Cupboard on corner of two external walls condensation

[IanWood]

Hello,

In the back bedroom we have a built in airing which used to have the boiler and water tank in. This was removed last year and a new combi put in the loft.

The walls of the cupboard were coated with shiny foil like rubber like material presumably to reflect heat back from the boiler.

Yesterday I went to look for something and noticed with horror that the walls of the cupboard were soaking wet and several items completely sodden and mouldy.

I have now removed all that shiny stuff. I am guessing that it was all so wet because of the temperature difference between the wall and the air inside the cupboard and the shiny stuff being water proof meaning that it all condensed on it.

The walls in that room are very cold, but they don;t have a condensation problem. Also new DG windows were fitted this year (without trickle vents)

At the moment the cupboard is almost empty and the doors are open and the windows are on the latch to air the room - its quite cold now.

Is it a problem itself to have a built in cupboard like this with two external walls and little ventilation?

This room will become the baby room so I want to make sure its ok.

What should I do? Remove the cupboard? Fit an air brick?

Thanks in advance,

Ian

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

do you have insulation in the cavity?

 

[IanWood]

I am not sure if there is a cavity, the room was built during or after the war due to bomb damage.

How can I tell if there is a cavity?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

How can I tell if there is a cavity?

If it's built in brick, the brick formation may help.

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk...How-do-I-identify-whether-I-have-cavity-walls

 

[foxhole]

You need ventilation. only cure for condensation.

 

[IanWood]

Thanks guys for the help and sorry not to respond earlier - got a 12 week old who is keeping us busy!

do you have insulation in the cavity?

Thanks for the link, unfortunately from the pattern of the bricks I think there isn't a cavity. The walls in that room are very cold indeed too.

I have had a good look around the forums including //www.diynot.com/wiki/building:condensation_in_houses and //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=109516 and have come to conclusion that the lack of air movement in the cupboard, moisture gets it but can't get out and so condenses.

So, given that there isn't a cavity wall what should I do?

Also, as the walls are very cold, making the room very cold I need to improve the insulation of that room. I imagine it is possible to fit insulation on the inside of the walls somehow but don't know how.

Can someone point me in the direction of how to insulate the walls - the cupboard is a pain but having the room to cold is a far bigger problem.

Thanks again,

Ian

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

There is a few methods one includes insulating from the outside, but not normally a practical thing to do.
By insulating a single leaf wall you will lose some internal room space.
Again there are a number of ways of doing this, hope this link helps
http://www.insulation.kingspan.com/uk/pdf/k18.pdf

 

[wreckedit]

Provide the wall doesn't get damp from the outside then by way of an experiment all you need do is stop the warm air in the room getting to the cold of the wall. This can be done with a heavy embossed wall paper (blown). Or anything like that. Don't want to detract from the good advice you've been given on here for a permanent job but if you don't want to lose space then bonding a thin insulating material to the wall will help.

 

[foxhole]

Any covering put on the wall will become as cold as the wall not preventing condensation.

 

[accelerator]

Are you sure that water is not getting into the wall from the outside?

Rgds

 

[IanWood]

Are you sure that water is not getting into the wall from the outside?

Rgds

Pretty sure it was condensation and not from the outside. The walls are very cold and with no airflow in the cupboard I can see why it happened.

Will look into ways of insulating the walls.

 

[digdilem]

What about a few one-inch holes in the bottom and top of the cupboard? From underneath rather than facing for cosmetic sake...

Problem seems to be both the cold wall and lack of air movement. Insulating the wall might also help - even with stick-on polystyrene. It's in a cupboard, don't need to be that fussy...