Nasty mould problem. HELP!

ellas9602

We have a very bad problem with mould/condensation in our house and I’m looking for some advice.
We have had this at times before but it has been manageable but lately it has got really bad and my daughters bedroom is quickly covered in thick black mould about 3 days after I clean it off.

This problem also appears in my bathroom, downstairs behind settee and main bedroom, also in wardrobes (mouldy clothes). Youngest daughter’s room is inhabitable.

Have rang various damp control companies but they say I just need to open windows. We do open the windows and I don’t dry clothes indoors anymore. I understand that this is probably a ventilation problem and intend to try harder on the ventilation front but what if its not? It just appears on exterior walls and I’ve also noticed mould coming through on the wooden loft opening.

How can I be sure it’s not a structural problem?

My house is also pebble dashed on the exterior upstairs and I wondered if this might have anything to do with it. Also when the house was originally surveyed the survey mentioned that the concrete drive came too far up the house.
The problem got worse when we removed artex from the walls of daughter’s bedroom and papered it with lining paper. My double glazing also gathers (a small amount) of condensation between panes. Is this just another consequnce or a cause (bad seals)?


Any advice is greatly appreciated.

mrwibble

Get it fixed quickly - dehumidifier might be a short term fix possibly - the mould will release spores which aggravate asthma. I lived in a victorian terrace as a student which had really bad damp problems and mould, my health was pretty poor with constant chest infections and I felt lousy - moved out and was much better.

My current house had double glazing fitted by the previous owners in about 1995 but they didn't have ventilation slots fitted which means I regularly need to go to town with the bathroom bleaching cleaner - mould isn't that bad but need to make sure curtains are opened ! Only solution is new double glazing (11 windows plus a large patio door !) or aircon - so I just keep a few windows open in summer and make sure the curtains are opened in winter.

Well worth doing some googling on mould causes - lining paper might be aggravating though I can't really think that the drive has anything to do with it unless its stopping water draining effectively. You might find it worthwhile engaging a professional engineer with experience in humidity to advise - maybe cost around £250 but if it identifies what needs to be fixed then its money well spent rather than try this then that etc ...

Keep the forum posted on progress please !

NastyMatt

mould only grow on what it can i.e. there is mould resistant wall paper/paint etc do not use bleach use fungicide ( or what ever it is called. Go to a DIY shop and they will have mould cleaner )

Use waterproof sealant etc etc there are loads of things that can be done.

my flat has double glazing that will lock open on a small gap, this helps ventilate the rooms.

As mrwibble said, get some one in if it is very bad, the hassle you will save in the long run will be worth the outlay.

ellas9602

thanks guys, what about the mould that seems to be appearing on the opening to the loft? is just another symptom or could a problem in the loft be the cause?

mrwibble

Could just be on the entrance - have you checked in the loft ?

If it is just on the entrance then it may just be because the loft door is the only uninsulated area if you have loft insulation (thus the coldest bit on the ceiling) - the moisture will form on the cold loft door and cause mould to form.

Its likely to be just a symptom not the cause - do check if you have adequate ventilation / insulation in your loft - if its as bad as you say then getting professionals in is a priority - your health is worth the cost !

If they say "just open windows" don't use them - get a professional into identify the cause of the damp and recommend treatment options - you are better using an independent professional who are not under pressure to sell something.

You need to quickly educate yourself on mould causes though - look at :

http://www.bricksandbrass.co.uk/diyelem/extwalls/damp/dpmould.htm

And - http://www.rics.org/RICSservices/Findasurveyor/Public+Zone.htm - you can request the number of a local surveyor specialising in damp problems - for a different problem I spent about £200 getting a chartered surveyor to do a 5 page report including treatment options - I then spoke with several builders on a knowledgeable basis about exactly what I wanted.

Also http://www.rics.org/Builtenvironment/Buildingpathology/InfestationFungal/Toxic_mould_21082002.html - for info on health problems from mould

http://www.cookdampanddecay.co.uk/ - example of contractor

Steve_xx

Generally speaking the mould is appearing on cold surfaces. So it is that when the air in your home is warmed and it touches a cold surface it then condenses into water droplets on the cold surfaces. So the items touched become wet. The wet stays put and then mould forms in the warmed air and it starts to grow on the damp surfaces.

To stop it you will have to remove these water droplets from the air, with a dehumidifier. Or you can warm the wall up that's cold to stop the water condensing on it, but then you may find that it starts elswhere where the temperature of the room walls are variable. You could introduce a better airflow, thus ensuring that the warmed air, carrying the water droplets, is moved out of the house before it can settle on the walls.

An antifungicide wash of the walls should help. But in the long term success depends on you having a good airflow. The dehumidifier will help things a good bit.

The spores from the mould can be very damaging to people with bronchial conditions

wehavethepower

Hiya, I had the same problem as you in our bedroom. Black mould yuck! This all may be too late to post, but adding it here in case somebody does a mould search:
Here's what I did to get rid of it and it's never come back:
Go to Homebase & buy it's Mould cleaner I think it's called something like that - it's their own brand and it is a fungalcide or whatever. Treat it throughly with that. Wait to dry. Then while you're at Homebase buy a product called "stain damp" from Thomsons it's bleeding brilliant. Paint it with that. Job done.
Of course this is all to treat the problem after it's occurred, you should always consider why you have the problem in the first place. Prevention is always better than cure of course.

Stain Damp also is great if you've had a leak somewhere eg. ceiling, & the cause of the leak has been fixed but it's left a stain - paint this on and it's brilliant.
Just checked: the name of the product is "Damp Seal" by Thompsons.