A plain-English local guide for Kennington homes (TN24 and TN25), written to help you diagnose the cause before you spend money.
Kennington has grown with new estates, so a lot of its damp is new-build condensation: airtight, well-insulated homes that trap the moisture from daily life. Run extractors, keep trickle vents open, and dry washing with care. If the air stays damp all winter in an owner-occupied home with a loft, a loft-mounted Dryzen system may suit. It is not for rentals unless the landlord agrees.
Kennington is a suburb about a mile north-east of Ashford town centre, north of the M20, with the postcode districts TN24 and TN25. It has expanded in recent years with estates at Little Burton, Trinity Road and Conningbrook Lakes, with Conningbrook Park and Eureka Park planned.
Recently built homes are designed to leak very little air, which is good for heating bills and poor for moisture. Cooking, showering and breathing add water to the air, and in a sealed house it has few exits. The typical first-winter signs are wet window sills, mould on the north-facing bedroom wall and a smell in the wardrobe.
Check that bathroom and kitchen extractors actually work and that they run for a while after you finish. A fan that is weak or blocked is the cheapest thing to fix.
Keep trickle vents open in winter. They are small, but they are part of the design of the house.
Put a humidity meter in the bedroom. If it stays high through the night, the habits are not enough and the air needs treating.
The older part of the parish has homes of earlier eras, where the usual rules apply: look at gutters, drainage and wall condition before blaming condensation. Our damp-types guide helps you tell the difference.
Dryzen suits owner-occupied homes with a loft, because the unit is mounted there. It is not suitable for rental properties unless the landlord authorises the changes. It extracts 12 litres a day per unit, covers 150 square metres per unit, and uses a filter based on activated carbon. A smart app shows temperature and humidity and needs 2.4GHz Wi-Fi with an internet connection.
In a tight new-build the number to watch is overnight humidity in the bedroom. A target near 50 to 55 percent keeps conditions less friendly to mould and dust mites. It does not clean existing mould, so wipe that off properly as well. For the full evidence, calculator and printable cheat sheet, see The Healthy Home Humidity Guide.
Modern homes are built to be airtight, so moisture from cooking, showering and breathing has fewer routes out. Trickle vents are small and are often closed.
If the home is within a warranty period and there is a fault, such as a failed fan, raise it with the builder or warranty provider. Condensation caused by normal living is rarely classed as a defect.
It can, for condensation-type damp in an owner-occupied home with a loft. A survey will check before recommending anything.
One unit is rated for 150 square metres, and further units can be added to increase extraction.
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 kill mould, bed bugs or fleas, it helps stop the conditions they depend on. See our healthy humidity guide.
Sources: Kennington, Kent; GOV.UK: Understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home; Energy Saving Trust: How to get rid of damp