If your home is damp this can cause mould on walls, window frames, furniture and your personal possessions.
Damp and mould make your home uncomfortable. If left untreated, they can also pose a serious risk to your health.
These pages explain:
- the types and causes of damp
- what condensation is and how you may be able to take steps to reduce condensation in your home
- how to get rid of mould
- how to get help dealing with damp and mould
Types and causes of damp
Most homes will be affected by damp at some point.
The most common type of damp is condensation. This is caused by too much moisture in the air. It happens mainly during cold weather and is the most likely cause of black mould in your home.
Rising damp is caused by a defective damp proof course or because there is no damp proof course. It is the result of water rising from the ground into your home. Rising damp only affects basements and ground floor rooms and usually leaves a tide mark low down on the wall, less than a metre from the floor.
Mould will rarely be seen with rising damp, and only in the early stages of the problem.
Penetrating damp is the result of water seeping through an external wall into your home – for example, because of a missing tile or slate, spilling from a blocked gutter or water penetrating around window frames. It can also come from a leak from water or waste pipes inside your home.
This type of dampness gets worse after rain or using water in your home. It usually appears as a damp patch which looks and feels damp to the touch. Mould is rarely seen on areas of penetrating damp.
