Damp, condensation and mould growth remain perennial problems in social housing. With the introduction of the Homes Act 2018, landlords’ legal obligations – and tenants’ health – mean ventilation and condensation control have never been more important.
Happy, healthy tenants. Reduced maintenance costs. Avoiding expensive structural repairs. Maintaining property values – let’s look at how Glidevale Protect’s proven and economic condensation control solutions help achieve these goals.
The issues – mould growth, condensation and damp
Many everyday activities can raise water vapour levels in the home. Some of this moisture is ventilated to the atmosphere, some is absorbed by the structure. But a significant proportion collects in loft spaces, risking condensation build-up.
A 2018 survey* of 88 local authorities managing almost 475,000 homes revealed over 57,000 complaints about condensation, mould growth and damp. Spread over a six-year period, this was total complaint rate of 12.2%.
The problem isn’t confined to cold, poorly maintained stock; mould can grow at any temperature between 5oC and 40oC. One local authority reported that despite installing cavity and external wall insulation in all its stock, 80% of residents still complained about mould. So temperature is not necessarily the issue; relative humidity of 65% or above certainly is. And the best solution is condensation control through natural ventilation.
THE LEGISLATION
The Homes Act 2018 (Fit for Human Habitation)
All new social housing in the private and public sector after 20th March 2019 must comply with the Homes Act 2018. If you’re a landlord, you must ensure any damp, mould growth and ventilation issues are fully resolved. Your properties must also comply with relevant building regulations within these issues.
The Homes Act update is also likely to mean more claims from tenants against social housing landlords renting non-compliant properties.
THE SOLUTION – VENTILATION FOR CONDENSATION CONTROL
Ventilation in the roof space
Glidevale ventilators suit many different roofing systems in both new build and retrofit applications. These tried and trusted BS EN ISO 9001 compliant options are ideal for eradicating roof space condensation and for insulation upgrade projects.
The comprehensive range of over 450 slate and tile ventilators can match almost any profile on the market. Options include the maximum airflow ‘G-Range’ cowl design or the unobtrusive In-line range. The compact Universal range is designed to suit plain tiles, interlocking plain tiles, flat interlocking tiles and slates, making selection simple.
Ventilation in the living space
Providing air inlets to dry, habitable rooms and extract systems in wet rooms are simple methods of condensation control. They can help ensure housing stock has adequate ventilation levels when fitting retrospectively.
Glidevale’s air inlets include the Fresh 99H wall ventilator and humidity-sensitive Energy Saver tricklevent. These through-wall vents and through-window frame vents don’t need power to regulate airflow; their multi-laminate nylon bands react to moisture levels in the air, opening and closing automatically so no unnecessary heat loss occurs.
Both ventilators offer sound-insulating versions, providing noise reduction of up to 50dB.
For new builds, Glidevale’s Intelligent Passive Stack Ventilation (iPSV) system offers an ultra-low maintenance, zero energy alternative to mechanical ventilation. It uses natural convection – hence the passive ventilation description. This allows warm, moisture-laden air to rise through the stack and draws ambient air through exterior wall vents.
Diagram showing air circulation passive ventilation stack to aid condensation control
Humidity-sensitive wall ventilator
iPSV is totally silent, costs nothing to commission and operate, and needs little or no maintenance. It is also immune to interference, so tenants can’t impede its performance.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO ACHIEVE THE RIGHT SOLUTION – FAST
Partnering with Glidevale’s technical team gets you straight to the answer, quickly and efficiently via:
- Site visits
- Design guidance
- Regulations advice
- Product specification
- Structured quotes and easy ordering
- Tool box talks
- Plot-by-plot delivery
EMAIL us with product questions or to arrange an online meeting to discuss a particular solution.
EMAIL us to request technical support including standards and Building Regulations guidance as well as free U-value calculations for future housing schemes. Alternatively, you can contact the Technical team on +44 (0)161 905 5700.
Follow us on LinkedIn at ‘Glidevale Protect’ for our latest news.
Useful further reading and links:
Scottish Building standards technical handbook 2019
*CIT (Consultancy, Investigation, Training) Freedom of Information Act request
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