Condensation and Ventilation Problems

Independent Building Surveyors can help

We are knowledgeable and experienced independent Surveyors and if you need help and advice with regard to building surveys, full structural surveys, structural reports, engineers reports, defects report, dilapidations, schedules of condition or any other property matters please free phone 0800 298 5424.

Compare our website and compare our surveys

Have a look around our website 1stAssociated.co.uk to check out the quality of our website and Schedules of Condition and Dilapidation reports. We pride ourselves on our professional standard and easy to read reports which we have been carrying out for many years on every age, type and style of property across the UK.
	Condensation from shower

Our Executive Summaries make things simple which is why we have a Good, Bad & Ugly section in our Surveys!

Furthermore we would also like to introduce to you what we call our Good, Bad and Ugly survey which is a building survey, sometimes known as a structural survey, and is something that we have fine tuned over many years, in fact several decades. We have listened to feedback from our clients and amended and altered our structural surveys to make them easy to read and describe property issues clearly. The key factor we believe is that our surveys are easy to understand in plain English.

In our building surveys what do the circles and ovals

mean?

In our building surveys and structural surveys the circles and ovals are a system that we used to draw attention to property problem areas so that you are not left wondering what the property issue is. In addition to this if the survey photographs do not we believe explain the property problem enough together with our survey report we also add in one of our own survey sketches.
	Black mould on walls

Ventilating a house and home

We have recently come across a venting system via HomeVentilation.co.uk with their website saying that their Award winning ventilation products create healthy, fresh and ideal indoor environments free from condensation and mould. EnviroVent HomeVentilation.co.uk also say that they can provide you with a permanent solution to solve all your mould woes through our innovative range of ventilation solutions. With over twenty five years of successful mould busting across the UK, EnviroVent's energy efficient Mr Venty products provide an all year round healthy indoor environment free from condensation and mould.

Location of unit on landing This particular unit was located in the ceiling section above the landing.
	Vent located in ceiling above landing

When we went into the roof space the unit looked like this.
When we come across something new such as this device as a Surveyor we tend to stick to items that we know and understand particularly items that have been in use for years. Typically we draw on our knowledge of problems that we see in properties of all ages, types and styles.	Vent system

We would welcome feedback from anyone using this type of device.

Please see our property articles on:-

Why you have never seen any building surveys or structural surveys like ours

Why have a residential survey?

The Condensation problem

We will start by commenting about condensation. Condensation is a very big problem in some house and some particular eras of properties seem to suffer from condensation more than others but equally there are occupier lifestyle factors that need to be thought about and considered.
	Vent system

One of the recommendations we are forever advising in most houses is that good quality large, humidity controlled extract fans are fitted within the bathrooms, kitchens and moisture generating areas. There can be so many problems generated from these humidity producing areas.
	Roof vents

Other condensation problem areas

There are other areas where condensation is likely for example where the warm air meets the cold air within the roof space. With increased insulation levels this type of condensation is becoming more common and is why we vent roofs. Ventilation in the roof space is not so obvious to see with a modern breatheable protective underlayer but in years gone by we used to literally have a venting tile.
	Vented tile

The other way to vent roofs in older properties tends to be via air vents to the fascias and soffits. This ventilation allows an air movement within the roof space and thereby reduces the chances of condensation.
	Fascias and soffits and ventilation

Back to the EnviroVent ventilation system

The EnviroVent ventilation system certainly makes sense what they have created with an extract system that removes moist air. It may be that the installation of this device within the landing was considered a secondary measure on top of the extract fan that was already present in the bathroom.
	Unit vented to room below

Just because there is an extract fan does not mean that the extract is sufficient or that it is used

We would just comment on the use of extract fans as we know from personal experience that if the extract fan is not handy then it does not tend to be used. By handy we mean it could be turned on when a light is switched on or it could switch itself on with a humidity control. However where extract fans are left down to a human being to switch on often means that extract fans are simply not switched on.

We are keen on any extract system that is automatic and works on its own as long as the system does work.

Are extract fans extracting properly?

We have recently surveyed a flat where the extract system is not working properly. This is a property problem that we come across frequently with the extract systems simply not doing their job and the extract system just goes into the roof. This will cause condensation problems so a very basic check is to check that your extract system does actually extract to outside air.
	Poor extraction. Test carried out using paper to see strength of extract fan

Independent Building Surveyors

If you truly do want an independent expert opinion from an Independent Surveyor with regard to building surveys, structural surveys, structural reports, engineers reports, specific defects report, dilapidations or any other property matters please contact 0800 298 5424.

We are happy to email you examples of our structural surveys

If you are interested in having a Structural Survey we can email you examples of our structural surveys please call us on free phone us for a friendly chat on 0800 298 5424.

Commercial Property Surveyors

If you have a commercial property, be it leasehold or freehold, then you may wish to look at our Dilapidations Website at www.DilapsHelp.com and for Disputes go to our Disputes Help site www.DisputesHelp.com .

Surveying articles

We hope you found the article of use and if you have any experiences that you feel should be added to this article that would benefit others, or you feel that some of the information that we have put is wrong then please do not hesitate to contact us (we are only human).

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