In the winter months of the year, you tend to turn the thermostat up to warm up your house. However, there can be a problem that your walls are taking the heating from the room. So, what causes your walls to be cold? And what can be done to solve it? We answer these questions and more in our latest blog.
Why Does My House Have Cold Walls?
One of the main reasons for cold walls is that the property is not very well insulated. If the wall is not insulated properly then the warm air inside of the house will not stay in the room and will dissipate outside, this creates a cold wall.
In comparison, if the wall has good insulation, then this will stop the warm air from escaping outside and allowing the cold from getting inside of the walls. If your property has cavity walls and you are again suffering from cold walls or cold spots on the warmer walls, then it is more than likely that you will have cavity wall insulation problems.
If there is a sign of dampness on the cold walls, then you should look to treating the damp problem first. If your property is suffering from structural problems such as cracks in the walls and damaged gutters, then these issues will not only be letting the cold air in through the walls but will also allow for moisture to penetrate its way through the walls.
When your property has both damp and cold walls then these issues will only lead to more severe problems such as black mould and wood rotting issues. Make sure that the damp problem is identified correctly and treated before starting to tackle the issue of the cold wall, then book a survey with a damp specialist.
How Can You Warm Up the Walls?
If the walls are cold to the touch and you want to make the walls warmer, then one of the solutions is to have good insulation. This can be an expensive cost to carry out in the short term, but it would be beneficial in the long term.
If you have cavity walls within your property, then the simple solution would be to fill in the cavity with insulation which will not incur an expensive cost. However, if the cavity wall insulation is already installed and there are still problems with having cold walls, then it is more than likely that there is a problem with the insulation.
How to Stop Condensation Occurring on Cold Walls?
The ideal situation for condensation to occur is when the interior walls are cold. The reason for this is that cold walls can provide the dew point for the warm moisture laden air to condense onto and over time cause dampness. As we have previously mentioned, improving insulation within the walls will help warm up the walls. However, this does not always work, and sometimes not possible.
Improving the ventilation within the rooms where the walls are cold is normally the best solution to getting rid of any condensation damp. Improving ventilation not only removes the warm moist air from the affected room but also makes sure that the walls are dry.
You can improve ventilation via a number of methods but one of the simplest solutions is by opening windows and doors, especially in the areas of the house which have the most humidity e.g. bathroom or kitchen.
If you have extractor fans in your bathroom and kitchen then these should be used when you are bathing and cooking as this clears the warm air from these rooms which therefore reduces the chances of condensation developing.
Another way of removing moisture from the air is to use a dehumidifier. Using a dehumidifier is not a long-term solution but does work in removing warm damp air and dispersing clean, dry air instead.
How Can We Help?
We hope this article has helped you have a better understanding of the reasons why your walls might be cold and what can be done to warm them up. As we have stated, one of the most common ways to heat up a wall is by having good insulation within the walls.
However, this is not always the case, there could be structural issues such as cracks in the walls. When there are structural problems, it could mean that your property is suffering from damp problems. You should first tackle your structural or damp problem before assessing the cold walls.
We have a number of damp specialists across the UK to carry out a full in-depth survey, to first assess what type of damp is causing problems and what can be done to treat it. To book a survey you can contact us by calling 0800 288 8660.
