Please please help me!! Re damp, mould and condensation....

**purpleprincess**

I live in a studio flat and I have just one large window in the flat. In the winter the condensation is awful and the window is often soaked in water.

Question no. 1 What is the best way of me taking the water off each day? With a squeegee thing?? Like this perhaps?? I've got a watereater on my windowsill but it just gets soaked and I am struggling with the drying of it.

Question no. 2 As a result of the poor ventilation (just having one window) I have got spots of mould appearing on my ceiling. How can I stop this??? and am I ok just wiping it off when it appears???

I'm sure I had another question!! But have forgotten!!!:p will come back when I remember!!!

Question no. 3 how can I stop damp in my flat!!!

Thank you!!

Lil_Dee_2

I'm not really sure as to the do's and don'ts of removing the mould off the ceiling - I do know that some moulds are not good at all, and keeping on top of it is somehting you really need to do as best you can. Is there any way you can leave the window open, if only slightly, to help with the condensation ?

If you can, buy a dehumidifier, but make sure it's a decent-ish one. They do cost to run, but if you use it when necessary (ie. when you shower/bath, have wet washing hanging to dry) then I would think it would help considerably.

When we moved into our last place, I bought a cleaner specifically for mould/mildew removal, and made sure I got it all. It was awful to use, quite over-powering smell etc. but combined with the dehumidifier, it stopped all but the worst of the mould coming back. I just cleaned up any mould as soon as I spotted it, and had very little problem.

**purpleprincess**

Lil_Dee wrote:

Is there any way you can leave the window open, if only slightly, to help with the condensation ?

Unfortunately it is a large window so it's one extreme or the other!! I leave the window open all day while I'm at work and if I'm out working in the evening I leave it open then too, but does make the flat cold at this time of year!!

Lil_Dee wrote:

If you can, buy a dehumidifier, but make sure it's a decent-ish one. They do cost to run, but if you use it when necessary (ie. when you shower/bath, have wet washing hanging to dry) then I would think it would help considerably.

I have got a dehumidifier but it got really costly to run (doubling my electricity costs each week!!!) and it was sooo noisy!! which is difficult in a studio flat, can't hear anything else!!! Might try just putting it on when we have a bath....

Lil_Dee wrote:

When we moved into our last place, I bought a cleaner specifically for mould/mildew removal, and made sure I got it all. It was awful to use, quite over-powering smell etc. but combined with the dehumidifier, it stopped all but the worst of the mould coming back. I just cleaned up any mould as soon as I spotted it, and had very little problem.

Got a cleaner so will use that, but it's just a pain in the @rse!! Will just wipe the mould away when I see it and hope that helps....

Thanks Lil Dee!!

Just how to removed the water off the window!!

WestonDave

Presumably within this space, you are breathing, cooking and bathing and from what I can see the only ventilation is the one window. All of the above activities generate moisture, which while the air is warm will remain in the air, but as soon as the air touches a cold surface it will deposit water as condensation. The worst point will be the window, but by the sounds of it the ceiling is also getting coated. hence the mould.

The basic fact is you can't keep adding all that moisture to the air and not expect it to deposit somewhere within a sealed space - you have to either introduce ventilation either by opening the window or by installing an extractor fan, or take the moisture back out of the air by using a dehumidifier. Anything else is really just dealing with the symptoms (mould, streaming windows etc) rather than the crux of the problem.

You can squeegee the water off the window but the problem is you will probably then end up with water that you need to mop up with a cloth, which you then leave to dry somewhere - putting more moisture back into the air adding to your vicious circle.

Can you not get some kind of extractor fitted either near the bath or by the cooker (or both) that will at least take some of the moisture out? Alternatively open the window but find someway to block up part of the gap so it isn't a howling gale - what about getting a piece of plywood and fitting a variable vent into that so you could wedge the wood into the open gap and then have a controllable vent? (obviously I can't see the window so don't know if this is practical or sensible on security grounds).

never_enough

I'm guessing that your window isn't double glazed if the condensation is so bad? If it's not practical to have a new window put in then there is a cheap alternative. It's like cling film, that you put over the window & then heat with a hairdryer so it tightens up. It doesn't look particularly wonderful, but is fairly effective, cheap & you can peel it off in the Spring.
Whilst ventilation is the answer, if you have the window open at this time of year you may actually be making it worse, especially into the evening. Not over the last few days with the gales, but I've noticed some days can be very damp. I've only managed to have my windows open for an hour or so before it seems to be doing more harm than good.
I put my dehumidifier on a timer as the noise was driving me crazy in my last place. I was elsewhere in the flat though, not sure it's a good idea if you're out of the flat.

Poppycat

.................

**purpleprincess** wrote:

Question no. 1 What is the best way of me taking the water off each day? With a squeegee thing?? Like this perhaps?? I've got a watereater on my windowsill but it just gets soaked and I am struggling with the drying of it.

I would either increase ventilation, ie air brick, air vent or get a dehumidifier
You could increase the air temperature which in turn would allow it to absorb more moisture, but the best way would be a dehumidifier

Question no. 2 As a result of the poor ventilation (just having one window) I have got spots of mould appearing on my ceiling. How can I stop this??? and am I ok just wiping it off when it appears???

The mold is caused by poor insulation. I had this problem in our two bedrooms. I got more insulation and wiped the effected with a solution of bleach and water, and then painted over. It hasn't come back in 3 years but previously it did until insulation was increased


Question no. 3 how can I stop damp in my flat!!!

I assume it a basement or ground floor flat. It could be that the damp course has been breached and would need specialist help.

**purpleprincess**

WestonDave wrote:

Presumably within this space, you are breathing, cooking and bathing and from what I can see the only ventilation is the one window.

Exactly right! And also drying clothes!!:o :eek:

WestonDave wrote:

All of the above activities generate moisture, which while the air is warm will remain in the air, but as soon as the air touches a cold surface it will deposit water as condensation. The worst point will be the window, but by the sounds of it the ceiling is also getting coated. hence the mould.

Ok.....

WestonDave wrote:

The basic fact is you can't keep adding all that moisture to the air and not expect it to deposit somewhere within a sealed space - you have to either introduce ventilation either by opening the window or by installing an extractor fan, or take the moisture back out of the air by using a dehumidifier. Anything else is really just dealing with the symptoms (mould, streaming windows etc) rather than the crux of the problem.

Got just the window, and have a half hearted extractor fan in the bathroom which I have on when using the bath etc. And as mentioned before I have got a dehumidifier but is a bit of a pain!

WestonDave wrote:

You can squeegee the water off the window but the problem is you will probably then end up with water that you need to mop up with a cloth, which you then leave to dry somewhere - putting more moisture back into the air adding to your vicious circle.

:think: didn't think about this, how do I stop this vicious circle

WestonDave wrote:

Can you not get some kind of extractor fitted either near the bath or by the cooker (or both) that will at least take some of the moisture out?

I have got the half hearted extractor fan in the bathroom and I suppose I could put the dehumidifier on while I'm cooking. I always keep the lid on anyway to stop too much steam escaping out.

WestonDave wrote:

Alternatively open the window but find someway to block up part of the gap so it isn't a howling gale - what about getting a piece of plywood and fitting a variable vent into that so you could wedge the wood into the open gap and then have a controllable vent? (obviously I can't see the window so don't know if this is practical or sensible on security grounds).

:think: I can take a picture of the window later and show you what it's like? Trouble is it is large and opens forward to get a "small" gap at the top but is obviously still big as is all the way along!! Or you can open it completely fully!!

**purpleprincess**

never_enough wrote:

I'm guessing that your window isn't double glazed if the condensation is so bad? If it's not practical to have a new window put in then there is a cheap alternative. It's like cling film, that you put over the window & then heat with a hairdryer so it tightens up. It doesn't look particularly wonderful, but is fairly effective, cheap & you can peel it off in the Spring.

It is a double glazed window!

never_enough wrote:

Whilst ventilation is the answer, if you have the window open at this time of year you may actually be making it worse, especially into the evening. Not over the last few days with the gales, but I've noticed some days can be very damp. I've only managed to have my windows open for an hour or so before it seems to be doing more harm than good.

Ah, didn't think of this either

never_enough wrote:

I put my dehumidifier on a timer as the noise was driving me crazy in my last place. I was elsewhere in the flat though, not sure it's a good idea if you're out of the flat.

That's the thing with it being studio, can't be elsewhere!! Probably not a good idea to have it on while I'm out??

**purpleprincess**

Poppycat wrote:

I would either increase ventilation, ie air brick, air vent or get a dehumidifier
You could increase the air temperature which in turn would allow it to absorb more moisture, but the best way would be a dehumidifier

How could I increase the air temperature?

Poppycat wrote:

The mold is caused by poor insulation. I had this problem in our two bedrooms. I got more insulation and wiped the effected with a solution of bleach and water, and then painted over. It hasn't come back in 3 years but previously it did until insulation was increased

How would I increase insulation?

Poppycat wrote:

I assume it a basement or ground floor flat. It could be that the damp course has been breached and would need specialist help

I live in a flat on the first floor!!

Poppycat

You could turn the heating on higher or longer periods. I actually get less condensation now since I leave heating on all night but on low, as I suspect having in on during when you awake and then off when asleep the flat temperature plummets so all that moisture will go to the coldest parts of the flat which are often windows, outside walls.

The warmer the air the more it can absorb water in the atmosphere.

You could get the ceilings lowered assuming its high ceilings, I was just informing you how I solved the problem

You going to have to use that dehumidifier and not dry clothes.

**purpleprincess**

Poppycat wrote:

You could turn the heating on higher or longer periods. I actually get less condensation now since I leave heating on all night but on low, as I suspect having in on during when you awake and then off when asleep the flat temperature plummets so all that moisture will go to the coldest parts of the flat which are often windows, outside walls.

The warmer the air the more it can absorb water in the atmosphere.

You could get the ceilings lowered assuming its high ceilings, I was just informing you how I solved the problem

You going to have to use that dehumidifier and not dry clothes.

I don't have the heating on I have a storage heater which is pants so never goes on and I have a portable oil filled rad that I put on when it gets very cold.

Just average ceilings! and I rent the flat and there are 2 more floors above me

Thank you for your help though, anything is helpful x

I think I am going to have to use the dehumidifier aren't I, soooo noisy though!!

Re the drying clothes, not sure what to do about this one

I dunno what I'm going to do!!!!!!!! *exasperated smilie*