Rising damp condensation is extremely bad both for the fabric of the home and the health of the people who live in it. One of the most common afflictions of the damp-affected house is a constant cough. The cough sometimes manifests itself even before the condensation stage is reached – it’s caused by the moisture in the air, not the drops on the window, and of course the airborne moisture is there before it starts to evidence as condensation. So if your household “feels” damp – if you wake up in the morning and often have to cough – take note: you could be a step away from rising damp condensation.
The moisture in the air, and on the windows, has to go somewhere. All too often, that somewhere (apart from the lungs of the people who live there) is any fabric or corner of the room in question. Curtains covered in mould spots; algae in the corners of walls; peeling wallpaper; damp and mouldy carpets; musty furniture. All these are sure signs that damp is making steady inroads on a home. Heating doesn’t help matters, either. All heating does is temporarily bake everything dry – only for all the moisture it evaporate to return in fresh force, as soon as the temperature drops. Rising damp condensation reappears, running down the windows and collecting in their sills; dissipating into the air and nourishing nasty little bacteria spores in hard to reach places.
So how does one fight it? In the short term, a dehumidifier can at least collect the moisture in the air and dispose of it properly. That cuts down on the health risks associated with damp atmospheres, but it no more prevents or cures the actual problem than putting a sticking plaster on a wound can change the fact that someone has cut themselves. If you want to cut the damp out of the atmosphere for good, you have to pay proper attention to the message delivered by rising damp condensation, and get some proper treatment for the home. Professional drying, rebuilding and fixing any permanently damaged structural material, and then damp-proofing the house against further ingress. The warning given by all that moisture on the window is clear enough – don’t ignore it.