Source of seepage
Condensation
Damp that comes from the air inside the flat
How water travels
From the source to your wall.
Cooking, bathing, drying clothes indoors and breathing add moisture to the air. When humid air meets a cooler surface, such as an external wall, a corner, a beam, or a wall cooled by an AC, water condenses on it. In flats kept shut through the monsoon, or bathrooms without an exhaust fan, the surface can stay wet long enough for mould to grow. This damp is on the surface, not coming through the wall.
When it shows: Worst in the monsoon and in closed, humid flats, and in bathrooms all year.
The pattern it leaves
- Mould in corners, behind wardrobes and along the top of external walls
- Damp on bathroom ceilings and walls with poor ventilation
- Water droplets on windows, AC-cooled walls and cold pipes
- Damp that changes with how the room is used and aired, not with rain or plumbing use
How it's confirmed
Meter, thermal, eyes.
- Hygrometer readings of room temperature and humidity, compared room by room
- Pin meter readings that are low inside the plaster while the surface is damp, which points to condensation rather than a leak
- Thermal scan to find the cold surfaces where condensation forms; cool areas can also be draughts or cold pipes, so they are checked with the meter
- Checking ventilation: exhaust fans, window opening, and furniture against external walls
Who is usually responsible
It depends on where the water starts.
- Owner
- Usually responsible for ventilation and how the flat is used, and for adding exhaust fans if needed.
- Tenant
- In a rented flat, daily ventilation and use often sit with the tenant, depending on the rent agreement and your state's tenancy law.
- Landlord
- In a rented flat, providing working exhaust fans and openable windows usually sits with the landlord, depending on the rent agreement.
Typical repair approach
What a fix usually involves.
Described for understanding, not as a recommendation. Megahedge does not do repairs or recommend contractors.
- 01Adding or fixing exhaust fans in bathrooms and the kitchen and using them during and after showers and cooking
- 02Airing rooms daily where weather allows, and using a dehumidifier in a closed flat during the monsoon
- 03Moving wardrobes and beds a little away from external walls
- 04Cleaning mould and repainting once the moisture is under control
Questions buyers ask
How do I know if it is condensation or a leak?
Condensation sits on the surface and depends on room humidity and ventilation. A leak wets the plaster deeper and follows a pipe, crack or the floor above. A meter reading into the plaster plus a hygrometer reading usually separates them.
Can condensation and a leak happen together?
Yes. A wet wall from a leak is also cooler and attracts condensation. The report notes both where they overlap.
Is a dehumidifier enough?
It helps with condensation in a closed flat. It does not stop water coming from a pipe, the floor above or outside.
Find the damp before you pay for it.
Book a moisture and thermal inspection. Report on WhatsApp within 24 hours.