Built in Wardrobe - humidity

[brian284842]

Image gallery - https://imgur.com/a/970pdS9

There's a built in wardrobe in the bedroom of my house (first home which we recently purchased)

As you can see from the photos, it isn't very well finished, and I would like to redo it.

The humidity of the wardrobe seems to be quite high. There is some mould on the external wall side (see photos) but it does not seem to be getting worse. I think there must be some mild penetrating damp, either coming down from the roof (worn felt perhaps) or through the front wall (though I think this is less likely).

As it is minor damp, could I insulate the wall with something and then repanel the entire interior of the wardrobe?

I know that I will need to address the source of the penetrating damp, but I am looking for a temporary quick fix to make the wardrobe useable.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[bobasd]

can you please use another source for posting your pics? this imgur business doesn't make it on my screen.
show pics of all damp signs on any wall or ceiling.
show pics of the outside of the wall or walls.

have you been in the loft and had a look around above the wardrobe?
is there any damp in the room below?

any kind of built-in constructed against an outside wall will eventually begin to show condensation and mould in the fixture and on the wall.
careful venting of the fixture can help.

 

[brian284842]

Vent to attic in this pic:

 

[brian284842]

The eves of the loft are boarded up so I haven't made it in to check it out yet.

 

[bobasd]

thanks for the new pics.
what you show is classical condensation and mould.
bite the bullet and remove the whole fixture and treat the mould.
seems to be a chimney breast recess - c/breast flues carry their own weight in damp issues - whatever, the c/breast will not be helping.
has your flue or flues been swept and through vented from lower floor fireplace to stack terminal?

could be that that room needs constant trickle heat and ventilation to protect against condensation?

 

[sircerebus666]

Have you stripped the walls or was it like that when you moved in?

The walls look like they haven't been touched in a long time and that mould could of been there years, it also looks fairly minor too , it could easily have been caused by clothes being hung up in there still damp from washing.

I would treat the existing mould and see if it reappears before deciding on your next course of action.

What does that wall with the mould back onto?

 

[brian284842]

Thanks for your replies

There is indeed an old chimney breast inside the wardrobe area. I think the property probably had 4 fireplaces originally, two downstairs and two upstairs. It is an old Welsh terrace house built circa 1910. All of the fireplaces are walled over. The flue is vented in the room next to the one pictured, but not in this room inside the wardrobe. They are not vented downstairs.

The wall with the mould is not on the chimney breast but on the inside of the external wall.

The chimney breast area has a thin layer of polystyrene insulation on it - perhaps disguising a mould problem underneath.

A similar polystyrene layer was found under the wallpaper in the next room. I've stripped all that, replastered the room and haven't had a damp problem yet (just over 4 months).

Very rough room layout below.

Your comments are promising though. Whatever unseen problem I may have with the chimney, the mould is hopefully just condensation.

 

[sircerebus666]

If the outside wall has no pointing issues, the gutter is sound and not leaking and the roof is not leaking then yeah more than likely condensation.

Simply treat the mould and keep an eye on it would be my course of action

 

[foxhole]

I would say all your problems are due to lack of ventilation , hole in the ceiling does nothing .

 

[danechip]

I would rip it all out, clean up the mould. A small portable heater for a couple of days and a lick of cheap white paint and wait until spring if you plan to hang clothes in there. I had a wardrobe up against a damp wall. The back went mouldy and most of my clothes inside including 2 suits. All in the bin. Any mould outside of this space?