Who do I need to speak to?

[Carolinew]

Hi, My apologies that I'm not quite posting the way that I should be as I'm not actually planning to DIY this problem - it's way beyond me. But I really don't know who I need to speak to to find a solution, and thought that there would be plenty of experts here who could guide me.

We have terrible mould in our bathroom and bedroom in the outside corner wall. In the bathroom it is clear (at least, I think it is) that it's a condensation issue. We have no window, and an extraction fan in the ceiling which nevertheless leaves the bathroom steamed up for quite a while after use. Do I need to have a window fitted? Or a better extraction fan? Or is there someone I need to get in to advise me? A builder or a surveyor perhaps?

In the bedroom I suspect it's condensation too, but why on earth are we getting it and what do I need to do to resolve it? Again, who do I need to get in to advise me? Our double glazing no longer has a proper seal and it did cross my mind that this might be the problem???

I feel very ignorant, as I simply have no idea what to do or who to go to for advice.

I must get this resolved as the spores have now infected my lungs, despite spraying, cleaning, and painting with mould suppressant paint. I am concerned that my children may become infected too and want to sort it as quickly as possible.

Does anyone know what I need to do / who I need to speak to?

Many thanks
Caroline

 

[ivixor]

First thing you need to do is get rid of that moisture. Once the mould is dry, it will die and you can just brush it away and repaint.

The problem is the humdity, not the mould. The mould is a symptom of the problem. There's some really simple things you can do to try and fix the problem:

Do you ever dry clothes in the house? If so stop doing that right away.

Do your windows have the ability to latch closed but leaving a ventilation gap? If so, set a few of them around the house like that. You don't want a 'proper seal' on windows - what you need is more air going through the house, not less.

If that still doesn't help then yes you can get a specialist in to have a look.

 

[Carolinew]

Thanks for the reply ivixor.

I don't dry clothes indoors. And unfortunately I can't latch my windows open, although perhaps the solution is to replace a couple of windows to do this?

I do open the upstairs windows wide (this is where the problem is) every morning for about half an hour to air through thoroughly. Perhaps this isn't enough, though.

 

[pinenot]

Have a look at the toilet fan operation whilst your at it, I had a humidistat one recently replaced, that switched on and went round ok even switched on when it detected moisture in the air, only it didn't have what it took any more to create a good circulation of air, 9 - 10 years old, worth checking?...pinenot

 

[SimonH2]

Once the mould is dry, it will die and you can just brush it away and repaint.

My understanding is that the mould doesn't die, it just becomes inactive. And the last thing you should do is brush it off without using a good mould killer first as that sends the spores out into the air.

As the others have said, it's the humidity levels that do it. The walls, especially outside ones, will tend to be cooler than the air in the property - and so once the humidity reaches a certain level it will start to condense on the coldest parts. Corners and behind furniture are usually worst affected as the lack of airflow allows them to stay colder than the rest of the walls.

Don't forget that each person puts a surprising amount of moisture out just by breathing, and then you have all the other sources of moisture that have been mentioned.

The next thing to look at is the heating. Do you keep the place warm, or do you keep it cold and put extra layers on ? I have a flat I've rented out for about 10 years now, and never had any problem prior to the last tenants - they did the latter, barely used the heating, and then blamed the flat for the mould (I think they were actually after not paying any rent). No previous tenant had a problem, and the current tenant has no problem - which shows that simple lifestyle changes can make a big difference.

As a temporary measure, and bear in mind that it's dealing with the symptoms rather than the cause, it may be worth trying a small dehumidifier. Just dropping the humidity is likely to deal with the problem - just leaving you to treat the mould that's there. If that's successful you will need to look at where the humidity is coming from in the first place.

 

[^woody^]

It seems that you have a condensation problem. There are lots of threads on here about it, and even a sticky

Condensation mould is caused by you and your use of the property. In a very very small percentage of cases it may be down to a defect.

Remedies are altering ventilation and heating use, and it may involve insulation too to remove the cold wall surface.

From what you say, you need better bathroom extraction. This may also improve the bedroom situation, or you may need other measures there.

Get proper advice from an independent surveyor who can give the specialist advice (ask them if they deal in this specialism) - or even an environmental health officer. Don't ask builders and don't ask any firm that sells the products to cure the problem

Any bedroom mould needs to be chemically treated down to the bare plaster.