Dampness, Mould and Condensation

This guide is to help you understand damp, mould, and condensation in your home.

It’s vital you report any signs of damp, mould, mildew and condensation to us as soon as possible so we can help you.

If you have black spots or discoloured walls, it might mean you have damp and/or mould.

There are different kinds of damp and mould, including:

Condensation damp happens when moisture generated inside the home cools and condenses onto colder parts of the buildings (for example window frames, corners and low points on walls behind sofas or wardrobes). This is the most common form of damp.
Penetrating damp is water that gets into the building from outside due to defects in the walls, roofs, windows or floors.
Rising damp is moisture from the ground that rises up through parts of the buildings in contact with the ground (walls and floors).
Traumatic damp can be caused by leaking water from waste and heating pipes, overflowing baths or sinks, burst pipes or defective water storage vessels inside the building. Traumatic damp canalso come from outside the property, for example from anotherbuilding or from flooding.
Mould is a type of fungus which grows in moist environments.