PANIC! Mould found...

[Milo19]

Hi there....this may be a very simple solution to my problem.

I have recently brought my first house, which is a staggered terraced property. The rear bedroom is the side of the house that has the external walls. The corner of the bedroom started to develop a small patch of mould, as did the ceiling in the same corner. The loft was insulated when I completed the purchase of it.

I've just moved the bed out away from the external wall to discover a LARGE amount of mould...Should I be worried about this or is a case of simply having the wall cavity insulated as well....which I always planned to do in the spring. I worried....someone help!

Regards Jim

 

[advancemaintenance1]

it could be a leak on your roof. whats your pointing like, its inprobable that cavity insulation will fix this

 

[mointainwalker]

Finding it a little difficult to visualise the exact situation.

Is this corner you are speaking about where the shared wall with the neighbour transitions into an external wall ?

 

[Milo19]

Hi

The corner where the mould first started in the external corner which then runs along the external wall where the bed was (now covered in mould)

That wall then meet the neighbouring property.

I've been in the loft and cannot see any leak, a small amount of condensation, but thats its.

 

[JohnD]

//www.diynot.com/wiki/building:condensation_in_houses

 

[Milo19]

Thanks for that.....I read it already.

I'm concerned that the problem is not just condensation and I was also asking if cavity insulation was a good idea??!

 

[JohnD]

tape a piece of clear plastic tightly to the wall. If water droplets appear on the room side, it is condensation. If water appears on the wall side, it is coming from the wall

Damp patches behind furniture are very characteristic of condensation.

Best two cures for condensation are (1) reduce moisture sources (especially wet washing and bathrooms with no extractor fan) and (2) increase ventilation.

I have been very happy with having cavity wall insulation in my house, mine is a water-repellent glass fibre fluff that does not carry damp (some people claim that insulation allows damp to pass through the cavity). Insulation is not a cure for damp, though it cuts energy use and makes the walls a bit warmer so it will help a bit

But if the wall is damp, e.g. from dripping gutter, broken downpipe, overflowing cistern etc, then that needs to be fixed straight away.

It would be useful to know how old your house is. You may not have cavity walls, if unsure, measure how thick they are (at a door or window opening)

 

[Milo19]

Thanks for that...I was do that test on the wall.

The house was built late 70's....When I was renovating the kitchen down stairs, which is below the affected room, I found the internal walls are those hollow fibre bricks and that there is a cavity...I have had my hand in it.

Thinking about it....attached to the kitchen is a conservatory, it which i have found two grill like bricks that have been painted over! Could this also be causing a problem?

 

[Milo19]

Oh...I would add - the room with the mould is always the coldest in the house..!

 

[JohnD]

blocking ventilation is bound to make condensation worse

 

[mointainwalker]

@ Milo 19

Why are you concerned it might not be condensation ?

Eliminate the most likely cause first and only then move onto less likely ones.

Everything you have written points to condensationm so deal with that as per the sticky

 

[JohnD]

...the kitchen down stairs, which is below the affected room,..

I bet there is hot water in the sink, a steaming kettle, pans boiling on the stove, maybe washing and drying done... and you said airbricks blocked? Plus the conservatory will reduce ventilation of the kitchen through windows, doors and draughts. And if the conservatory has a floor with no DPC, damp will rise through it.

If you have been renovating the kitchen, did you use concrete (contains water). mortar (contains water), plaster (contains water) and emulsion paint (contains water)?

Water vapour is lighter than air so will rise into the room above the kitchen, which you say is where the prob is

Still sounds like condensation.

 

[Milo19]

If you have been renovating the kitchen, did you use concrete (contains water). mortar (contains water), plaster (contains water) and emulsion paint (contains water)?

Yes, Yes, Yes and Yes..! lol

So, whats my next steps....Clean off the mould and ventilate the kitchen more when cooking. Probably best I stop using the radiator in my room to dry my jumpers!

I plan to have the conservatory wall skimmed in the new year...shall I remove the old painted air bricks and put new in? They are about head height! Could I then put vents at floor level in the new plaster board that goes up?

Lastly....should i still consider cavity wall insulation to be done. Like i said, i've was planning to have it done anyway?

Untitled

• Milo19
• 31 Dec 2009
• 1

 

[JohnD]

start by opening the windows more, and get an extractor in the kitchen and in the bathroom. The bathroom one should preferably come on every time you switch the light on, and run on for 20 minutes when the lights go off. A centrifugal fan is generally quieter and more powerful than an axial. If you mount the bathroom fan above the ceiling you don't have to worry about water from the shower getting at it. Do not mount a bathroom fan directly above a bath or shower. Electrical work IN bathrooms or kitchens is notifiable and should be done by a qualified electrician who can show that he is a member of a Competent Person scheme and will do the correct tests and paperwork.

You can hire a 105mm core drill for half a day or so, it will easily cut a neat round hole through your wall that you can fit the extractor duct into. Do not let rubble fall down the cavity. Ducts must go outside, not into the loft space. If you are running a kitchen extractor hood duct where it shows, you can consider the white plastic rectangular duct, which does not look too bad and can be painted or hidden above cupboards.

Never drape wet washing on radiators.

IMO the sooner you get the walls insulated the better. I believe it can be done for about £190 now. If you are old or on benefits it may even be free. Look for subsidised schemes on the websites of your gas and electricity suppliers, and Tesco. These companies all have a reputation to maintain and in my experience are anxious to avoid shoddy work and complaints.

The air brick may have been to ventilate the kitchen, or possibly an old pantry that has been removed. If it is not for the floor, and does not go to outside air, it may no longer be useful.

 

[Milo19]

Thanks for that.

The bathroom fan. Could I have going into the loft and then attach some piping and feed that towards the soffit board? and cut through that?

The old air vent in the kitchen would have vent externally, but when the conservatory was added they had some sort of sealant put in the actually small vent holes and painted over.