Condensation on Ceiling! :(

ftb_deena

Hi all,

I moved into my house in April so have yet so experience the Winter months.... until now.

Today I was woken up by my partner exclaiming something had dripped on his head... Only for us to realise our bedroom ceiling was covered in wet patches.

Immediately thought it was a leak in the loft so got a plumber out and thankfully it's definitely NOT a leak. They told us its condensation 'cold spot' patches.

Just wondering if anyone had any tips that could help us keep these patches to a minimum and to stop them turning mouldy?

Thank you :money:

Niv

Presuming you are on the first floor with a attic above you, have to looked at the depth of insulation above your ceiling? Do you keep a window open / trickle vent open at night?

ftb_deena

Hi Niv,

Thanks! We do have insulation in the loft, but was told by the plumber we could benefit from more. We don't often keep a window open in Winter.

Grenage

Definitely time to up the insulation.


That said, you must have monstrous humidity for that level of condensation on the ceiling. What's it like on the windows?

pimento

Definitely crack open the window a tad. You won't be cold under your bedclothes and it really will make a massive difference.

ftb_deena

It is often pretty bad on the windows in the morning...

Fire_Fox

Some combination of increased ventilation and reduced water production is necessary. We produce pints of water each day between breathing, showering/ bathing, air drying laundry, cooking without lids on pans/ endless tea and coffee.

That water has to be allowed (or forced) to escape your home through doors, windows, trickle vents, kitchen and bathroom fans that are vented outside, or can be sucked up by a good dehumidifier. Most people are shocked how much water a new dehumidifier produces.

If the water is not allowed out, forced out or sucked up the humidity builds until it settles on the coldest surface. Insulate one surface without ventilating more and it will settle on another.

Poor ventilation also reduces oxygen, increases CO2, household chemicals, dust, moulds, bacteria .... The health implications of poor indoor air quality are medically recognised as potentially serious.

Depending on your lifestyle and your home experiment with different ways of airing the place. A short blast through when heating is off anyway can be preferable to opening windows a chink for hours ... or vice versa.

If you hate a cold bed get an electric underblanket. Pennies to run.

Ideally hot wash and tumble dry your duvet and pillows, they have likely got slightly damp without you noticing. That encourages dust mites and mould growth. If duvet and pillows cannot be hot washed and tumble dried air them outdoors for several days. The cold dry air discourages dust mites and mould.

HTH!

Davesnave

Your first mistake from an MSE perspective was to call a plumber, when a few minutes investigation would have revealed no leak.


Of course there might be many valid reasons for your not going into the loft, but unless these relate to disability etc they should be sorted. No one able-bodied should have their loft as a no-go area.


Lifestyle plays a big part when it comes to condensation;as does the number of bodies respiring in the property. Previous owners here had after-market vents through the walls everywhere. We got rid of them. Still wondering why they were there!

Mistral001

Increase the insulation in the loft or make sure that it is properly placed and that there are no missing pieces of insulation. However such condensation is a symptom of too much moisture in the air and fixing the insulation will only be curing the symptom and not providing a remedy. You need to have more ventilation in the bedroom. Either by making sure that any trickle vents in the windows are open or leaving one of the windows slightly open.

[Deleted User]

Condensation is quite a big problem in our homes, and as previously mentioned the amount of water that is created and present in our homes is far greater than you imagine.

I actually buy 'moisture catchers' from the poundshops or b&m but you can make your own version - some suggest placing containers of salt in an area to do the same job.


One thing's for sure, over a course of a month it'll shock you at the volume that's been trapped/caught in one of those little containers

Xplosivgas

I'd be inclined to get a dehumidifier and place it in the hallway / lobby - it'll then regulate the moisture in the air throughout the house. The one I use automatically turns on as and when it's needed. I wouldn't be without it!