Avoiding Damp and Mould in London Retrofits: A Homeowner Guide
If you own a London home, you will know how easily damp and mould can take hold. The signs often appear slowly. Cold corners in winter. Condensation on sash windows. A faint musty smell behind a wardrobe. You may have tried to wipe away a patch of mould only to see it return.
Many homeowners tell me they feel unsure about the root of the problem. They want a home that feels warmer, drier and easier to live in, but they are not certain which improvement will genuinely help. The truth is that London’s period homes behave differently from modern buildings. They were built to breathe. This influences every insulation and ventilation decision you make.
If you would like to start with the wider picture, you may find our main insulation guide helpful.
Read: How to Insulate a Period London Home
Where Damp Comes From in London Period Homes
Moisture enters a home from several directions. Some routes are external and some are created by everyday living.
Rain can pass through ageing brickwork, especially where hard cement has been applied over original lime joints. Ground moisture can rise into basements and lower ground floors where ventilation has been blocked or membranes have failed.
Inside, moisture appears every time we wash, cook or simply breathe. In an older home with cold surfaces, this vapour condenses quickly. It gathers on window reveals, in corners and on cold external walls.
Furniture can make matters worse. A wardrobe pressed tightly against a cold wall traps stale air. That pocket cools down, becomes damp and creates the perfect surface for mould to grow.
Understanding the source of moisture is the first step. The next is to see how insulation, ventilation and materials support or disrupt the home’s natural drying cycle.
How Insulation Helps or Harms
A well insulated home should feel warm, dry and stable. The right approach reduces cold surfaces, keeps moisture moving safely and creates a gentler internal environment throughout the year. Poorly planned insulation can do the opposite. It can trap moisture, cool down adjacent areas and create new mould risks.
Common problems appear when insulation is applied selectively or without a moisture strategy. Examples include insulating only one side of a wall, boxing in chimney breasts without airflow, installing patchy loft insulation that leaves cold corners, or applying non-breathable foam boards to solid brickwork.
External wall insulation can transform a cold home, but only when it is installed with an understanding of how moisture moves through brick. Internal wall insulation can work well, but junctions and reveals need careful attention.
If you are considering internal or external insulation, you may find this comparison useful:
Read: Internal vs External Wall Insulation for London Period Homes
If you would like to understand why so many homeowners are dealing with damp behind new insulation, our analysis of the recent national failures may also help:
Read: The External Wall Insulation Scandal
Breathability: Why Old Brick Walls Must Dry Out
Solid brick walls behave like a heavy wool coat. They absorb moisture from rain and humidity, and release it slowly as the weather changes. This works beautifully as long as the wall can dry. When a non-breathable layer is added, it turns that wool coat into a plastic jacket. The moment moisture enters, it becomes trapped.
Old brickwork needs materials that support this natural movement. Breathable insulations such as wood fibre, cork and hemp allow moisture to pass through gently and evenly. Lime plasters help regulate humidity and create a calmer indoor environment.
If natural materials interest you, you may find this guide helpful:
Read: Natural Materials for Sustainable London Homes
Cold Bridging: The Hidden Driver of Condensation
A cold bridge is a part of the structure that stays cold even when the rest of the room is warm. Moisture is drawn to it instantly. This is why mould often appears in corners, above skirting boards or behind wardrobes.
Typical cold bridges in London terraces include chimney breasts, external corners of bay windows, steel beams inserted during past extensions, and floor junctions where a timber floor meets an external wall.
These areas usually need targeted detailing rather than broad insulation. They are also the places where rushed retrofit work causes long-term damage.
For more detail on how junctions affect performance, see:
Read: Internal vs External Wall Insulation for London Period Homes
Ventilation: The Essential Partner of Insulation
Older homes rely on a constant flow of fresh air to stay dry. When insulation and airtightness improve, that natural flow reduces. This is a positive step for warmth, but only if ventilation is improved at the same time.
Good ventilation removes moisture at the right moments. It includes:
background ventilation
kitchen and bathroom extraction
trickle vents where appropriate
whole house systems such as MVHR in airtight homes
Draughts do not count as ventilation. They do not remove moisture. They simply make a room colder. Ventilation is the controlled movement of stale air out of the home and fresh air in.
If you want to see how ventilation integrates with insulation, you may like:
Read: Airtightness and Ventilation for Old London Houses in Plain English
A breathable whole-house retrofit in an interwar London semi. External cork insulation, hemp underfloor insulation and MVHR keep the building fabric dry and help to prevent damp and mould from forming.
Where Damp Appears First in a Retrofit
Damp gives clear signals if you know where to look.
You may notice:
black spots in corners
mildew behind furniture
swelling skirting boards
peeling paint around windows
persistent condensation
musty odours in lofts or basements
These early signs reveal where cold spots or blocked moisture pathways exist. They are not a failure. They simply show that the home needs a clearer plan.
Common Retrofit Mistakes to Avoid
These are the mistakes we see most often across London:
insulating without upgrading ventilation
blocking air bricks under suspended floors
sealing fireplaces with no moisture pathway
applying non-breathable insulation to solid walls
painting external brickwork with waterproof coatings
insulating selectively and creating cold corners
installing vapour barriers without a strategy
ignoring junctions around beams, chimneys and bays
Avoiding these issues is far easier than resolving them later. Early planning saves time, cost and worry.
What a Good Moisture Strategy Looks Like
A successful moisture strategy treats the home as a system. Insulation, ventilation and materials are considered together rather than in isolation.
Our approach includes:
a whole house survey to understand moisture patterns
breathable materials chosen for your property
careful junction detailing
coordinated insulation and ventilation
predictable moisture pathways
a focus on comfort, health and long-term stability
When these parts work together, the home begins to feel calmer and more comfortable from the moment the work is complete.
What You Can Do Now as a Homeowner
There are simple steps you can take before appointing a professional:
take photographs of any damp or mould
move furniture slightly away from cold external walls
check that extract fans run long enough after use
clean trickle vents
monitor humidity levels in different seasons
note when and where condensation appears
These small actions help clarify the story of your home.
Local Examples from Studio CMA Projects
For 15 years, Studio CMA has focussed predominantly on the sensitive reworking of period London homes. Each project has involved its own mix of alterations, refurbishments, extensions and deep-energy retrofits. Although there are familiar patterns across London’s housing stock, every property and every client has needed a different, well-considered solution. These examples show the range of local retrofit work that shapes comfort, performance and long-term resilience.
Arlington Square Conservation Area, Islington, N1
A Victorian terrace was reworked with internal wall insulation, double-glazed sash windows and a whole-house mechanical extraction system. The upgrades improved heat retention and indoor air quality while respecting the character of the conservation area.
North London, N22
An interwar mock-Tudor semi-detached home received a whole-house retrofit with breathable external cork insulation, loft insulation, a whole-house MVHR system, an air source heat pump and on-site renewable energy generation. Passivhaus-level triple glazing completed the fabric-first approach.
Wood Green, N22
A Victorian terrace was upgraded through careful floor and roof improvements. Natural hemp insulation was installed between suspended floor joists, with wood fibre insulation added to the loft extension. Passivhaus-level triple glazing supported a quieter, more stable indoor climate.
Lower Clapton, Hackney
A Victorian home was sensitively retrofitted with wood fibre internal wall insulation to solid brickwork, natural insulation between joists and warm wood fibre sarking boards to a new zinc-clad extension. Triple-glazed windows helped reduce heat loss and drafts.
Islington, N19
A two-storey flat within a Victorian semi-detached building was refurbished and extended with a loft conversion, natural wood fibre internal wall insulation and a whole-house MVHR system. Triple-glazed sash-lookalike windows maintained period character while improving energy performance.
Little Venice, Westminster
A grand Victorian townhouse was reunified from former bedsits and upgraded with breathable internal wall insulation, secondary glazing to preserve original windows and targeted airtightness measures. Low-VOC materials were used to support healthier indoor air.
Next Steps
Every period home has its own rhythm. When insulation, ventilation and materials work in harmony, moisture moves safely through the building and the home feels brighter, warmer and easier to live in. If you are planning a retrofit and would value a clear path forward, you may find our Retrofit Strategy Service a helpful starting point. If you prefer to meet on site and talk through your aims in person, you are welcome to book an Architect’s Home Visit and Appraisal. Both options will help you understand what is possible and give you the confidence to plan your next steps with clarity.
