Damp, condensation and mould growth remain perennial problems for housing maintenance. With the introduction of the Homes Act 2018, ventilation and condensation control have never been more important.
Reduced maintenance costs. Avoiding expensive structural repairs. Maintaining property values. Glidevale Protect’s Technical Product Manager Michelle Wareing explains how the company’s proven and economical condensation control solutions help achieve these goals.
The issues – mould growth, condensation and damp
A 2018 survey* of 88 local authorities managing almost 475,000 homes revealed over 57,000 complaints about condensation, mould growth and damp. Over a six-year period, this was a total complaint rate of 12.2%. One local authority reported that despite installing cavity and external wall insulation in all its stock, 80% of residents still complained about mould. Clearly the problem isn’t confined to cold properties and poorly maintained stock.
So, temperature is not necessarily the issue; high relative humidity is. The best solution is condensation control through natural ventilation.
The legislation
The Homes Act 2018 (Fitness for Human Habitation)
All rented properties in the private and public sector after 20th March 2019 must comply with the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. As a landlord, this means ensuring damp, mould growth and ventilation issues are fully resolved, meaning properties comply with relevant building regulations.
The Homes Act update is also likely to generate more claims from tenants against social housing landlords renting non-compliant properties.
Future Homes Standard
Energy efficiency for new build properties is seeing further improvement as part of the Future Homes Standard, which will be introduced by 2025 to increase energy efficiency requirements. The steps to achieving the standard are well underway with a two-part Government consultation about proposed changes to both Building Regulations Approved Document Part L (Conservation of Fuel and Power) and Part F (Ventilation).
These ambitions are for new build homes to be future-proofed with heightened building performance, meaning more stringent building fabric and U-value standards, with the objective of delivering significant reduction in heat loss and better ventilation guidance.
The solution – ventilation for condensation control
Ventilation in the roof space
Glidevale Protect ventilators for both new builds, retrofit and insulation upgrade projects are tried and trusted. These BS EN ISO 9001 compliant options are ideal for eradicating roof space condensation and preventing damp and mould.
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 help ensure dwellings have adequate ventilation levels when fitting retrospectively, helping to maintain occupancy wellbeing.
Glidevale Protect’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, opening and closing automatically so no unnecessary heat loss occurs. Both ventilators include sound-insulating options, providing noise reduction of up to 50dB.
Glidevale Protect’s low maintenance Intelligent Passive Stack Ventilation (iPSV) system offers a natural, low-cost and zero energy alternative to mechanical ventilation. Automatically delivered, whole house ventilation, it operates via the stack affect; drawing warm, moisture-laden air out of the property whilst delivering fresh air into the living space via background vents. iPSV is totally silent in operation, with no commissioning or user intervention required. Unlike traditional passive stack ventilation, iPSV uses inlets and extracts that open and close depending on humidity levels in each room.
Technical support to achieve the right solution – fast
Glidevale Protect’s Technical team gets you straight to the answer, via:
- Design & regulation guidance
- Product specification
- Structured quotes and easy ordering
- Plot-by-plot delivery
- Site visits & surveys
- Toolbox talks
To discover how Glidevale Protect can help you achieve healthier homes, reduced maintenance and optimised property values, contact us today on +44 (0)161 905 5700 or info(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)glidevaleprotect.com. Follow us on LinkedIn at ‘Glidevale Protect’ for our latest news.
*CIT (Consultancy, Investigation, Training) Freedom of Information Act request