Damp and mould

Damp can cause mould or mildew on walls, furniture and even clothing. It is unpleasant, not nice to look at and can be bad for your health.

Our aim is to eradicate – as far as is possible – damp and mould from our homes. But to do that we need to work with you. In this leaflet we look at the different causes of damp and mould and suggest what we can do as landlord and resident to solve the problem.

Working out what is causing the problem

The reasons for damp and possibly mould growth arising are: leaks, structural damage, inadequate ventilation/heating and condensation. It is important for us to work out which of these is the main cause so we can adopt the most effective course of action.

What will we do if you report damp and mould?

The first thing we will do is to ask you to try some preventative measures for a 6-week period. The reason we do this is that around 1 in 5 cases of damp and mould can be solved with this approach and it is helpful to eliminate it as a cause. We have included some of the main tips overleaf. If, at the end of this period you still have a problem, contact us again and we will arrange for someone to come round to your home to investigate.

How to reduce condensation

Condensation appears when moist air touches a colder surface. This
can be a window, external wall or even a mirror. It also happens when
the air cannot move which is why you can find it behind furniture or
inside wardrobes.
There are 4 key things we can do to reduce condensation in our homes:

• Produce less moisture – tips include putting lids on pans when cooking, drying clothes outside if you can and venting your tumble dryer to the outside.
• Let the damp air out – use extractor fans if you have them, keep kitchen or bathroom doors shut and open the window so steam goes outside. Trickle vents and a gap between furniture and walls, keeps air moving and fresh. To keep air moving, keep a gap between furniture and walls.
• Heat our homes a little more – while you don’t want to be wasting money on heating, having heating on low in rooms you don’t use very much will help prevent them becoming damp.
• Insulate and draught proof them as much as we can – draught proofing will help keep your home warmer. When the whole house is warm, condensation is less likely to form.

First steps in dealing with mould

Wipe down areas with a fungicidal wash (not bleach or washing up liquid). Look for one with a Health & Safety Executive approval number. Spray onto the cloth, not the affected area. You can also paint areas with fungicidal paint. Please let us know if you are struggling to afford this.

What we are doing to eradicate damp and mould

We have been researching with residents the issues they face and installed temperature and humidity sensors in some homes to monitor issues. We have collected data on our homes to plan for future investments which will include works to minimise the likelihood of damp and mould problems.

If you have an issue with mould or damp, call us on 0300 2000 120 or email customerservices@wandle.com.