It is a fact that warm air can hold more water as vapour than cool air. Condensation is caused when moisture-laden air comes into contact with a cold surface - the air is cooled to the point where it can no longer hold its burden of water vapour. At this point, (DEWPOINT), water begins to drop out of the air, and is seen as condensation on surfaces. On impervious surfaces such as glass and gloss paint, beads or a film of water collect. On permeable surfaces such as wallpaper and porous plaster, the condensing water is absorbed into the material. Therefore, the problem is not always initially obvious.
One should also be aware that the problem can occur well away from the site of most water vapour production. E.g. water vapour produced in the kitchen may diffuse through the house into a cold bedroom where it will condense on cold walls.
Condensation is directly associated with mould growth which is associated with many health problems. It is this that the occupier sees first, and it gives an indication of the potential scale of the problem. The mould is usually found on decorative surfaces, especially wallpapers, where it can cause severe and permanent spoiling. In many cases, the mould and its spores ('seeds') give rise to complaints about health, and cause the "musty" odour frequently associated with a damp house.
The obvious places for condensation to occur are on cold walls and floors, but it can also occur in roof spaces and in sub-floor areas where there is a timber suspended floor; in the latter case, it can lead to rot developing in floor timbers.
Condensation is by far the most common cause of dampness in buildings, probably accounting for the majority of damp problems reported. It affects both old and new buildings, and can be a significant problem where the building has been modernised. Although it's the most common cause of damp it's not the only cause you may have rising damp.
