Avoiding and curing damp in your bathroom

Damp bathrooms are not only uncomfortable but they are also unhealthy and, eventually, expensive. Lack of efficient ventilation, cold, and other factors can cause chronic damp on walls and surfaces, resulting in mould growth, rust, and deterioration of bathroom fittings and surfaces. Paint may be particularly vulnerable, especially on window sills. So what can you do to solve, or better still prevent, the problem? There are some crucial steps, but first let's look at what causes damp. Bathroom Ideas digs out the electric fans and opens a window.

Bathroom damp: What causes it?

So what does cause bathroom damp? Well, in actual fact it's quite simple. In most cases, chronic damp in bathrooms is simply caused by condensation from steam - hot showers and baths being the main culprits.

Water condenses on cooler surfaces such as walls and mirrors and, particularly in cooler weather (when drying takes longer), may sit there almost continually for months. It can create a perfect breeding ground for mould, which may damage grout in tiles, even causing them to lift. In such cases tiles need to be replaced.

Avoidance of bathroom damp

The simplest measure to stop this problem is to vent the room and allow penetration of sunlight. This should be an absolute golden rule all year round for bathrooms; when you take a shower or bath, open a window for at least 30 minutes afterwards to air the room.

Windows should take up at least 10% of floor area in a bathroom, and should be regularly left open to allow sunlight (the natural enemy of mould) to flood the room, and to allow steam to escape. Ensuring the room is reasonably warm and ventilated is vital.

In the absence of sufficient window space (or in the dead of winter when open windows may be just a little too confronting), an exhaust fan can alleviate the problem.

Bathroom exhaust fans: The other solution

When buying a fan, ensure that it's powerful enough to replace each cubic metre of air in the bathroom at least ten times per hour. Check this by multiplying the capacity of your bathroom in cubic metres (length multiplied by width multiplied by height) by ten.

A note of caution, however: If there is a patch of damp in one particular area, check for leaks or drips and obviously repair these before continuing with the cleanup operation.

Dealing with the side effects of damp

If your bathroom has been damp for a period of time, you'll need to clean up the symptoms as well as eliminating the cause. Here's how:

• Mould on walls should be cleaned off thoroughly with a natural cleaner such as white vinegar, which kills spores and removes mould stains. Some cleaning products also achieve this result - read the bottle before buying though, or ask someone in the know. Pay particular attention to window sills (predominantly the corners), tile grout, and other hidey holes. The damp may also have spread to adjoining rooms, and these will need treatment too if so
• If you need to retile, try using an antibacterial tile grout to prevent future problems
• You can also prevent more mould developing by using a waterproof coating over tile and glass surfaces

If you're in any doubt, always consult an expert, but don't forget to take the simple steps mentioned above, alongside any major action and as a general practice in future.

In the battle against damp, ventilation really is vital, and leaving windows open after baths and showers is such a simple everyday prevention that there really can be no excuse. Adding plenty of sunlight is the ideal in your basic two-pronged attack, but when this is not possible, ushering in the airflow - and plenty of it - is best practice.