Condensation in cupboard

[NickZim]

Hi,
I have recently discovered some really bad condensation in the cupboard behind our bathroom which is causing damp in the wall behind the cupboard. Two questions,

1. Is there something I can use to get rid of the mildew that seems to now be flourishing on both sides of the wall?

2. How can I stop condensation in this cupboard... we don't get it anywhere else?

Thanks
Nick

 

[JohnD]

Condensation on a wall behind a cupboard is usually because the cupboard is insulating the wall from the heat of the room, so the wall is colder than the moist air. Is it an outside wall? Or is there an unheated room on the other side of it?

If the condensation has soaked into the wall, then it is possible to put an impervious coating on the warm damp side to stop moisture getting into the wall in future. You can get mildew-killing sprays, or use dilute bleach, but curing the moisture is the first thing to do.

Start by addressing the excessive humidity in the bathroom.

Usually an extractor fan is a good way to do it. Preferably linked to the light switch so that it is always running when people are in the bathroom (some people have a mental aversion to ventilation and won't turn extractors on)

Have a look at //wiki.diynot.com/building:condensation_in_houses and see which of the causes apply in your case.

If you can put up a diagram or photo of the cupboard/wall/bathroom layout we may be able to understand the situation better. Sometimes damp patches near a bathroom are caused by plumbing faults.