How do I stop condensation?

LJM

ive been told to pop little pots or bowls of bicarb around house as it is supposed to help absorb it

whiteguineapig

Errata wrote: »

What's wrong with a washing line in the garden?

i dry as much as possible outside but i think where we live is against me as well lol
its near the coast and seems to rain more up here than down south

whiteguineapig

i have crystal boxes and crystal hanging things in the wardrobe that i got from lakeland

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

I know you say you don't want to run a dehumidifyer but the small amount you pay for electricity is well worth it.
They not only absorb water but make the air feel warmer too.
For the small amount I pay to run mine the benefits are huge,we live in a solid walled late 1800s house and when we moved in it was mouldy and damp due to condensation.
It's been fine since we used the dehumidifyer every few days.
Its not just in the winter either it sucks in loads of water in the summer too.
Also you spend less on electricity than it costs to repair all the damage damp and mould causes.

taxsaver

You can cut up strips of vileda sponge cloths and lay those on the windowsill. They can then easily be wrung out once they've absorbed most of the water.

Usagi_2

Yes of course we put the washing outside whenever we can- But at the end of the day we live in Scotland in a 1 bed flat... sitting with wet washing hanging around in winter because it has rained for 2 weeks, or the only sunny spells are when we are at work is not on. Or having to sit with the window open in Winter to try and get the damp air out. In general I would not use the dehumidifier in the summer.

We use minimal electricity our place is very insulated (apparently super insulated can cause problems too with condensation), the extra used on the dehumidifier is probably offset somewhat to the less we put the heaters on. I think we only used our heating 6 weeks this winter instead of about 12 in previous years. Much happier to sit with a jumper on now if it is cold, than sitting with cold and damp.

Plus we own our place and any damp that is there is going to show up when we move and not going to be very desirable... will cost a lot more than running the dehumidifier.

We have lent it to several friends who have been flooded etc and they have been very impressed. Don't knock it until you have the river running down your windows, I never believed how bad it could be before we were here.

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

Usagi wrote: »

In general I would not use the dehumidifier in the summer..

We actually run ours more in summer,we can put the dehumidifyer on overnight and it will be full to bursting in the morning despite having the windows open all day long.
This old house only runs on two settings damp and freezing cold in the winter and tropical hot and humid in the summer :rotfl:.
For some reason it gets unbearably humid in here,we were told it was because we have very thick solid walls that absorb water and then take ages to dry out.
Either way though without a dehumidifyer we'd be living with wall to wall condensation by now.
I swear by them and they pay for themselves in no time when you consider how much they save on repairs and redecoration.

Gintotmelinda

Hi all

Usagi you mentioned super insulation can cause condensation. Can you tell me a bit more as we are thinking about taking up a grant offer to have our loft insulated and the depth of insulation seems amazing compared with what we currently have. i am worried about it leading to problems in the loft although ventilation has been promised.

Thanks Gintot

alex21

Our house has double glazing and we still get really bad condensation in the winter. If my son and his friends close the door of the living room(for privacy) and leave the window closed (in depth of winter who can blame them) within a couple of hours the water will be running down not only the window but the wall that the window is on and lifting the wallpaper. Black mould on newly painted ceilings and walls is so depressing.DS's bed is now away from wall to help air circulate as his wallpaper was being ruined It has been much worse since we had fireplace blocked up but we get it all over the house and I wonder if just that could be the reason. Also LL had cavity wall insulation put in about 3 years ago and my dad swears that this is a nightmare and blames everything on it. If I iron using the steamer I have to open the windows and lose what heat we have. I have even bought a thing to cook pasta in the microwave as even with a lid ,10 mins boiling water makes the kitchen really bad. I have those boxes with crystals in every room on the windowsills and they really do not touch the problem.I am dreading this winter. I have been here 16 years and it didn't used to be this bad, only the last two years or so. May have to buy a humidifier. What type should I get for a bungalow?

dandy-candy

I think you have swayed me and I will get a dehumidifier! I do use the garden drier spring-autumn, but in winter even if we're lucky enough to get a dry day my washing just doesn't dry fast enough (if at all) to keep on top of 5 peoples clothing let alone towels and bedding too. Thx Seakay for the hint about getting a dessicant one - I didn't know there were different types