Damp?

[philpug]

I think we have damp problem?, hoping you guys can help?
The hallway,lounge and 1 bedroom sometimes smell as if there is a bit of damp around. Just fitted new double glazing and was hoping that the old DG windows were contributing, but no.
After placing moisture traps (these things have crystals which absorb excess moisture) in the rooms was alarmed to see that over a couple of months a good amount of water!
But why the smell and how can I get rid of it, the floor is concrete in the lounge and hall.
The house was built in the 80's and the damp course is four bricks from ground.
Any help please?
Thanks

 

[NickStone]

Do you have trickle vents? If not, moisture-laden air (from cooking, breathing, etc) cannot escape. People have been conned into believing that dg will solve condensation problems. It won't. All it means is that the moisture will condense elsewhere, in places you can't see, such as inside cupboards etc. Think about it: double-glazing stops warm air escaping but it also stops clean fresh air coming in. The more efficient the dg, the less ventilation. Damp grows on moist surfaces, hence the smell.

 

[philpug]

Thats a good point!!, no we dont have any trickle vents either in the loung or hallway. Of course my next question is how do we sort this without holes in the wall for grilles?

 

[NickStone]

Phil, I may be wrong on this but I have a feeling building regs introduced last year made it compulsory to have trickle vents when replacing windows (if your previous ones had them) or if not, at least to ensure an adequate alternative source of ventilation. If this is the case - and you need to check - you can go back to your installer and insist that they rectify this. Otherwise, I do know it's possible to have vents installed retrospectively but I gather it's very fiddly. In some cases, vents can be put in the wall itself. Adequate ventilation is so important with double-glazing and the installers often just simply turn a blind eye to it. 'Well, it's the householder's job to sort that out.' In the short-term, you can get rid of the dampness in the air by buying a dehumidifier.
I only know about this problem because the same thing happened to my mother as happened to you - and that smell ain't going to get any better. Best of luck.