A plain-English local guide for Mersham homes (TN25), written to help you find the cause before you spend money.
Mersham is an old, mostly agricultural village near Ashford with a Saxon and Domesday history, so a home here may be centuries old or fairly new, and each fails differently. Start by finding out what your walls are made of and what has been done to them. Condensation in an owner-occupied home with a loft may suit a loft-mounted Dryzen system; leaks, damp from old repairs and rising damp need diagnosing first.
Mersham is a large village and civil parish near Ashford, in postcode TN25. Wikipedia describes it as mostly agricultural, notes that it dates back to Saxon times and appears in the Domesday Book, and says the Grade I listed church of St John the Baptist stands on the site of a Saxon church and is part Norman. The compact village centre sits between High Speed 1 and the M20, and two water mills stand on the East Stour. The parish also takes in the Cheesemans Green area, now known as Finberry.
That mix of ages matters for damp. An old frame or solid wall behaves very differently from a modern cavity wall. Cement render and modern paint on old masonry can hold moisture in, and extensions of different ages can meet at a cold junction where condensation collects. This page is general guidance for homes in the area; we have not surveyed individual properties here and do not claim local damp statistics.
Cement repairs, plastic paint and gypsum plaster on an old wall all trap moisture. Removing them is a builder's job, not a dehumidifier's.
Patches that follow rain mean water is getting in. Spots in cold corners, behind wardrobes and on glass on cold mornings mean condensation. The Energy Saving Trust says a tidemark at the bottom of a wall suggests rising damp, which needs a specialist to look at it.
A Dryzen unit is mounted in the loft, so the home needs one. In an old house with exposed roof timbers or a low pitched roof that may not be practical, 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 parish are listed, including the Grade I parish church. Ask Ashford Borough Council whether yours is listed or in a conservation area before planning changes to the outside of a building.
No. Most damp in homes is condensation, and leaks and rain getting in are common too. Check the pattern, when it appears and where, before assuming the ground is the cause.
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: Mersham; Energy Saving Trust: How to get rid of damp; GOV.UK: Understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home