damp and heating

sammyw

We rent our 3 bed bungalow. In the bay windows and outside wall corners of 3 rooms there is mould/damp. This has got worse since the landlord replaced the central heating system and removed the rads from the bays.
There are still 1 radiator in the rooms which is supposed to be the correct size, but it is noticeably colder than when there were 2 rads in the rooms.
I'm really concerned about the mould growth and wondered if buying a plug in heater to put in the bay would stop the mould? If so, which would be best?

andyrpsmith

First have a look to see what may be causing the damp. Most likely would be rising damp, look outside at the wall under the bay. Is there any earth up against the wall (if so remove it from around the bay to a low a level as possible) or if there are air bricks are they blocked. Is the wall being splashed by any water from a drain pipe from the roof. Could it be water running down the wall from the window cill during rain.

Inside you may have a condensation problem, a cold wall will attract moisture and subsequently mould. My friend lets a flat and the new tenant keeps drying clothes in the living room which has caused mould to appear nearly everywhere. If you have condensation problems a dehumidifier may help. If you heat the room more with little ventilation the warm air just absorbs more moisture which condenses out when the room temp drops overnight.

Remove the mould and wall paper and clean with fungicide (or other mould killing solution) solution. Dry wall as much as possible and paint with anti mould paint (bathroom and kitchen type which is often guaranteed for 5 yrs mould free).

Best to try and identify where the moisture is coming from to effect the best solution.

Cardew

Heat doesn't solve a dampness problem - it merely masks the problem as warm air carries more moisture.

Ventilation is the key in many cases, too many houses are hermetically sealed; particularly bathrooms.

As stated above a dehumidifier will remove excess moisture, but the underlying cause should be found and eleiminated.