Black Mould Problem

[SpencyCWS]

Hi Everyone,

Firstly, great forum and sorry if I have posted in the wrong forum, but I could not find anything else to fit.

I have had a problem with Black Mould in my house for the past few years.

I get rid of it every month, but still it comes back.

This year, I took the bullet and got a professional in who fitted two extraction type fans, one in the kitchen, one in the bathroom.

The house had high levels of humidity, which was causing a condensation problem or was a part of the problem, so we had hoped that these fans would bring the humidty down, which to be fair, it feels like it has and also condensation does go much quicker...

But.....

The black mould is coming back, even though I think I have sorted a patch of installation that wasnt full up to the roof which is where the worse of it was.

We get it on the tops of the window edges, around some of the corners and roof of the bedroom and also around the doors.

I really hoped that these fans would solve the problem, they cost enough, but I am just getting more and more fed up with this unsightly stuff on the walls and celing in one room, despite it being better than ever.

Does anyone have any advice?

We were told never dry your clothes indoors, which is impossible not to in the winter and also to remove condensation with a shammy, which we also do.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Ventilation my dear friend!

John D will be along shortly.

Andy

 

[SpencyCWS]

We were told that with these Fans, to keep the windows closed?

Is that incorrect?

 

[JohnD]

If, in a bathroom, you close the window while the fan is running, it will extract the moisture more efficiently.

At all other times, and in all other rooms, closing the windows will prevent ventilation.

Much more here //www.diynot.com/wiki/building:condensation_in_houses

 

[SpencyCWS]

So, we should be keeping at least one window on the latch at all times?

We have pvc but no trickle vents, so need to put on latch to get ventilation.

Is there any reason my house would suffer more than others?

In the row of four we are in, we are the only ones with black mould?

 

[JohnD]

In UK houses, the greatest cause of condensation, damp and mould, is people draping wet washing around the house and over radiators. If you do this the house will always be damp.

That apart, you need to open the windows, at the very least every morning, on both sides of the house so there is a through-currrent of air; and you need to run your extractor fan during and after every bath and shower until the moisture has gone (this includes wet towels).

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

 

[SpencyCWS]

John,

Really appreciate your advice.

We have night storage heating so do not have radiators per-say, but we do have to dry our clothes in doors during the winter months.

I will take your advice and start putting the windows on both side of the house on the latch.

In terms of the mould, I do treat and remove but do you recommend any products.

 

[JohnD]

no.

bleach will kill mould for a day, but if the room is damp, it will come back.

drying the room will stop the mould coming back.

 

[foxhole]

I just renovated a house built in the 50's it had a vent in every room, two in the bathroom and three in the kitchen, no traces of mold, pity they don't still build them like that. Retro fitting trickle vents or installing wall vent to rooms will help, the kitchen and bathroom still need permanent vents even with extractor units.

 

[^woody^]

What type of property and construction do you have, and what way do the main windows face?

Some properties are more susceptible to mould, and it may be that however hard you try, you might not eliminate it

People have to live in a property, so its not always good or appropriate advice to say don't dry washing, or open windows or do this and that

Condensation is a case of getting a balance between heating and ventilation, and knowing how to use them wisely. And if after doing the normal things and you still have a problem, then as a last resort , fitting a "Positive pressure fan" may be a solution

Read up on condensation prevention, and there is a big thread on the "lofty" fan in the building section

 

[SpencyCWS]

Hi Woody,

Appreciate your reply.

It was built 1975 or so, normal brick terraced house, just a quick build in a small development I guess.

I had the loft insulated, but where it had not covered the far right of the bedroom, there was a ton of mould coming through.

Every year I would do the same, get rid, make it nice, then it came back over the winter.

This year I bit the bullet and got these fans put in, after being told this would pretty much cure my problem.

I put the insulation back and it did seem to help.

But now i notice it up the side of the patio doors, front doors and its just getting me down.

Out of the four houses in our row, we are the only ones to get it.

But .......

Since having my lad, there are now more people in the house and we do more washing.

If you imagine the window is in like its own little block, all the above of the window gets covered in this mould and also down the sides, the bedroom is the main issue but as I say, it affects all the windows upstairs.

Also, on the outside of the bathroom window I have also noticed its going black and under the top of the roof, even with these fans.

I could understand if they all had it, but its just mine.

We do try to dry clothes outside but in the winter we literally have no choice as to dry them inside and i can not open the windows as my lad often gets bad chests, so need to limit this.

I feel like im fighting a losing battle in the winter, as in the summer of course we have no issues.

 

[JohnD]

bad chests, and damp, often go together.

The fans will only have an effect when they are turned on.

Wet washing causes damp, no two ways about it.

 

[SpencyCWS]

The fans are on all the time, I was told to leave them running.

Apparently they only cost a couple of quid a year to run, so they constantly do.

 

[jal]

The fans are on all the time, I was told to leave them running.

Apparently they only cost a couple of quid a year to run, so they constantly do.

Your not the only one mate - i'm having a simular problem in one of the bedrooms, having a small amount of black mould appearing in corner of walls and near window cills.

My house is a end terraced house - non cavity walls- and have double glazed windows (old type, but are knackered, and they get watery and i am pretty certain this is the reason to why i'm get mould appearing) - i've started to use a dehumidifier in the room during the winter and it did seem to help with condensation..

Before i treat the mould and repaint - I am now investing in ugrading my windows first to A rated windows and that'll also will help with windows getting condensation on them.

Important aspect i've learnt is ventilation!