Managing damp and mould
If you have damp and mould in your home it’s important to understand what causes it and what can be done to prevent it.
When warm, wet air settles on a cold surface water droplets are formed. These water droplets are called condensation. You create condensation in your home by cooking, bathing, drying clothes and even breathing.
Condensation and mould are linked, if you do not wipe away condensation it can lead to mould growth.
When moisture collects in an area and does not dry out properly this can lead to damp.
Moisture can be caused through everyday activities like cooking, bathing, drying clothes and even breathing. Moisture can also enter your home from outside, for example from a leak or broken/blocked guttering.
If the moisture has no way to get out of your home, it can lead to damp and mould. It is, therefore, really important to ventilate your home.
Mould is a fungus that will grow wherever there is moisture. Mould can appear as black pin pricks on walls, ceilings and furnishings and usually has a musty smell.
Mould grows as a result of moist conditions. Condensation and damp, if not dealt with, can lead to mould. Mould can spread very quickly and can become extremely hard to get rid of.
Managing damp and mould
Watch to find more top tips to help you manage damp and mould at home.
What should I do about damp and mould in my home?
If you notice damp and mould in your home it's very important to treat it as early as possible before the issue gets worse. It can spread quickly if left untreated.
Severe damp and mould can give your home a musty odour, can be unpleasant to look at and is harder to get rid of.
The best solution is prevention
Mould can be prevented and reduced by following some simple tips in your home:
- Ventilate your home - To prevent moisture from spreading throughout your house, close doors when you’re cooking, having a bath or sleeping. Use extractor fans and open windows slightly to reduce condensation. Move furniture slightly away from walls to make sure air can circulate behind it.
- Reduce the amount of moist air – This is important to reduce condensation and damp. Dry clothes on a drying rack next to an open window rather than on a radiator. If the weather is good, dry your clothes outside on a washing line - request a free washing line here. Put lids on pans when cooking. Fill your bath with 1-2 inches of cold water before adding hot water, to reduce condensation by around 90%.
- Wipe away condensation - This can be on windows and sills, surfaces in your kitchen and your bathroom. Wiping condensation away with a dry cloth will help prevent mould from growing.
Don’t panic if you do find mould – lots of homes have mould, it’s only when it is found in large quantities that it can cause problems.
Can I get rid of mould myself?
If you have small amounts of mould in your home, for example on your windowsills or the sealant around your bath or shower, it’s quick and easy to get rid of it but it has to be done properly to keep your home safe and to stop it from coming back. Get yourself a mould remover kit (other options are available) and follow the simple instructions.
For more information, take a look at our helpful leaflet here.
What if I continue to have problems?
If you have tried to remove the mould and it continues to reappear or get worse, it’s really important that you get in touch. Once mould and damp start to spread it can become a much bigger problem, and it’s important that we make sure that there aren’t repairs that need to be fixed that might be causing the issue.
Damp and mould policy
To find out more about our approach to tackling damp and mould, you can read and download our damp and mould policy here.
How can we help?
Find out more about what we can do to help you with damp and mould.
First, we need you to call us to let us know about the case. If it’s not reported, we won’t know about it and won’t be able to help.
We take all reports of damp and mould extremely seriously and have a zero-tolerance approach to damp and mould.
When you call into the Hub, one of our team will ask you some questions about the condition of your property, for example how big the affected area is, how long has the problem been going on, what do you think is causing it, etc.
This will then be passed to our specialist damp and mould team, who will arrange for either a damp and mould surveyor to come out to your home and carry out an assessment or for a damp and mould specialist to come out to your home and treat the mould.
A member of our damp and mould team will visit your home at the time and date given to you in your appointment confirmation and will assess the property.
They will explain to you what they’re doing and advise you on any issues they find and what the next steps will be.
They might be able to treat the problem during the visit, but they may also need to arrange another appointment to carry out more significant repairs.
We’ll follow up this appointment with a letter to confirm what we did and, if you require another appointment, we’ll let you know what we’re going to do next.
Once all your repairs are completed, we’ll confirm with you in writing the actions we took and that your home is free from damp and mould. We’ll also aim to follow up with you in 6 months to check that your home is still free from damp and mould.
If you continue to have problems with damp and mould, we need you to let us know as soon as possible.
Our Customer Services team will ask you about what was done last time to try and resolve the problem, when the problem returned and if it has got worse.
They’ll then escalate your case to our specialist damp and mould operations team.
Our specialist damp and mould team will get in touch with you to confirm an appointment for a damp and mould surveyor to visit your home at an agreed appointment date and time.
They will look to identify the root causes of the problem and talk you through the next steps and what measures we’ll take to make sure the problem doesn’t occur again.
We’ll follow up this appointment with written confirmation of our next steps and any future appointments.
If your issue continues we’ll allocate you a member of our Customer Liaison Team, who will be on hand to assist with any specific needs and keep you informed of the progress of your repairs.
Once all your repairs are completed, we’ll confirm with you in writing the actions we took and that your home is free from damp and mould. We’ll also follow up with you in 3-6 months to check that your home is still free from damp and mould.
Zero tolerance approach
We’ll work with you to find a solution and give you the support that you need to permanently fix the problem.
We have a zero-tolerance approach to recurring damp and mould issues. We’ll work with you to find a solution and give you the support that you need to permanently fix the problem.
If you need to report problems with damp and mould, you can get in touch with us here or call our Hub on 0345 60 20 540.
