Help with a damp flat

mustrum_ridcully

moromir wrote: »

In all fairness... the OP should not dry laundry in the property for a few weeks and see if there is any improvement and not just remove laundry before the surveyor turns up...

If the surveyor recommends expensive work on the basis that the OP isn't doing anything to aggrevate the situation, thats a bit ... immoral is the wrong word but leading people to bark up the wrong tree so to speak, fairs fair and all.

It's no more immoral than blaming the problem on tenants when it's actually a flaw in the building (or to put it another way house/flat isn't fit for purpose).

Drying laundry indoors is pretty normal - I know plenty of people who dry laundry indoors and have never ever had a problem with damp. Yet I know other people who don't dry indoors but have a damp problem (even with extractor fans fitted).:(

jake2010

Ok the Dehumidifier is working ok, half pint from another room over night. still a bit of condensation on the window. i will keep trying maybe look in to getting another one, do you think i should see if the landlord will buy one for the flat or is that unreasonable? as she is coming over with a builder to assess the situation next week

What is the best treatment for removing the black mould of the walls? what would people recommend? I have also herd of salt crystals to help is this correct or an old wife's tale? any other ideas welcome

last for now, is there a good way to remove/kill the mould in wooden furniture?

thanks again

BitterAndTwisted

A chlorine bleach solution should remove and kill the black mould on the walls although I'm not sure whether chlorine would damage wooden furniture. Maybe it would be best to try it on an unobtrusive area first. You can also get proprietary mould removers from places like B&Q as well but they are likely to be much more expensive then plain old bleach. Salt and some other types of crystals will absorb moisture but not in the quantities you require, so I wouldn't bother with those. If the dehumidifier is powerful enough that should keep things under control.

When the LL visits next week I would most definitely suggest having a chat about them either paying for the dehumidifier or making a contribution towards it perhaps once it's been established that you are not the cause of the condensation and damp yourself.

As an experiment, to confirm that the drying of laundry is most definitely not the cause of your condensation and damp I would stop drying any whatsoever indoors for the duration as this is often what the cause is in properties where damp has not been a problem before.

RaiderHammer

jake2010 wrote: »

I went out and got a Dehumidifier and it has been on for the last 8hrs when i was working, and have come back to being about a 1/4 of a pint, so it must be doing something.

it should't matter about the laundry being dried as it is in the bathroom and the door is closed and the window slightly open 24/7 and no sign of damp there. so i dont believe that to be a factor it is also across the hall from the damp problems & also i use a tumble dryer for a lot of my clothes.

May I ask what dehumidifer you bought and the cost please? Thank you. I have an excessive condensation problem.

anselld

These are good ... EBAC
... and quiet. But not the cheapest (£175)

I don't know how well the cheaper ones work, the extraction rates jake2010 mentions above seem fairly poor to be honest. The EBAC will easily fill 3.5 Litres in under 24hours in even slightly damp conditions.

moromir

mustrum_ridcully wrote: »

It's no more immoral than blaming the problem on tenants when it's actually a flaw in the building (or to put it another way house/flat isn't fit for purpose).

Drying laundry indoors is pretty normal - I know plenty of people who dry laundry indoors and have never ever had a problem with damp. Yet I know other people who don't dry indoors but have a damp problem (even with extractor fans fitted).:(

Nobody has suggested that there isn't a problem with the building, but it is generally accepted that it is much more likely that mould appears from condensation than a structual problem.

The problem has to be approached logically and by process of elimination. That process has got to start with the tenant removing as many probable causes of condensation as possible and seeing if there is any improvement over a number of weeks, bearing in mind that it is winter and the problems caused by condensation are more prevailent with the more extreme drops and rises in temperature inside the property.

Once the tenant has done this only then is it sensible to call in a specialist who can often be quite expensive and cause further damage to the property taking core samples etc.

I used to work in a company that managed some commercial property (although I didn't work in maintenance) and the guy there used to approach it that he'd ask the occupier to take reasonable measures to remove sources of condensation (he had a booklet from HSE I believe) and then if the occupier was really insistant that a specialist came out right away and they wouldn't wait, he'd only agree to instruct on the basis that if it turned out to be condensation that the occupier would pay for the cost of the report if they didn't want to wait to try the things in the booklet first.

If you're looking for a fast resolution might this be an avenue worth persuing OP?

jake2010

RaiderHammer wrote: »

May I ask what dehumidifer you bought and the cost please? Thank you. I have an excessive condensation problem.

Hi there I got mine from B&Q the price as 79.99
I have also borrowed a Delonghi dehumidifier they look very similar that as purchased from macro for just under £100

wrightk

try to resolve this issue immediately with the landlords help. Most of the time you will probably have the finger being pointed at you for either ;not opening the windows enough,not putting extractor fans on or drying laundry on the radiators in the house.

If all else fails and you find the landlord unhelpful call in enviromental health who will have a department at your local council, they will be able to come out and assess the situation, test the walls with a damp meter which will tell you whether there is a structural fault, rising damp etc

too late now but i would advise against buying a dehumidifier, if your renting the place imo you shouldnt be buying anything to try and help the problem. Its the landlords property not yours! If your doing everything right, opening the windows reguarly, extractor fans being kept on not airing clothes indoors etc then its not your fault.

If there is an issue with the exterior of the property ie damp coming in through the walls then a dehumidifier will do nothing to help, the problem needs to be addressed at the source.

From the explanation you gave, obviously its a moisture problem that you have in your rooms and if there is mould growing in corners of rooms it could be getting in from outside, is it at the bottom of the walls? if so thats another sign of it coming from outside. Physically feel the walls, are they exterior walls, do they feel wet or cold compared to the other walls.

Like i said though try to resolve amiciably with the landlords help, calling in the enviromental health department could hinder your relationship with the landlord and you could find yourself like we did with your 2 months notice to leave

good luck and stand your ground against anyone coming into your home who tries to persuade you that its your lifestyle thats causing this!

jake2010

Today the landlord came round with a builder, the builder seemed to know what he was on about and he was saying it was condensation & penetrating damp.
The cause from the condensation is badly installed extractor fans so they will be getting replaced, also air bricks need to be put in a few different rooms. the penetrating damp has come from badly fitted gutter and pipes.
So there will be getting fixed in the next few weeks.

I am left with a problem, I have a lot of furniture that is been ruined and had to throw away due to warping and mould growth, what should i do? could i get the land lord to claim on there insurance?

Doozergirl

I doubt the landlord will have cover for your contents. Normally if you want contents insurance, you buy it yourself.