Know Your New Build
From watching your new home grow from the foundations up, to making your selections, moving into a new build is an exciting prospect. As with many new things, your home will require some special care over the coming months. With that in mind, it’s important that you understand how to help your new home 'settle' .
2 minute read
Getting acclimatised
Drying out your new home is a simple process that can take up to 18 months after building work has completed. The purpose of drying out your home is to minimise the movement caused by water working its way out of construction materials, which can cause cracking and warping.
The most effective way to dry out your home is to carefully manage ventilation and heating. You should open windows at least twice a day for between five to ten minutes, or leave trickle vents open, if fitted. If you are doing something that produces steam, i.e., cooking or washing, use the extractor fans. If your home has a mechanical ventilation system, you should operate this continuously. When cooking, various steps can be taken to minimise the amount of steam produced, such as covering pans and only boiling the required amount of water in the kettle.
As well as keeping windows open, you should keep built-in wardrobe doors slightly ajar and internal doors open, so the air can be comprehensively ventilated.
Condensation should be wiped away as soon as it is noticed, especially on doors and timber framed windows, as it can cause the material to rot or swell.
Break the mould
Condensation may cause mould to appear on walls and ceilings, especially in non-ventilated corners behind cupboards and in wardrobes.
When removing mould, wear some old clothes, rubber gloves and a face mask to protect yourself from spores and chemicals. For tiles, scrub them with a solution of bleach and water, dry them with a clean cloth and reseal any cracks in the grout. For walls and ceilings, apply a disinfectant designed to remove mould and mildew from plastered or painted surfaces, leave for a while, then return with a damp cloth to wipe off the mould. Afterwards, dry surfaces with a clean cloth and leave them to dry fully. Then, paint over plaster using a mould-resistant bathroom paint.
To ensure mould doesn’t return, ventilation is vital:
- While cooking, cover pans and switch on your kitchen extractor
- Switch on extractors in bathrooms during use and for as long as possible afterwards
- If fitted, keep the trickle vents in your windows open at all times
- Open windows while cooking or using bathrooms
- Keep internal doors open and leave wardrobes ajar, so air can circulate
- Don’t obstruct the air bricks at ground level outside the property
- Avoid using portable heaters that produce water vapour
- Consider using a dehumidifier
A hot house isn’t all it’s cracked up to be
To minimise shrinkage cracks appearing on the walls, you should maintain as even a temperature as possible in your home, taking care not to set it too high. If you have moved in during the winter months, your heating should be used sparingly at first, so the structure warms up and dries out gradually. It is recommended that your thermostats are set at a maximum of 20°C, or 5°C if you need to vacate your home for a prolonged period.
*How To articles are intended as advice only. Please refer to your completion documents for specific information on lease and covenant restrictions and maintenance of your home.*
