Loft conversion ventilation questions

[Stevie5tapes]

Hi all,

ive got a few questions I was hoping someone could help with. I had my loft converted 9 years (done to building regs) and have been pretty much trouble free until recently. In the summer time we had a bad water leak in a room below, this was from a failed roof valley and the water was running down the inside of a room on an external wall. The roof has been fixed.

About 4 months ago my wife has started with a really bad cough. We have recently been abroad for 2 weeks in which time my wife didn’t cough once, as soon as we got back home my wife started with her cough again so I am wondering if the house has got Sick Building Syndrome?

The bedroom in the loft has under eaves storage on both sides (photo attached showing doors), when I crawl into both eaves storage you can clearly see the undeveloped areas of the loft. Should these sections be sealed off? I was reading about ventilation and I think possibly mould/dust (if any) is freely being blown into the bedroom.

If the eaves storage does need sealing off to stop unwanted ventilation into the living area is it just a case of erecting some battans and screwing plasterboard onto these to stop unwanted airflow?

One last question, reading up about ventilation in lofts, my soffits are not ventilated. Should I be installing vent holes in the soffit boards?

Sorry for the long post, just thought I’d start here to see what advice I get. My wife is convinced that we have mould from the roof leak and that the spores are somehow getting into the house, the only way I can think of is through the eaves storage. Thanks all for any advice given.

 

[JohnD]

We have recently been abroad for 2 weeks in which time my wife didn’t cough once

Were you by any chance on holiday in a warm, dry country?

Did diesel trucks drive back and forth outside your accomodation?

Is your loft insulation yellow?

 

[Stevie5tapes]

Hi John,
Many thanks for the reply. The climate abroad was in the mid 20’s and much more humid than in the uk. There was no diesel lorries around the accommodation. Our loft insulation is a dark yellow colour. I’ve attached a photo showing a small piece of insulation.

ive bought a hygrometer and placed it in several rooms around my house and the reading is generally around the 50% mark.

 

[JohnD]

I find coughs improve in a warm climate.

Particulates from diesel engines, and especially from wood-burning stoves or coal fires, can be irritant, so if you have any of these near your home, they may be a problem. You can get air-purifying devices with an electrostatic element and filter, you will be astonished at the amount of black particles they pull out of the air, especially when you first start using them.

Wipe round the frames and doors leading to your eaves area with a clean sponge moistened with washing up liquid and see if it comes away stained with black dust particles, which indicate that dust is blowing through the gap. The particles will be so small that you can't see them individually.

Your yellow insulation is I think old fibreglass which I find sheds irritant dust and fibres. There should not be much if it is undisturbed, especially if it is enclose by flooring and plasterboard, but I find I can't work in a loft with it unless wearing a dustmask. You can get mineral wool treated with Ecose now, which does not shed, it's the only one I will use. It is dark brown and feels soft. It is made by Knauf but widely sold as an own-brand, you will see the word "Ecose" on the wrapper. It may be sufficient to only replace the visible stuff and any near openings.

If you decide to remove the yellow stuff, pack it into bin bags to carry away, and use a vac with a fine filter afterwards. I use a builders canister vac that has a cartridge filter, and use fleecy dust bags as well. Modern vacs can often be fitted with a Hepa filter to trap microscopic particles. An old loft will usually have a lot of old dust in it, especially if it has ever been unfelted.

You can get reasonably good disposable dust masks with a plastic one-way valve on the snout, or better rubber ones with a replaceable filter cartridge, styled like military gasmasks.