Condensation & damp solutions
A permanent fix for condensation and damp — not another tub of anti-mould paint.
80% of damp in UK homes is condensation, not rising or penetrating damp. We fix it by treating the actual cause — cold wall surfaces — with a breathable sprayed cork coating that raises surface temperature above the dew point for good.
The real cause
Cold walls + warm moist air = condensation, mould and ruined décor.
Modern UK homes are airtight by design — double glazing, draught-stripping, sealed extensions. That's great for heat retention but it traps the moisture generated by everyday life. Cooking, showers, washing, drying clothes, even breathing add 10–15 litres of water vapour to the average home every day.
When that warm vapour hits a cold north-facing wall, an uninsulated lintel, or the corner of a kitchen extension, it cools below the dew point and condenses out as visible water. Repeat that cycle nightly and you get streaming windows, peeling paint, that musty smell, and the black mould (Aspergillus, Cladosporium) that's linked to respiratory illness.
The wrong fixes
Why most damp 'solutions' fail within months.
Anti-mould paint: kills surface spores for 6–12 months, then the biocide breaks down and the mould returns. The wall is still cold.
Dehumidifiers and PIV units: reduce ambient humidity but cost £150–£400/year to run and still leave the cold surface in place. Switch them off and the condensation comes straight back.
Chemical injection 'damp-proofing': often unnecessary because the damp wasn't rising in the first place. Costs £2k–£6k and rarely solves a true condensation problem.
Insulated plasterboard: works thermally but loses 50–100 mm of room, traps the cold wall behind a poorly-sealed surface, and can drive interstitial condensation into the masonry.
The cork solution
Treats the cause, not the symptom.
Raises surface temp 4–6°C
Wall surface lifted above the dew point. Condensation physically cannot form.
Mould cycle broken
No condensation means no moisture means no mould food source. Permanent fix.
Vapour-permeable Class 1
Existing moisture dries outward through the coating — nothing trapped in the wall.
No biocides, no off-gassing
Safe for bedrooms, nurseries, kitchens. No re-treatment required.
Internal or external
Apply inside on cold walls, outside on weather-exposed elevations, or both.
25-year warranty
Manufacturer-backed. The fix outlasts your next decoration cycle by decades.
Condensation & damp FAQs
Honest answers about what works and what doesn't.
- What causes condensation and damp on internal walls?
- Most domestic damp in modern UK homes isn't rising or penetrating damp — it's condensation. Warm, moist room air (from cooking, showers, drying laundry, even breathing) hits a cold wall surface, drops below the dew point and condenses out as water droplets. Over weeks this fuels black mould, peeling paint and that musty smell.
- Why do anti-mould paints and dehumidifiers only work temporarily?
- Because they treat the symptom, not the cause. The wall is still cold. As soon as the paint biocide breaks down or the dehumidifier switches off, the same condensation cycle restarts. The only durable fix is to raise the wall surface temperature above the dew point.
- How does sprayed cork solve condensation damp?
- Sprayed cork is a thermal coating. Applied internally or externally at 3–6 mm, it dramatically lifts the surface temperature of the cold wall — usually by 4–6°C. That moves the dew point out of your room air and into the wall fabric, so condensation physically cannot form on the visible surface.
- Is sprayed cork suitable for properties with penetrating damp too?
- Cork itself is hydrophobic and Class 1 vapour-permeable — externally applied it sheds wind-driven rain that would otherwise saturate a solid wall, while still letting the wall breathe outward. For genuine penetrating damp we always combine the coating with a proper diagnosis of the rain ingress source.
- Will the coating trap existing damp in the wall?
- No. This is the critical difference between cork and most rendering or foam systems. Cork stays vapour-open, so moisture already in the wall can continue to dry outwards. We never apply cork over saturated substrate without first investigating and resolving the moisture source.
- How quickly will the damp go away after installation?
- Condensation on the treated surface stops immediately — the wall is warm. Existing mould stains are removed during prep. Any latent moisture in the wall fabric typically dries out over 4–12 weeks depending on construction and ventilation.