As the UK braces for potential snow, millions of Brits will be preparing to whack that thermostat on high.
But while most will worry about the cost of heating their homes, what many probably don’t realise is serious damp, mould and damage it could cause.
Simple things such as putting your clothes on the radiator to dry can also cause your heating bill to sky-rocket.
Hot air gets trapped under wet clothes which means you can’t warm your house properly, and you can be increasing your chances of getting damp and mould.
BristolLive spoke to Tim Fenner at Bristol’s Timberwise, a company specialising in damp-proofing and property care, about what every day actions may be causing damp and how to prevent inadvertent property damage.
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Tim said: “Condensation is a real problem, and it’s by far the most common form of dampness in homes in the UK. Because of the weather we have it can be difficult to keep the inside of a home warm and dry.
“Especially in winter when people are drying their clothes and trying to keep the costs of heating down and so they keep the house cold and turn on the heating only when necessary.
“The heating goes off and the house cools down. The water that has evaporated when it was warm had to go somewhere and it went into the atmosphere of the house. As the house cools down the water condenses in areas that begin to get damp, which leads to mould.
“The warmer the air the more moisture it can hold, so it’s a particular problem in the winter when people start using their central heating.”
The areas of your house which are usually the most severely affected are the areas with bad air circulation, or things which can collect moisture easily – like curtains and behind furniture such as sofas and wardrobes.
The usual culprit you can find during winter is blackspot mould. Tim explained blackspot mould “is a mixture of water vapour and dust, and everyone can get it. You’ll find it in most houses and it’s pretty harmless at low levels. When the problem increases, when it is at high levels it can be pretty poisonous, and bad for people with asthma or breathing difficulties. We call this toxic mould.”
How to solve the problem
If turning on the heating is causing problems with the dampness of your house and keeping it warm then it seems to be a double edged sword.
We asked for the best advice to avoid damaging to your home- and raking up large heating bills in the process.
Tim said: “It’s all about ventilating a property. One of the best bits of advice I can give you is to open a window at the front and the back of your house for ten minutes a day when the heating is on. You need to let out that moisture-laden air.”
A surprising fact is some well-insulated homes can be the most susceptible to problems caused by everyday activities such as drying clothes on radiators, boiling food on the hob, and hot showers.
Tim added: “A warm and draught-proof home is sometimes the worst for mould, and sometimes having a bit of a draft is actually a good thing.
“It’s not the end of the world to have a bit of a draught in your house.”
The final bit of advice Tim gave was to not keep the house too hot or too cold, because that can increase the chances of damp and heating problems.
“If you have your heating on low and slow all the time rather than hot, cold, hot, cold – it’s actually better for your health and your property,” he said.
So this winter keep the clothes drying in well ventilated areas, keep your radiators free of obstructions, make sure to open your windows regularly when the heating is on, and keep the heating at a low but constant level.
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