Condensation and damp in high humidity rooms

Ever noticed condensation running down your walls in the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen? Has this in turn created damp problems?

In high humidity rooms condensation can easily occur where there is not enough air circulation or where non-breathable paint has been used to seal up the room. Bathroom and kitchen paint is probably the worst thing that you can use in your bathrooms and kitchens because they seal up the room thus trapping moisture inside and this then can form condensation and damp problems.

Inadequate ventilation is also another major cause of the problem. The minimum sizes for fans in bathrooms and kitchens are the ones that are usually fitted. They are not always the best choice, because they are the absolute minimum required, and this is not always enough. The issue with larger fans is that they use more energy and also increase heat loss.

Remedy

Use breathable paint in bathrooms where the walls have been freshly plastered (preferably with a lime plaster).

Where you are redecorating existing painted walls, you can use clay or chalk paints to help to ease the problem as they actively absorb and release moisture as humidity levels change.

Fit passive vents that have inbuilt heat exchangers / sound insulation properties.