The Damp Buster

The Damp Solution Specialists

How do I stop damp in my wardrobe?

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how do i stop damp in my wardrobe

In this article we will be looking at how you can stop damp in your wardrobe. This will include how the damp usually forms. As well as the differences between damp in a fitted wardrobe and damp in a free standing wardrobe.

There are a few things you can do to stop damp in a wardrobe. The first thing you will need to do is improve air circulation and ventilation. This will allow air to circulate inside the wardrobe and avoid condensation forming.

The second thing you can do, is trying to avoid high levels of humidity in the room. Again, this will come down to ventilation and allowing air to circulate throughout the room.

The main reason that wardrobes become damp, is the air is unable to circulate. This means that moist air becomes trapped and settles on the inside surfaces of your wardrobe. This causes damp and will eventually lead to mould forming.

fitted wardrobe or free standing wardrobe

How you deal with the damp in your wardrobe, will depend on the type of wardrobe you have. Are your wardrobes fitted? Or are they free standing wardrobes that you can easily move?

Both types of wardrobe can suffer from poor circulation and ventilation. Because of this, both types can suffer from condensation and moist air being trapped inside the wardrobe. However, fitted wardrobes may cause more problems than free standing wardrobes. This is mainly because a free standing wardrobe can be moved, whereas fitted wardrobes are fixed in place.

One of the most common ways that condensation forms, is when moisture meets a dew point. A dew point is a cold surface that naturally attracts warm moist air. For this reason, you should check whether your wardrobe is placed up against a cold external wall.

if you own a free standing wardrobe this can be easily moved away from cold exterior walls. On the other hand, if your wardrobes are fitted on a cold wall this could be more problematic.

Easy fixes for a free standing wardrobe

If you have a free standing wardrobe, you will often find that you get damp and mould on the back inside surface.

You may also notice the damp and mould begins to form behind your wardrobe. You can easily stop the latter, by slightly moving your wardrobe away from the wall. This will allow air to circulate better, which will mean there is less chance of condensation settling on the wall.

Also, as we mentioned before, if the wardrobe is against a cold exterior wall simply move it to another wall in the room. The combination of a larger gap behind the wardrobe, and being placed on a slightly warmer wall, should stop damp and mould from forming as easily.

What if your fitted wardrobe is on an exterior wall?

If you have a fitted wardrobe on an exterior wall, in most cases you can’t just move it to another wall. your wardrobe is fitted in place and is usually designed for the area is fitted in. However, if it is fitted on a cold exterior wall you will have the same problem. The cold surface will form a dew point, which makes it easier for condensation to form.

Most fitted wardrobes will have a small void between the back of the wardrobe and the wall itself. One solution could be to remove the wardrobes and place insulation behind the back panels. By adding some insulation This should increase the temperature of the back surface, meaning it is no longer a dew point.

You could also consider painting the back wall with an anti mould damp proof paint. This should help to avoid mould forming in the future.

Obviously, you will need to make sure that all mould is removed from the surface. Once this has been done, you can add a coat of anti mould paint and then place insulation. Following this, you can fit your wardrobes back over the newly insulated wall.

Ways to reduce condensation in your wardrobe

As we already know condensation forming is the result of three things:

  1. Excess moisture and humidity in the air
  2. Poor ventilation and air circulation
  3. A cold surface the condensation can form on (a dew point)

As we have already discussed, a cold surface at the back of your wardrobe (also known as a dew point), makes it very easy for condensation to form.

However, for condensation to form there needs to be excess moisture in the air. Therefore, the second thing we need to do is reduce the amount of moisture and humidity in the air.

The best way to reduce moisture in the air is via decent ventilation. This can be achieved in several ways. Firstly, we need to make sure the room itself is well ventilated. This can be as simple as opening a door, or occasionally opening the window. Both actions will allow moist air to escape from the room.

Below are a few more things that you can do to improve circulation, and lower air humidity in your room and wardrobe:

  1. Use a dehumidifier – A dehumidifier can be a great way of extracting moisture from the air. A good dehumidifier can remove a significant amount of moisture. Larger models can remove as much as eight litres per day. The size of dehumidifier you choose will usually depend on the size of the room that it will be placed in. You can read more about how dehumidifiers reduce damp here

  2. Regularly open the doors of your wardrobes – Leaving your wardrobe doors closed all the time does not allow any air to circulate inside. By regularly opening them, you will allow trapped moisture to escape and fresh new air to enter the wardrobe.

  3. Add air vents to your wardrobe – Adding an air vent to your wardrobe is another way you can help air to circulate. This can be beneficial in both fitted and free standing wardrobes.

  4. Avoid overfilling your wardrobe – Whatever you are putting in your wardrobe, overfilling it is Guaranteed to reduce air circulation. If your wardrobe is packed full of clothes or other items, it will be much easier for damp and mould to form.

  5. Fully dry clothes – If your wardrobe is mainly for storing clothes, you should make sure that the clothes you place in the wardrobe are completely dry. Adding additional moisture inside your wardrobe in the form of wet clothes, will increase the chance of mould forming.

Conclusion

As we mentioned, the main reason for condensation and damp forming, is moisture in the air and poor ventilation. This will usually result in condensation forming on cold surfaces with poor air circulation.

For this reason, there are things you will need to do, to avoid damp in your wardrobe. Firstly, you need to remove moisture from the air, and secondly you need to improve ventilation and air circulation.

If you can get these things right, damp in your wardrobe should become a thing of the past.

How do I stop damp in my bathroom? 5 ways to reduce bathroom damp

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how do I stop damp in my bathroom

In this article we will be looking at how you can stop damp in your bathroom. This will cover why bathrooms are more prone to damp, as well as some quick tips to reduce condensation damp and mould.

So how do you stop damp in your bathroom?

To stop damp in your bathroom you need to improve ventilation and air circulation. This will stop the moisture that is created from settling on surfaces and creating condensation damp.

You can do this by allowing moist air to escape from the room. This can be achieved by something as simple as opening a window or fitting an extractor fan.

If you don’t have an extractor fan, you could use a dehumidifier to extract moisture from the air. You can also use anti mould and damp proof paints to stop damp and mould from forming.

Why bathrooms are prone to damp

Bathrooms are more prone to damp compared with other rooms in the home. This is mainly due to activities, such as running hot baths or taking long showers. All these produce a large amount of steam and condensation. If this steam and condensation is not extracted, then it will settle on surfaces in the bathroom.

The bathroom also tends to be one of the smaller rooms in the house. When multiple people are using it daily, the amount of moisture that is created, can be considerably more than any other room in the house.  

Overtime all this condensation will settle on surfaces and start to form black mould. This is not only unpleasant to look at, but it can also be quite bad for your health.

5 Ways to reduce damp in your bathroom

There are several ways to reduce moisture in your bathroom. In this section we are going to be looking at 5 effective ways to reduce the amount of condensation that is formed in your bathroom.

  1. the first way to reduce condensation is quite simple. You can open a window when you are taking a shower or running a bath. By opening a window, you allow moisture to escape. This will allow the condensation to leave the bathroom and fresh air to circulate in.

  2. The 2nd way to reduce moisture in your bathroom is to use an extractor fan. These are usually quite affordable. However, you will usually need an electrician to install this if you do not already have one.

    The good news is once they are installed, they can be turned on whenever you are using your shower or bath. The extractor fan will essentially suck the moisture out of the bathroom. This will result in better air circulation, so not only will the moisture be removed from the bathroom, but fresh air will be circulated in, and the moist air will not have time to settle on surfaces.

  3. Another way to reduce moisture in the bathroom is to use a dehumidifier. If you do not have an extractor fan, or are unable to have one fitted, a dehumidifier is an affordable alternative.

    These can usually be bought for under 50 pounds and you can simply turn them on to extract moisture from the air in your bathroom.

  4. Another way to reduce the condensation in your bathroom, is to just produce less moisture. You can do this by having shorter showers, or by simply not running the water as hot.

    If you take cooler showers and baths there will not be as much condensation produced.

  5. Finally, you can use a decent damp proof or anti mould paint. This is not actually going to stop moisture and condensation. However, it will stop mould from forming and protect your walls from the moisture being produced.

    There are many different damp proof paints on the market. However, a specialist bathroom paint such as Dulux Easy Care is a great option.

Best bathroom dehumidifiers

As we mentioned previously, a small bathroom dehumidifier is a really good way to extract moisture from your bathroom. It can be far simpler than installing an extractor fan, and generally it is quite a bit cheaper. This is mainly since you won’t have to pay an electrician to install it for you.

You can usually get a decent bathroom dehumidifier for under 50 pounds. Below are a Couple of our favourites that are worth considering.

PAIPU Dehumidifier – 900ML

paipu dehumidifier

Our first option is the PAIPU 900 ml Dehumidifier. This model can extract up to 300 ml per day.

This dehumidifier is extremely energy efficient with very low power consumption when in use.

It also turns off automatically when full. This means that you don’t have to worry about it overflowing once the reservoir is full.

Finally, it is also very compact and light weight, which means it can be easily stored and moved around.

This dehumidifier is ideal for any room up to 20 square metres, which makes it perfect for the average size bathroom.

To learn more about the PAIPU Dehumidifier – 900ML click here

Pro Breeze Dehumidifier

probreeze dehumidifier

Another great option is the Pro Breeze Dehumidifier. This dehumidifier has a slightly smaller tank at 500 ml and extracts 250 ml per day.

It is lightweight and portable, so it can easily be moved from room to room and is very easy to store. It will also turn off when the tank becomes full, which means you don’t need to worry about it overflowing.

The Pro Breeze is also very quiet, so you barely notice it is there.

To learn more about the Pro Breeze dehumidifier and read some reviews click here

Best bathroom damp proof paint

Damp proof paint is another really good way to protect the surfaces in your bathroom. It will not stop the moisture however it will stop it from soaking into your walls and causing unpleasant damp and mould.

We have a couple of articles on internal damp proof paint and anti mould paints which you can check out at the following links below.

Best Anti Mould Paints

Best Interior Damp Proof Paint

Both articles talk about a range of different damp proof paints and anti mould paints. However, when it comes to bathrooms, our favourite choice is Dulux Easy Care bathroom paint.

You can see the main benefits of this paint below:

  1. highly moisture and steam resistant
  2. Guaranteed to protect against mould for five years
  3. 10 times stronger and more durable than standard Dulux matts and emulsions
  4. Produces a nice smooth finish
  5. Excellent coverage in only two coats

To learn more about Dulux easy care bathroom paint and read real customer reviews click here

Conclusion

When it comes to stopping damp in your bathroom, the most important thing is to improve ventilation and air circulation.

The main cause for damp and condensation in a bathroom is the sheer amount of moisture produced. If this moisture is not being removed, then it will settle on surfaces and cause damp. Eventually this will lead to mould and overtime can lead to even bigger problems.

To save money and look after your own health, the best thing to do is deal with bathroom damp early. You can do this by making sure that moisture is being removed on a regular basis. This will avoid any future issues and make sure that your bathroom is a pleasant damp free room.