redecorating a cold, condensation prone room

dixie_dean_2

Not sure what a drimaster is but have looked at heat recovery ventilation (if that's the right name) and also those things that fit into the loft and supposedly increase airflow and make the house warmer. Both are around £300 I think - which would be ok if I was convinced they would work. Am open to any solution really, apart from lots of heating.

dixie_dean_2

I think maybe the mould free paint would be the best option. Although, similar to the ventilation systems, I can't seem to find many people who have experience of it, which I find a bit strange as I know the condensation and mould issue crops up so often on here.

PugLady_2

We had this problem in our house due to our walls not having a cavity. My son's bedroom used to suffer really badly with condensation and mould. It was that bad we couldn't put a bed along the gable wall as it would get wet from the condensation running down.
We found the only solution was to dry line the walls as suggested by Western Dave.
My husband batterned the walls out and added a layer of insulation. He then plasterboarded and skimmed them.
The bedroom is now completely dry has been all winter. You don't lose alot of room as you only have to do the external walls. It is definitley worth doing in my opinion.
Initially it will cost you, but you will be able to decorate and know it won't get ruined.

dixie_dean_2

Interesting to hear that that worked Sue, thanks. It's a very big room and is actually a our spare room so would be no big deal to lose the space, however the cost may be an issue. I'll look into it.

dampdaveski

Hi dixie,
This is what I specify regularly, last one was this morning!
If your room has an external wall it is going to be colder than your windows, so condensation and mould will form easily on this.
subject to your pocket!
Dry Lining
Fitting treated timber grounds (wooden roofing lats are perfect) onto the wall and plasterboarding it with an insulated plasterboard and skimming will warm the wall a treat
http://www.ebuildingsupplies.co.uk/custom/shop/category?categoryID=1305
The kind of stuff I use is on the above link (I've never used these people before, they just have decent pictures!)
Another option is to build an independant wooden frame out of 2"x2" (or similar)fit rigid insulation inbetween the frame and outside wall, then plaster board and skim.

Mould treatment
as someone else has stated anti condensation paint is an option, it's expensive and you have to decorate on top of it. It works but there are cheaper ways of doing it
Buy an anti mould additive to add into your chosen paint finish
There are LOADS of people selling this stuff out there. the main one I use because it comes in 100ml bottles is from http://www.condensationproducts.co.uk
I use the steriliser from here too, I get it cheaper than you will because I'm buying several boxes at a time at the mo.
a single bottle of steriliser spray is expensive from here as the postage will be silly (the bottle is heavy).
If your going to decorate and put additive in your paint don't bother with the steriliser and just use diluted bleach (carefully) immediately before you start painting
you can get similar stuff from www.twistfix.co.uk and http://www.dampness-info.co.uk
Look on www.wykamol.com I was going to give you other manufacturers but most of them are pushing overpriced paint!
gives you an idea though

Condensation Control
Insulating the problem wall may well sort it out, however it might be difficult to do your window reveals etc or might be just too expensive.
The other thing to consider is that warming the problem wall MIGHT shift the condensation elsewhere, for instance your wardrobes might start getting mouldy inside etc or curtains, bedding etc etc
I install Drimaster units every day of the week at the mo. they are a positive input ventilation unit that is fitted in the loft, they basically trickle drier, filtered air into the house continously, basically not allowing the air in your house to get wet enough for long enough to cause problems.
you'll find more info on them here
http://nuaire.co.uk/Product/Residential_Products/Positive_Input_Ventilation
Envirovent do a similar unit which is also good, but overpriced
http://www.envirovent.com/home/healthy_homes.php

you'll get an envirovent unit from www.twistfix.xo.uk
i buy my drimasters from where I get my additives from, alternatively just google 'buy drimaster' or 'buy envirovent loft unit'

hope this helps
DD

dixie_dean_2

Cheers dave, that sounds like great advice. So in your opinion do the drimasters work? I've heard they're quite easy to install but I'm not the handiest so how much would it cost to pay to have one installed? Also, are there any homes they are not suitable for?

Thanks again.

dampdaveski

dixie_dean wrote: »

Cheers dave, that sounds like great advice. So in your opinion do the drimasters work? I've heard they're quite easy to install but I'm not the handiest so how much would it cost to pay to have one installed? Also, are there any homes they are not suitable for?

Thanks again.

I hope they do! In a word yes they do, I fit loads and loads of them, I also have one in my house!
Drimasters are not suitable for a property without a loft, though there is a unit called the Flatmaster (unsurprisingly ) for those kind of properties, also they are difficult to install in properties with very small hallway / landings.
A sparky shouldn't charge any more tham £100 for installing one
download the brochures and fitting instrucions before you buy one just to be on the safe side

good luck

dixie_dean_2

A sparky? From what I had previiously read I thought it was more a joinery type job or general DIY. Now, the missus' dad is a sparky so that could be good. Although it is a VERY small landing. Cheers for your help.

dixie_dean_2

Just been reading some reviews and I really think this could be the answer! At around £250 and a few beers for the father-in-law it's not too bad either. Which model would you recommend please dave? Or would you need more info? Also, regarding the small landing, we're talking 2.5ft x 2.5ft at a guess and the "hatch" to the loft takes up most of the ceiling space.

dampdaveski

Hi Dixie,
Doh! does your landing extend over the stairwell? or is it just a square with a trap hatch in the middle?
If it is then you can't fit a drimaster (or any other PIV unit for that matter) in such a confined space. The only option would be to move the trap hatch into another room and convert the landing cieling back to a cieling and then fit the drimaster grille centrally to the landing.
If your landing extends over the stairwell then it's just a bit of a balancing act for the FIL and an extra beer of 3 for his efforts

If it's not an option to get a drimaster fitted (or similar) the other option is to fit continous duty extractor fans to the kitchen and bathroom, continous duty means, a fan that works all the time so when you switch it on it extracts on full speed, then when you switch it off the fan reverts back to a trickle mode, ie it turns over slowly thus giving a continous background ventilation, this in conjunction with anti mould additives in paint / or making your walls warmer with insulated plasterboard etc etc could well make the problem more manageable.
Worst case scenario is to get a dehumidifier (I despise them, as they react to a symptom of the problem AFTER it has occurred)
Hope this little lot helps
DD