How to get rid of damp - 8 expert-approved ways to banish condensation and keep mould at bay

If your home is currently suffering from damp and you're wondering how to get rid of it, the answer is to catch the culprit and learn how to stop condensation on walls and ceilings.

Yes, whether you want to stop damp in a bedroom or stop dampness coming through walls, you’ll know just how damaging this excess moisture in your home can be. As well as causing visible damage to your property, prolonged dampness can also affect the health and well-being of the ones you love. Because of this, you don’t want to get to the stage where you have to get rid of mould.

Prevention is always better than the cure, which is why we’ve got all of the information you need on how to get rid of damp. This includes ways to prevent condensation build-up and the small everyday changes you can make that’ll make a big difference.

1. Spot the signs

There’s a big difference between a spot of rain falling through an open window and a home that’s suffering from damp. And the best way to get rid of damp effectively is to inspect your home every so often for the tell-tale signs of damp, such as:

• Musty smell: A damp room has a musty, distinctive scent. As soon as you open a door, you won't be able to mistake it. It may be that your clothes smell musty, too.
• Wall marks: Dark marks on the wall are all signs that you could have damp. Damp can also manifest as discoloured plaster caused by moisture in the wall.
• Lifting or peeling wallpaper: If you find your wallpaper is curling away from the wall, this is likely to be caused by internal moisture, a sign of damp and is a common paint problem.
• Cold walls: If your internal walls are cold to touch this could be a sign of damp forming. Internal walls should be warm and dry to touch if there is no moisture trapped in them.
• Excessive condensation on windows: Condensation around windows is common in winter. However, an excessive amount that never seems to clear is a sign that you could have damp.

2. Determine the type of damp

While you might assume that damp is a one-size-fits-all problem, that’s not the case at all. There are three main types of damp, and all of them differ in terms of cause and severity. Because of this, it’s important to understand what type of damp you have before trying to get rid of it.

The three main types of damp include:

Damp from condensation: The most common form of damp is often caused by poor heating and ventilation. It occurs when activities such as cooking raise the level of humidity in a building. This air condenses on cold surfaces, such as windows and walls.

'The more moisture there is in the air, the more likely it is that you will get condensation', explains Chris Michael, Managing Director, Meaco. 'Moisture in the air comes from drying clothes in the house, boiling vegetables, putting the kettle on, bathing, showering, open flame gas style heating, damp clothing, breathing and the damp British weather.'

Running water on windows is the most obvious signal of condensation, and if left to build up, it can lead to stained curtains, decaying window frames or moulding on paint and wallpaper.

Rising damp: Rising damp is more serious than damp caused by condensation and is caused by water entering your home from the ground up. The moisture travels up your walls through capillary action, and it will always affect the lower levels of your home before potentially rising to the top level.

If left untreated, this rising damage can lead to extreme structural damage and may cost you thousands of pounds in maintenance costs. However, there are some key signs of rising damp to look out for, including rotting skirting boards and flaking paint or peeling wallpaper. So, you should be able to act quickly.

Penetrating damp: Penetrating damp is also something you should keep an eye out for. This is when water enters a building from outside and moves through the walls, often creating stains or mould growth at some distance from the leak. Causes are defects in guttering and pipes, faulty flashings, poor pointing and cracked rendering.

That’s why taking note of the signs of penetrating damp and keeping on top of your home’s maintenance is always so important. In some cases, the cost to replace gutters is much cheaper than repairing cracks or fixing exterior walls.

Chris Michael

Chris has been advising on humidity solutions and dehumidifiers since 1991 and is well known within the dehumidifier industry across the world as a lead on innovation and sustainability. Since the mid-90s Chris has been a guest speaker at numerous conferences to teach museum conservators how to measure relative humidity. With a wealth of experience in the industry, Chris is committed to helping provide low-energy and low-noise solutions appliances that improve the lives of customers.

3. Wipe down windows and sills every morning

As with everything, prevention is easier than working out how to get rid of damp. 'Once damp starts, it can sometimes be difficult to remedy the issues it causes, such as mould growth and structural damage', says Ian Henderson, Managing Director, Boiler Plan.

So, if you want to stop condensation on walls, ceilings and windows, it’s well worth wiping down windows and sills every morning to remove this condensation and stop mould from forming.

You can use kitchen towel, a squeegee or a window vac for this job, but Molly Cleary, Ideal Home’s Kitchen Appliance Editor, swears by the Vileda Windowmatic for window condensation. It might help to occasionally wipe down walls and window frames with a fungicidal wash, too.

If you're removing mould caused by condensation, the NHS recommends that you wipe it away with a cloth dipped in soapy water. When you're done, use a dry cloth to remove any moisture, and throw both cloths away. Be careful not to brush the mould, as this can release mould spores.

4. Ensure proper ventilation

If you didn’t already know, experts have urged homeowners for years to open their windows for at least 15 minutes a day - even in the dead of winter. This allows for fresh air to flow through the house, and this ventilation can be integral in removing dampness and stopping condensation.

This is especially true if you regularly cook steaming saucepans of soup on the hob or every member of your family takes a steaming hot shower each morning, as this steam build-up can cause damp in no time.

'Try to regularly open windows to allow air to move freely and let moist air escape from the property', says Adam Pawson, Marketing Director, Safestyle UK. 'Ventilation systems such as extractor fans can also massively help to reduce the condensation in your homes.'

If you're looking to stop condensation on walls and ceilings in a particular room, you could also consider fitting air bricks. These are bricks with lots of tiny holes in them and can be added to exterior walls, allowing air to pass under a suspended timber floor.

Traditionally made from clay, they are now more commonly made of plastic. Plastic bricks allow for better airflow and are less easily broken. Long term, they will prevent damp and condensation from damaging the floorboards.

5. Buy a dehumidifier

The best dehumidifiers are an essential appliance for any household - especially those struggling with dampness on walls, windows, or ceilings.

After all, dehumidifiers will reduce the level of humidity in the air by sucking in air from the room at one end, removing the moisture, and then blowing it back out into the room again, adding warmth in the process.

It’s important to understand the distinction between getting rid of damp and preventing mould, though. If you already have mould in your home, a dehumidifier will not get rid of it - and you’ll have to take alternative steps to do this. But when you’ve successfully removed it, a dehumidifier can definitely stop it coming back.

Nicholas Auckland, heating expert at Trade Radiators, explains, ‘These machines manually take moisture from the air, preventing condensation from forming. This is incredibly beneficial and will almost completely prevent extreme condensation and therefore mould.’

And you don't have to splash too much cash, either. Although more powerful dehumidifiers tend to be expensive, the best dehumidifiers under £100 can still help to reduce condensation. Of course, you still need to consider the cost to run a dehumidifier - but in some cases, this can be as little as 4p an hour.

Just make sure you’re not making any dehumidifier mistakes when you use it.

Nicholas Auckland

Nicholas Auckland is a heating and energy expert with over 10 years of experience in the industry. Nicholas is dedicated to finding the best heating solutions for every need, as well as optimising energy usage, reducing costs and helping others live with lower costing energy bills.

6. Improve your insulation

Getting rid of damp and preventing the build-up of condensation on walls and ceilings in the future requires various stages - and improving your insulation (or at least inspecting it) is another one of them.

Good insulation is incredibly important, especially if you have cold spots on walls where condensation builds up. Cavity wall, loft insulation and other specialist options can combat damp – though in rare cases, it can also cause it, so always consult with an expert before you start your project.

Dean Taylor, Founder and CEO of The Loft Boys also adds that your loft can have a huge impact on the rest of your house. ‘Having adequate loft ventilation is one of the best ways to tackle loft condensation - this will help to remove warm vapour from the loft prior to it making contact with a cold surface in the loft and forming condensation. You can also find loft insulation which includes a vapour barrier, which can stop any moisture from entering the loft and getting to colder surfaces,’ he says.

You should also consider replacing draughty old doors and windows with double or triple glazing for how to stop condensation on walls and ceilings.

7. Don’t hang your clothes inside to dry

It can be hard to dry your clothes quickly without a tumble dryer, but if you want to get rid of damp you should avoid drying them inside at all costs.

If possible, try hanging clothes outside to dry - even in winter. This will help stop condensation on walls and ceilings in the house. But we also know that this isn’t an option when the heavens open and the temperatures drop. So, consider one of the best heated clothes airers instead.

Just be warned that making heated airer mistakes can hinder your task to get rid of damp, so you need to understand how to use a heated airer effectively to avoid any surprises.

If you do have to leave clothes to dry inside, stick to airy, well-ventilated spaces and position a dehumidifier nearby to suck up the excess moisture. In fact, in the heated airer vs dehumidifier debate, we found that using both simultaneously prevents moisture while drying clothes incredibly quickly.

8. Keep your house warm

We know it can be hard to get rid of damp and stop condensation on walls and ceilings during the winter months, but one thing you can do is keep your home at a steady, warm temperature.

After all, damp occurs when warm air hits cold walls, so by keeping your house warm, the surfaces don't get cold enough to create condensation. But we also understand that in a world of rising energy prices, saving energy at home is something that you also need to consider.

So, you don’t necessarily have to turn on your whole central heating system to keep your house warm. You could make the most of smart heating systems that will learn more and more about your routine and even the draughts in your home to heat your house effectively, or you could invest in one of the best electric heaters or one of the best oil-filled radiators.

What causes damp?

In its simplest form, damp is caused by condensation. As the temperature falls, condensation rises, creating moisture on windows each morning which will eventually cause mould and damp.

'You will first start noticing droplets creating around the edges of your windows and then small black dots could start appearing around the window and spread towards the ceiling', says. 'Those are the first signs of mould creating and you should act immediately.'

But that's not the only cause of damp. Leaking pipes, wastes or overflows might be the culprits, often intensified by a lack of cavity wall insulation. Rising damp that comes up from the ground is commonly caused by having a damaged damp-proof course, or no damp-proof course at all. Or there could be water penetrating from outside because of a missing roof tile, leaking window frame or blocked gutter.

'Anything involving heat will help kill off any bacteria,' advises cleaning expert, Matthew Harrison from Price Your Job. 'Therefore using a steam cleaner is an effective way to kill mould that is present, as it will penetrate the surface and kill 99.9 per cent of bacteria and germs.'

'However, using steam on mould will not kill an ongoing mould issue, as it does not get to the root of the issue. To prevent future mould problems, you should consider draught proofing and other jobs which will prevent moisture from entering your home.'

FAQs

How to dry damp walls quickly?

The most effective way to dry damp quickly is to remove the excess moisture from the air and improve airflow. So, open up your windows and doors to circulate the air and allow fresh air in (you can also use a fan to do this), and then use a dehumidifier to remove the moisture.

However, it’s important to understand why you have damp walls, as drying out the damp walls quickly might not solve the issue if you have a structural issue or damage that is causing the damp. So, always inspect your home further when you spot the first signs of damp.

How to find where damp is coming from?

If you’ve spotted signs of damp, look around that same general area - both inside and out - for any leaks or damage. In some cases, it may be as simple as a broken window seal, but in more severe cases, it may be the result of penetrating damp or exterior damage.

Damp can make its way into your house in many ways, so inspect the area for cracks, holes, leaking pipes, or anything else that could result in excess moisture build-up in your home. If you can’t spot anything and the damp continues, it’s best to consult an expert.

Well, there you have it. That’s how you get rid of damp and condensation.