Room by room
Each room has its own usual cause of damp, so the fix differs too. Pick the room you're dealing with.
Guides
- Drying clothes indoors without the dampHow to dry washing indoors without condensation and mould: where to put the airer, ventilation, spin speed, and whether a dehumidifier or tumble dryer costs less per load.
- Bedroom damp: condensation on walls overnightWhy bedrooms get condensation overnight, and the free fixes: trickle vents, door gaps, steady heating and furniture placement.
- Damp in the loft, garage or conservatoryWhy lofts, garages and conservatories get damp, how to check for leaks and ventilation problems, and when a desiccant dehumidifier suits.
- Does a recirculating cooker hood remove cooking moisture?A recirculating cooker hood returns filtered air to the room. What a manufacturer says about moisture, and how to find out where your hood's air goes.
The usual suspects
- Bathroom: steam from showers and baths. Run the extractor fan during and after, and keep the door shut.
- Kitchen: cooking steam. Use lids and the cooker hood, vented outside if you have one.
- Bedroom: breath overnight in a closed room. Leave trickle vents open and keep furniture slightly off outside walls.
- Loft, garage and conservatory: cold spaces where surfaces sit below the dew point. A desiccant dehumidifier often suits these better than a compressor one.
- Anywhere you dry washing: a load of wet washing releases a lot of water into the room. Dry it outdoors where you can, or in a closed, ventilated room.
Sources
- Energy Saving Trust advice on condensation and ventilation (Energy Saving Trust), awaiting check
- NHS guidance on damp and mould and your health (NHS), awaiting check