Peter Taylor wrote:
Robin Smith wrote


I suppose that it may be general consequence
of the poor design of what is a converted house rather than a purpose
built flat.


Robin, in what way you think the design of your flat is poor?

If you're hanging out clothes to dry indoors, and your washer-dryer is
evaporating all the moisture that it doesn't pump down the drain and then blows
the vapour all over the flat, what do you honestly expect? As a building
designer I can (at grossly uneconomic cost) insulate every surface so that
condensation is less likely to form, but without ventilation the vapour will
then just build up and up in the air until it reaches saturation point like a
steam bath, and then you'll have *everything* going damp and mouldy. The vapour
has to be able to escape out of the building.

Yes, the builder should have ideally put in an extractor fan, and if it's
controlled by a humidistat so much the better. But I don't think this will
solve it completely. You have to play your part as well by airing the flat as
often as possible - it's vital you open a window when you have a shower, or when
you're using the tumble drier or drying clothes, so that the vapour can escape
and ultimately return to the sea from whence it came )

All the best
Peter


Yeah, have to agree somewhat with this. Downstairs has the same sq
footage as me, drylined like mine (previously it wasn't) and part dg
(I'm fully, apart from front door). They have a huge condensation
problem even on the dg windows. I don't. I have a window cracked open
almost permanently, and open others as necessary depending on what I'm
doing.

I dry clothes inside, though I do put some through the condensing
washer/drier (which is why there's no vent for it, it condenses
internally then gets pumped out the normal washing machine drain, just
for info) when there will be more needing drying space than I have space
for.

I have quite a lot of plants, which pushes up the humidity indoors. I
also have a fish tank, which can evaporate reasonable quantities of water.

Yet because the place is rarely sealed up tight (the kitchen window is
almost always open slightly) I only get condensation on the windows if
it's very very cold outside and I've been creating a lot of steam
(cooking, normally) - and even then it's not a lot.

The trick is to open the windows you need open when you're creating the
damp. Open the windows during cooking (it really doesn't get THAT cold
if you have them open just a bit, but makes a big difference to the
amount of damp in the air), don't shut the place up totally if there's
lots of damp washing, etc.

Velvet