

Every problem has a solution, and for condensation the fix is normally better ventilation – giving all this warm, damp air a chance to escape. To tackle condensation at home this summer, here are a few easy tips to try:

Dry clothes outdoors: Try to cut down on the moisture in your home created from laundry by taking advantage of the better weather and drying clothes, bedding and towels outside. If you can’t dry your clothes outside, make sure you have a window open in whichever room you’re using to dry clothes.
Close kitchen and bathroom doors: Simply getting into better habits could help you control condensation at home. Close the doors to the bathroom and kitchen and open windows to improve ventilation, use lids when cooking and ensure your extraction fans are clean and working properly.
Move furniture away from walls: Warm air needs the chance to circulate around the room, so large pieces of furniture pushed against the walls prohibits this. Likewise, drawers stuffed full of clothing can have the same effect, and result in musty smelling clothes.
Heating and insulation: These are still very important elements for controlling condensation, as they will help you to improve the room’s internal temperature. This will prevent the water vapour in the room from condensing, and as long as there is also adequate ventilation in this room you should be able to control your condensation with ease.