Damp On Wall

10past6

Hello peeps :hello:

We have a built in wardrobe with two doors, both doors have sufficient ventilation into the wardrobe.

The wall inside the wardrobe is covered in mould, which I have tried to remove using damp proof paint, some items in the wardrobe has mould / damp on them, I’ve had the wall checked by our building surveyor (Leasehold flat) the wall is bone dry, I cannot understand what is generating this damp / mould.

We don’t have damp / mould anywhere else in the bedroom, just on this one wall within the wardrobe, obviously it generates a smell within the bedroom which is noticeable.

Any suggestions please?

Airwolf1

If you're in a flat, is there a flat above you? Could that have a leak?
Are there pipes carrying water between the flats?
Contact your insurance company, I reckon they'd send someone out to take a look at it and take it from there. If they couldn't ascertain where it was coming from, they'd recommend a specialist. Also, check to see if you have trace and access cover on your policy as well.

10past6

Airwolf1 wrote: »

If you're in a flat, is there a flat above you? Could that have a leak?
Are there pipes carrying water between the flats?
Contact your insurance company, I reckon they'd send someone out to take a look at it and take it from there. If they couldn't ascertain where it was coming from, they'd recommend a specialist. Also, check to see if you have trace and access cover on your policy as well.

This is a purpose built flat, repairs / faults are carried out through the managing agents, that being said, I don't believe the flat above me has a leak, I've spoken to the owner and checked the area in their bedroom to see if any water was coming though to ours.

The building surveryor has checked my wall with one of those damp gadgets, and my wall is completly dry

BB1984

I would def recommend trying to get to the root cause of the problem, in case it's something ominous. But in the meantime, to dry out the inside of the wardrobe a bit - you can buy cheap "dehumidifiers" which are basically plastic tubs with a vent on the top, filled with water-absorbing crystals. You have to replace the crystals every so often, but they're cheap in places like Wilkinsons, Poundsaver etc.

Airwolf1

Is it just condensation?

At the very least, contact the managing agents. They should get someone to advise. It can't just appear without a cause, whether that cause is condensation due to conditions or what.

WestonDave

Sounds like condensation to me due to a combination of lack of ventilation (still spots even if accessible will often attract mould if they are cold). Try and get hold of two fairly accurate thermometers - stick one on the wall where it is damp, and one on the wall in the main part of the bedroom for a few days. I'll lay odds the one in the wardrobe regularly shows a lower temperature than the other and that is where the problem lies - warm air can hold more moisture than cold air - if the warmth of the room isn't getting into the wardrobe (and/or that is a particularly cold wall e.g. outside wall) then the air in there will drop moisture when it hits a cold surface forming condensation which if not cleared will then form mould.

rosie-marie

Yes sounds like condensation to me too. We had similar problem - cleared up using a dehumidifier. My aunty had same problem which she cured using a small heater tube set on low on a timer during the night. I would recommend a dehumidifier though.

10past6

WestonDave wrote: »

Sounds like condensation to me due to a combination of lack of ventilation (still spots even if accessible will often attract mould if they are cold). Try and get hold of two fairly accurate thermometers - stick one on the wall where it is damp, and one on the wall in the main part of the bedroom for a few days. I'll lay odds the one in the wardrobe regularly shows a lower temperature than the other and that is where the problem lies - warm air can hold more moisture than cold air - if the warmth of the room isn't getting into the wardrobe (and/or that is a particularly cold wall e.g. outside wall) then the air in there will drop moisture when it hits a cold surface forming condensation which if not cleared will then form mould.

Thanks everyone for your advice / opinions :A

Weston Dave, I think you're right, I'll get hold of a couple of thermometers and try your suggestion, we've recently invested in a dehumidifier which seems to have taken some out the smell out of the air, I can't believe how much water it gathers overnight, in the meantime, is there anything I can coat this particular wall with, as I say, I've used damp proff paint, and the fungus / mould (I thought it was damp) just keeps reappearing.

WestonDave

First thing is to kill any mould and spores that are on it - you can get commercial mould sprays but to be honest if its not a decor problem (and as its hidden in a cupboard I guess probably not) then neat bleach will do the job pretty cheaply - it will smell for a while but its not as nasty to use as the mould sprays which require masks etc.

If the wall is an outside wall so the cold is effectively coming in from outside then I would try to line it with something insulating - three options spring to mind. Firstly something like cork tiles - cheap but not that easy to clean. Secondly in some stores (e.g. Wilkinsons) you can by plastic fake wall tiles which have a polystyrene insert - these would have the double advantage of being insulating and wipe clean making it harder for the mould to get a grip. They just stick on the wall so very easy to fit.

Finally you can buy rolls of polystyrene "wallpaper" which is intended to go under normal wallpaper - you could put that up and then paper over it again but that's probably a faff in a wardrobe.

I'd probably go for the tiles. The other thing to watch is that this sort of problem is often worse when autumn is coming on and people are hanging off putting on the heating - that is a good idea from a money saving perspective, but you end up with corners like yours getting very cold and mouldy - you need to weigh up whether a sensible amount of heat is cheaper than replacing ruined clothes and decor.

TimBuckTeeth

I have the same problem with mould in a fitted wardrobe on an external wall.
Unless the door is removed it will be colder than the rest of the room and condensation will form.
I have removed everything from the cupboard including a shelf, have wiped the mould off with diluted bleach and placed the containers with moisture absorbing calcium carbonate crystals and it seems much better.
I have cavity walls but they are not insulated, it would be a good idea to get them insulated. The pointing on the bricks on the external wall was falling out in places and maybe letting in water so I got that redone which seems to have helped.

10past6

WestonDave wrote: »

First thing is to kill any mould and spores that are on it - you can get commercial mould sprays but to be honest if its not a decor problem (and as its hidden in a cupboard I guess probably not) then neat bleach will do the job pretty cheaply - it will smell for a while but its not as nasty to use as the mould sprays which require masks etc.

If the wall is an outside wall so the cold is effectively coming in from outside then I would try to line it with something insulating - three options spring to mind. Firstly something like cork tiles - cheap but not that easy to clean. Secondly in some stores (e.g. Wilkinsons) you can by plastic fake wall tiles which have a polystyrene insert - these would have the double advantage of being insulating and wipe clean making it harder for the mould to get a grip. They just stick on the wall so very easy to fit.

Finally you can buy rolls of polystyrene "wallpaper" which is intended to go under normal wallpaper - you could put that up and then paper over it again but that's probably a faff in a wardrobe.

I'd probably go for the tiles. The other thing to watch is that this sort of problem is often worse when autumn is coming on and people are hanging off putting on the heating - that is a good idea from a money saving perspective, but you end up with corners like yours getting very cold and mouldy - you need to weigh up whether a sensible amount of heat is cheaper than replacing ruined clothes and decor.

Thanks Dave

I'll give the bleach idea a go, and I'll take your advice re the tiles I have a Wilkinsons close by so I'll pop in.

Cheers