Damp/Mould issues on bedroom wall...

[gingamonkey]

Hi,
The bedroom in our 1930s semi has a bay window and the bedroom wall either side of it is suffering with damp/mould issues (the internal side of the front of the house). There are damp problems where it doesn't get much air circulation.... On the one side, behind a small bedside table, and the other side within a 'wardrobe' - I've installed sliding doors along the whole dividing chimney breast wall and either side is fitted with poles, etc for hanging clothes. Where the clothes meet the external wall we have discovered that it is REALLY damp and mouldy.

A bit more info - The radiator is at the other end of the room, and there are definitely no damp issues caused from external issues - No leaking guttering, and it was all re-rendered with lime render a few years back.

I think it's just down to air circulation, and those external walls being so cold. If I were to install a 'false wall' and add insulation to the inside of the wardrobe, I'm worried I'll just be hiding the problem. Is there a proper procedure for doing something like this?

I was thinking I'd stud it out a little, add a vapour barrier and some celotex before plasterboarding over it?

Would this work, and if so, which side would the vapour barrier need to go on - Inside or outside edge of insulation?

Any help much appreciated - Thanks!

 

[Wayners]

Kingspan acts as a vapour barrier as it has a tin foil coating.
Can stick that to wall then stick board over.

Why not get a dehumidifier and run for a few hours over the winter months. Don't cost much to run. I don't know how much they cost but we run two and haven't noticed an increase in electricity although there must be some

 

[ree]

OP,
I've come across what you describe many times over the years.
Your proposed solution wont work, you will end up with the same slimy difficulties within a few years.
Why not send pics of the wardrobe & furniture runs?

 

[foxhole]

Insulate and ventilate.No need for batons , just wastes space, you could just glue insulated plasterboard directly to wall .

( you don’t dry washing indoors I hope)

 

[JohnD]

The bedroom in our 1930s semi has a bay window

In such houses the bay is usually not solid brick, but a wooden frame covered with tiles or render on the outside and L&P plaster on the inside.

Is yours?

This construction has negligible insulation and consequently is cold and attracts condensation and damp.

It can be corrected, at quite low cost.

 

[gingamonkey]

Thanks for the replies all - @JohnD, yep it used to be just a gaping hole behind the tiles with lathe and plaster on the inside of the wooden frame.
When we renovated, I put kingspan in there, and there's also the added warmth/protection of a built in window seat which covers most of that area too.

This section is actually no trouble at all - No damp, mould or condensation at all. It's the solid walls either side of it with the issue.

A few people are suggesting to just affix insulation directly to the wall, but what will this do for the moisture build up? Won't it just be trapped between the original wall and the new interior surface and cause even more problems?

Thanks all

 

[JohnD]

The humidity is inside the room, so you put a moisture vapour barrier on the warm side. Insulation board and plasterboard is available with a foil backing, and you tape the seams.

Battens are useful if the wall is very irregular, but are not needed otherwise.

 

[gingamonkey]

Just looking into insulated plasterboard as suggested by some posters (eg. Kooltherm K118 Insulated Plasterboard)....

To do a nice clean job and not lose any wardrobe space, would removing the old original plaster back to the brickwork (*cracks were patched and walls reskimmed when we bought the house about 15 years ago), and replace with this insulated stuff?

Would that give us the cleanest/less fudged and optimum insulated solution?