condensation on internal walls

[laura1111]

Hi

I am new to this, but need some advice on our house which since we moved in has become somewhat of a nightmare!!! I need advice on lots of things, but this is about the above.
We live in an 1890's semi detached (it looks like an end terrace, but is a semi) it is rendered - but needs re doing, and has iron strut bars across the front (most of the houses in our road do!) the problem is, our house is really cold, i think because it lacks in insulation, the loft it done, but i think the walls are solid brick, therefore we cant get cvi as no room, so it looks like either external or internal insulation. anyway, the heating is off all day but we put it on when we get home from work about 6pm and its on until about 10pm, during the day the we open the window and leave it on the catch throughout the day, but at night when the heating is on, we get condensation on the inside wall by the window, i always knew the walls got a bit of mould on them, ever since we moved in, but the other day when it was really cold outside the water rand down the wall as i dried it off - how can i stop this from happening? we only had complete new plaster inside all of the rooms a year ago, and now the wall has got mouldy again im not sure whether it si ok to treat and paint over the top or to strip it back and re plaster (it is only the alcove walls)

any advice would be greatly received - and sorry if i have rambled!

thanks

 

[dave1953]

Hi,
Condensation time is October to March in most cases and basically it means that the relative humidity within your property[ water in air ratio] has reached dew point in certain areas. Dew point is the temperature at which the relative humidity reaches saturation point and condensation occurs.This is due to many factore and lifestyle is one of them. Do you dry clothes indoors, any animals in the house, not enough prolonged background heating etc etc. Try hiring a de- humidifier , this will absorb excess moisture in the air. It should give you a reading of your properties relative humidity and around 55% and lower is good.If its 75% which I would bet it will be around to start with then think on to exactly what you can do to improve it. Hope this helps.

 

[Crispa]

I had a similar problem with an old terraced house. Basically, the cold walls cause any water vapour in the house to condense making them wet and providing a breeding ground for mold. This was at its worst in the spare room where the heating was hardly used. I got advice from a specialist who told me to try to keep the vapour in the house to a minimum by having the windows on trickle vents when drying washing, keeping the heating on at a low background setting and by purchasing a dehumidifier. Of all these remedies, the most effective was the dehumidifier. Hope this helps.

 

[libby lou lou]

S1mple th1ngs l1ke, make sure your s1nk/wash1ng up bowl, mop becket or even bucket are empty, keep 1t dry 1n the bathroom, open the w1ndow for 20 m1ns when used, dry s1nk/bath, remove wet towels, put the bog l1d down.

you really need a l1ttle heat and vent all day long.

 

[kisoro]

I too have had a problem with condensation and staining on the inside walls of two rooms. I live in an old stone cottage with 2' foot wide walls and, until recently, have been using a portable gas heater to supplement the central heating, and that partly did contribute to the extra moisture in the atmosphere.

However, I have now resolved the problem of mould, damp and god knows what else in the two rooms most affected.

First I thorougly cleaned down the walls with a mix of bleach and water. Then I sprayed, via aerosol, an anti-mould liguid which you can buy from any supermarket.

Next I applied two coats of Anti-Condensation paint (made by International - B&Q etc sell it) which has had the effect of warming the surface of the wall and as a result, no more staining or dampness has since appeared! It's brilliant stuff.

But I didn't finish there! I have lined the walls with the Warmaline (by Decorlite, B&Q etc sell it) which is a polystyrene wallpaper, about 1.5 millimetres thick, that is designed to keep walls warm. Very easy to apply. I am about to shortly paste over this with vinyl wallpaper, horizontally, to protect the Warmaline from any knocks, and then I will paint the wallpaper with emulsion.

I know this is a touch of belts and braces ( the anti-condensation paint alone has made a huge difference to the warmth of the room) but I like to do a job properly! Alas, all this doesn't mean you won't still have condensation on your windows (even double glazed windows aren't immune) but there's plenty of other advice around about that.