A plain-English local guide for Aldington homes, written to help you find the cause before you spend money.
Aldington is a village south-east of Ashford, set on an escarpment above Romney Marsh, with a lot of older buildings in the parish. Older and mixed-age homes behave differently from a modern cavity-wall house, so start by finding out what the walls are made of and where the water is coming from. Condensation in an owner-occupied home with a loft may suit a Dryzen system; leaks, blocked gutters and rising damp need diagnosing and fixing first.
Aldington is a village and civil parish in the Ashford district of Kent. Wikipedia places the village centre eight miles south-east of Ashford, on a steep escarpment above Romney Marsh and the upper Stour, with the M20 and the railway forming the northern boundary of the parish. The church of St Martin dates from the 12th century, and Wikipedia notes more than 50 buildings of historical or architectural interest in the civil parish.
That mix of ages matters for damp. A solid or timber-framed wall behaves differently from a cavity wall, extensions of different ages can meet at a cold junction, and hard repairs on an old wall can trap moisture. Work out what you have before you buy anything.
Patches that follow rain, or sit under a gutter or window, mean water is getting in. Spots in cold corners, behind wardrobes and on glass on cold mornings mean condensation. Our guide to rising, penetrating and condensation damp shows how to tell them apart.
GOV.UK guidance lists blocked or damaged gutters and downpipes, broken window seals and cracked render among the external checks to make before assuming condensation. See leaking gutters and downpipes.
A Dryzen unit is mounted in the loft, so the home needs one. A low pitched roof or exposed roof timbers may not suit it, and the free survey checks this.
Dryzen suits owner-occupied homes with a loft where the cause is condensation. It is not suitable for rental properties unless the landlord authorises the changes. If your home is listed or in a conservation area, check with Ashford Borough Council before altering anything.
Start by measuring. A hygrometer in the coldest bedroom tells you whether you are living above the 60 to 65 percent level at which mould and dust mites do well, before you decide what to change. For the full evidence, calculator and printable cheat sheet, see The Healthy Home Humidity Guide.
Some buildings in the village may be. Ask Ashford Borough Council whether yours is listed or in a conservation area before planning changes to the outside of a building.
Older walls take a long time to warm and often have little insulation, so internal surfaces stay cold and moisture condenses on them. A steady low heat usually works better than short bursts of high heat.
Yes. The survey is free and includes a check that your loft is suitable.
Roughly 50 to 55 percent relative humidity is a sensible target, within the 40 to 60 percent band commonly suggested. Sustained readings above about 60 to 65 percent favour mould and dust mites. A dehumidifier does not remove existing mould or control bed bugs or fleas, it helps stop the conditions mould and dust mites depend on.
Sources: Wikipedia: Aldington, Kent; GOV.UK: Understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home