Avoiding mould without putting the heating on?

LilacLillie

MRSTITTLEMOUSE wrote: »

Have to agree with you.We live in a very old house with realy thick solid walls and it's realy difficult to heat as the rooms are huge and have very high ceilings.
The first winter was a nightmare as I realy had no idea how I should be managing such an old property but after some research I found opening windows so there was a through draught for a couple of hours every morning helped enormously.However we did buy two de-humidifyers to run when we were cooking or had heating on.They cost very little to run and fill up quite quickly and we have had no problems since even when we've had to dry washing overnight.
I also use damp crystal units in the wardrobes and on the bay windows and they've stopped any mould.I have 23 of these throughout the house,which cost me about £15 a year for crystals but much cheaper than re-decorating and suffering mould.
We have to be careful as much in the summer when it's hot as we get loads of condensation then too with the thick walls and so we run the dehumidifyers overnight to get rid of the moisture and they cost very little I can assure you.

Can you tell me where you buy the cyrstals from please?
I used to buy packets in Woolworths up to last year, so don't know where to find them this year.
Thanks
LL

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

LilacLillie wrote: »

Can you tell me where you buy the cyrstals from please?
I used to buy packets in Woolworths up to last year, so don't know where to find them this year.
Thanks
LL

I get mine throughout the year from Lakeland,they always have them.

purpleivy

We have a cellar that is damp. It's not too bad in the winter, but much worse in the summer.

David_Aldred

Crystals of the type you speak of and salt are hygroscopic and will pull moisture from the air. This may be alright in a confined space of small volume but hopeless for attempting to reduce the relative humidty within a room unless you want to bring the material in by wheel-barrow loads and once they have reached saturation point / are in balance with the relative humidity that is it unless you dry the material out and re-use it.

If the flues are functioning an open fireplace will produce around 2-5 air changes per hour which is a hell of a lot and one of the best things you can do. Have the flues checked and if appropriate for their intended use of having a coal fire - get one going which will warm the fabric of the building.

De-humidifiers are fine but the type sold by the DIY / electrical stores are too small for whole houses and tend only to be good enough for the room they are in.

Yes open windows / have background ventilation / fit humidistat controlled extractor fans to kitchen / bathroom / utilty which operate automatically and consider PIV units that incorporate a heater - see previous posts on here re: damp mould and condensation by myself and dampdaveski. Hope this helps kindest regards David Aldred Independent damp and timber surveyor

Penelope_Penguin

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a_j_mair

Remember about your pipework. No heating could cause frozen and leaking pipes = more expensive than having your heating on.

27col

If there was a way of preventing condensation without applying any heat, don't you think that the many posters on this forum who complain about condensation, would already be doing it. In any event, why would you want to go through the winter in an unheated house, if you did not really have to. If you really cannot afford to heat the whole dwelling then I would think that you would need to establish some area to act as a warm citadel.within it. If you are going to let condensation spoil both your clothes and your decor, and be miserable feeling cold as well, where's the money saving bit. All these dehumidifiers and salt crystal containers are just locking the door after the horse has bolted. It seems to me that the money should be spent on prevention of condensation, not trying to mitigate the results of condensation.

wallbash

27col sums it up .

David Aldred puts it well

Kay Peel Makes the point , in a few words


Ventilate and look at your life style

tara747

27col wrote: »

If there was a way of preventing condensation without applying any heat, don't you think that the many posters on this forum who complain about condensation, would already be doing it. In any event, why would you want to go through the winter in an unheated house, if you did not really have to. If you really cannot afford to heat the whole dwelling then I would think that you would need to establish some area to act as a warm citadel.within it. If you are going to let condensation spoil both your clothes and your decor, and be miserable feeling cold as well, where's the money saving bit. All these dehumidifiers and salt crystal containers are just locking the door after the horse has bolted. It seems to me that the money should be spent on prevention of condensation, not trying to mitigate the results of condensation.

I agree wholeheartedly. I know it is expensive to heat a house but what 27col says is true. Also, there is the issue of your pipes etc as a_j_mair pointed out.

trrk

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. We will use the heating a little bit but just don't want to have it on all the time (apart from the money saving aspect it also makes my eczema worse when I have it on every day).

Does anyone know what the damp crystals are - are they calcium chloride or something else ?