Dealing with moisture in your new home
From keeping condensation at bay to cracking the challenge of shrinkage cracks, here are some handy tips for dealing with moisture in your new home.
Tackling shrinkage cracks
It’s hard to believe that several thousand litres of water goes into making each new home. Over time this naturally dries out, however sometimes the traditional building materials used can dry and shrink, causing cracks to timber and plaster work. This is most likely to happen the in the first couple of months after you move in, as your new home gets used to having you as company.
To help avoid cracks from appearing you can:
- Keep an even temperature in your home and resist turning up the heating control above 18°C (65°F) in the first few months.
- Keep your home well ventilated, as this will greatly help reduce the risk of shrinkage.
Any cracks that do appear can be easily repaired during redecoration and will not affect the structure of the house, which is why they’re excluded from our two-year warranty.
Conquering condensation
In the first few months after you move in you may find moisture forming on the windows, doors and other cold surfaces. Don’t worry, this is perfectly normal. It’s just a result of moisture from the building materials naturally drying out. It is, however, important to wipe away the moisture to avoid any potential damage to your new home and furnishings.
To help keep condensation to a minimum, we recommend maintaining the heating on an appropriate steady temperature to ensure your house is warm by the time you get in from work. Increasing ventilation from the kitchen and bathroom is also important, so be sure to open a window or, if you have one in that room, make use of the extractor fan.
- Produce less moisture by covering your pans when cooking
- Only us your central heating system to heat your home
- Dry as much of your laundry outside as possible
- Stop moisture spreading by keeping your kitchen and bathroom door closed when cooking, washing and bathing.
- Ventilate moisture away by keeping the slot or trickle ventilators at the top of your windows open.
Baths and showers
Whether you’re into long relaxing bubble baths or a quick jump in the shower, you’ll find your new bathroom fully watertight and ready for purpose.
To keep it looking its best, we recommend keeping an eye on the grouting and sealing areas every six months to check for any visible deterioration that will naturally occur over time. You can help slow this down by wiping down surfaces and keeping your bathroom well ventilated.
Should the seal around the shower or bath break over time, it can be easily fixed with flexible waterproof grout and sealant, which you’ll find at any local DIY outlet. Just remember to fully remove the existing sealant and give it a thorough wipe down before replacing.
Check out the rest of our guides on caring for your new home:
- Support after you move into your new home
- Staying safe in your new home
- Caring for your new kitchen
- Caring for your new utilities
- Caring for the outside of your home
- Caring for your lawn and driveway
- Caring for your doors and windows
- Caring for your loft space and garage
- Electrics in your new home
- External finishes on your new home
