Black mould( PLEASE HELP)

[xxinxsxx]

Hi,in live in an end terrace house and have built 2 cupbpard in ourbed rm both are in the corners and have a leaast 1 outside wall in them.They have 1 air vent in each and we leave the door open .But still get black mould on the outside walls in cupboard.Please can some 1 help me sort this out?????????????/

 

[Blasphemous]

I'm not sure I've got this straight...

You have built cupboards in two of the corners of the bedroom - OK.

They have 'one Air Vent in each' - I assume you mean the WALLS leading to outside have vents in?

You 'leave the door open' - What door? The cupboard door? The bedroom door?

You get 'black mould on the outside walls in cupboard' - I'm lost on that one. Where exactly is the mould? On the actual brick wall? Inside the cupboard? On the outside of the cupboard?

It sounds like a ventilation problem but we need you to clarify the points above and answer some questions below. Essentially, have you blocked or hindered the ventilation bricks in the walls? If so your problem with the mould will persist until you provide adequate ventilation. Have you 'butted' these cupboards right up to the wall? Have you tried to extend the ventilation by installing a vent in the bottom/side of the cupboards? Do these cupboards go from the floor up, ie like a wardrobe? Opening the window may help but it's cold at the moment so I doubt you'll be wanting to have that open through the night. Which, if you are an average sleeper, is when you and possibly a partner, will spend approximately 8 hours exhaling warm moist air into a room that, if I my assumptions are correct, has inadequate ventilation. The warm moist air you breath out is struggling to get outside. It hits the cool air that is struggling to get inside and so condensation forms around that area, which in turn leads to damp conditions, which in turn can lead to mould.

However, as I have already pointed out above, I may have misunderstood your description and so there may be other factors effecting this.

We need you to be more descriptive. Particularly, if you could address the points/questions above.

 

[foxhole]

As mentioned you need more ventilation, both wardrobe and walls need a vent ideally a wall vent in the wardrobe.Had a similar problem in a built in wardrobe I used a 2" core drill to put in a small vent in cup'd and mold and damp went away.

 

[JohnD]

this is typical of condensation inside or behind furniture.

The outside wall is obviously cold, but warm, moist air from the room gets into the wardrobe, and consenses on the cold wall. The damp causes the black mildew.

You should add a small vent from the outside into the cupboard to let the cold, dry air in (yes, cold outside air is DRIER than inside air) and keep the wardrobe doors shut.

If you want to spend extra money you can out a pipe heater inside the wardrobe against the cold wall, at the bottom.

see also //www.diynot.com/wiki/building:condensation_in_houses
because reducing the overall moisture in the house will help.

If you drape wet clothes around the house it wil always be damp, and there is nothing anyone can do to help.

 

[xxinxsxx]

I'm not sure I've got this straight...

You have built cupboards in two of the corners of the bedroom - OK.Yes

They have 'one Air Vent in each' - I assume you mean the WALLS leading to outside have vents in?No on the side of cupboards .

You 'leave the door open' - What door? The cupboard door? The bedroom door? Both

You get 'black mould on the outside walls in cupboard' - I'm lost on that one. Where exactly is the mould? On the actual brick wall? Yes .Inside the cupboard?Yes. On the outside of the cupboard?No.The cupboards are built into the corners of bedroom floor to ceiling.so if u imag a box 2 side are wood and the other 2 sides are outside brick and plaster walls.9 inch no cav.

It sounds like a ventilation problem but we need you to clarify the points above and answer some questions below. Essentially, have you blocked or hindered the ventilation bricks in the walls? If so your problem with the mould will persist until you provide adequate ventilation. Have you 'butted' these cupboards right up to the wall? Have you tried to extend the ventilation by installing a vent in the bottom/side of the cupboards? Do these cupboards go from the floor up, ie like a wardrobe? Opening the window may help but it's cold at the moment so I doubt you'll be wanting to have that open through the night. Which, if you are an average sleeper, is when you and possibly a partner, will spend approximately 8 hours exhaling warm moist air into a room that, if I my assumptions are correct, has inadequate ventilation. The warm moist air you breath out is struggling to get outside. It hits the cool air that is struggling to get inside and so condensation forms around that area, which in turn leads to damp conditions, which in turn can lead to mould.

However, as I have already pointed out above, I may have misunderstood your description and so there may be other factors effecting this.

We need you to be more descriptive. Particularly, if you could address the points/questions above.

we also have a dehumidifire in the room.

Would more vents in the bottom and sides do the trick??

 

[Blasphemous]

we also have a dehumidifire in the room.

Would more vents in the bottom and sides do the trick??

The dehumidifier can only do so much. As I said, you are expelling 'warm air' all night long. As JohnD has stated above and foxhole makes reference to, you need 'more' ventilation than you currently have. If the cupboard is blocking this ventilation then the problem will never go away until you re-establish ventilation. As JohnD has also mentioned, if you are drying clothes in the room/house, this is compounding the issue. I am not saying you cannot dry your clothes in the house but if you are doing this then 'extra' ventilation should be provided to the room with the wet clothes in.

To summarise, re-establish any ventilation you have interrupted and remove the black mould with a bathroom mould cleaner or such like. You should not see any further build up following this. As the saying goes... Ventilation, Ventilation, Ventilation!

 

[xxinxsxx]

we also have a dehumidifire in the room.

Would more vents in the bottom and sides do the trick??

The dehumidifier can only do so much. As I said, you are expelling 'warm air' all night long. As JohnD has stated above and foxhole makes reference to, you need 'more' ventilation than you currently have. If the cupboard is blocking this ventilation then the problem will never go away until you re-establish ventilation. As JohnD has also mentioned, if you are drying clothes in the room/house, this is compounding the issue. I am not saying you cannot dry your clothes in the house but if you are doing this then 'extra' ventilation should be provided to the room with the wet clothes in.

To summarise, re-establish any ventilation you have interrupted and remove the black mould with a bathroom mould cleaner or such like. You should not see any further build up following this. As the saying goes... Ventilation, Ventilation, Ventilation!

So more vents then.
Can they be vents into the room or do they have to be vents to outside air???Thanks for your help!

 

[JohnD]

You should add a small vent from the outside into the cupboard to let the cold, dry air in (yes, cold outside air is DRIER than inside air) and keep the wardrobe doors shut.

 

[xxinxsxx]

You should add a small vent from the outside into the cupboard to let the cold, dry air in (yes, cold outside air is DRIER than inside air) and keep the wardrobe doors shut.

Ok,So it would do the trick if i was to put air vents in the ceiling of the cupboards into the loft as the air from out side is flowing up there and would go in from the ceiling and out the other vents ??????????And i could then close the door of the cupbords then????

Thanks

 

[willy6215]

hello everyone i have just posted a similar problem and did not see or read this post first.
would fitting a air vent into my room with the damp problem help reduce or cure it?

 

[JohnD]

yes

 

[xxinxsxx]

yes

Is that yes to my last post johnD ???????? xxinxsxx

 

[JohnD]

no

















ventilating to the outside will generally reduce condensation but see the Wiki link for more.

 

[xxinxsxx]

You should add a small vent from the outside into the cupboard to let the cold, dry air in (yes, cold outside air is DRIER than inside air) and keep the wardrobe doors shut.

Ok,So it would do the trick if i was to put air vents in the ceiling of the cupboards into the loft as the air from out side is flowing up there and would go in from the ceiling and out the other vents ??????????And i could then close the door of the cupbords then????

Wot do u think johnD and all??????

Thanks

 

[JohnD]

I can see that warm moist air will flow upwards into the loft

but it will surely be replaced by more warm moist air from the room.

you need to get cold dry air into that cupboard.

have you thought about reducing the humidity in the room?