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Dampness on walls
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flowerscotland
Posts: 16,846 Forumite

Hi
I hope you can help, I have recently moved house and I have noticed that some of the walls in the house are damp to touch and some have the black mould on them. I have washed the walls effected, but it seems to be coming back.
I don't usually put my heating on until the evening, and I would usually open my windows during the day, if it's not too cold, which it has been lately unfortunately.
Next door is empty, two of the walls effected are facing onto their house, and I thought maybe because that house was empty and I was putting the heating on it was getting moisture through the walls but I'm unsure what to do about this ?
If anyone could offer any remedies I'd be grateful.
I hope you can help, I have recently moved house and I have noticed that some of the walls in the house are damp to touch and some have the black mould on them. I have washed the walls effected, but it seems to be coming back.
I don't usually put my heating on until the evening, and I would usually open my windows during the day, if it's not too cold, which it has been lately unfortunately.
Next door is empty, two of the walls effected are facing onto their house, and I thought maybe because that house was empty and I was putting the heating on it was getting moisture through the walls but I'm unsure what to do about this ?
If anyone could offer any remedies I'd be grateful.
Little Miss Sparkles :A
Team Reem - August '11 :cool:
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Comments
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By facing on to their house do you mean you are attached, ie their wall is your wall?
If this is a rented house prepare to look for some where else.0 -
Have you a humidity guage to determine rough humidity in the air (availbale on ebay for couple quid). Have you a dehumidifier to dry the wall out? Are these patches half way up the wall and at no joint? is there one or many of these?0
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What the OP is doing, is letting a lot of humid air in during the day, coming home to a relatively cold property, firing up the heating and then when the heating is turned off, the air is condensing on cold walls
Read up on condensation prevention and how to balance the use of heating and ventilation and usage patterns. But its a fine balance which may not be achievable, so a dehumidifier may help0 -
I live in a damp house, the spare room is the worst.
I have a dehumidifier in there which I have on FULL ALL DAY, or FULL ALL NIGHT:cool: :eek:
I also wash the wall with bleach from time to time, and Ive had "damp proof paint" put on the walls AND an air brick fitted....still damp:mad:
I think unless you have a proper damp course in the walls you are scuppered, just a case of keeping on top of it...:(Sealed Pot Challenge 5 #1440
Target £5000 -
By facing on to their house do you mean you are attached, ie their wall is your wall?
If this is a rented house prepare to look for some where else.
Yes they are directly next door, it seems to be my bedroom and the living room corner connecting to their house that's the worst.Little Miss Sparkles :A
Team Reem - August '11 :cool:0 -
Have you a humidity guage to determine rough humidity in the air (availbale on ebay for couple quid). Have you a dehumidifier to dry the wall out? Are these patches half way up the wall and at no joint? is there one or many of these?
I will get one of the humidity gauges thanks, I didn't know about those.
I don't have a dehumidifier but I will look into getting one, thank you for suggesting. The worst part is in the corner, the wall is wet at the bottom and then right along the wall at the bottom. I used to have my bed against this wall, so I thought it was lack of circulation, I pulled my bed out, put it against the other wall and bleached that whole wall and let it dry and it's just come back again.Little Miss Sparkles :A
Team Reem - August '11 :cool:0 -
iamcornholio wrote: »What the OP is doing, is letting a lot of humid air in during the day, coming home to a relatively cold property, firing up the heating and then when the heating is turned off, the air is condensing on cold walls
Read up on condensation prevention and how to balance the use of heating and ventilation and usage patterns. But its a fine balance which may not be achievable, so a dehumidifier may help
I am at home most of the time, so I open the windows for about half an hour in the morning, to let some fresh air in. Unless it's the summer of course, I would open them for longer.
I will read the information about condensation, as I get quite a lot of it on my windows too, I always wipe it off in the morning.Little Miss Sparkles :A
Team Reem - August '11 :cool:0 -
I live in a damp house, the spare room is the worst.
I have a dehumidifier in there which I have on FULL ALL DAY, or FULL ALL NIGHT:cool: :eek:
I also wash the wall with bleach from time to time, and Ive had "damp proof paint" put on the walls AND an air brick fitted....still damp:mad:
I think unless you have a proper damp course in the walls you are scuppered, just a case of keeping on top of it...:(
Thanks, I have been trying to keep on top of it, when I first found it I couldn't believe it ! I also suffer from asthma, so that's been bad, but it seems to have settled down a bit now.
I didn't know if heating the house more, or letting more fresh air in may help. I didn't want it to be something that I was doing.
Does the dampness in your house settle down over summer at all ? I'm hoping this won't last !Little Miss Sparkles :A
Team Reem - August '11 :cool:0 -
Hi flower,
I live in Scotland and find exactly the same problems as you. Damp and mildew and I use dettol, green bottle for mold and mildew, it seems really good at keeping it at bay for a few months. It is like reading my scenario, moving beds, chest of drawers away from walls, dehumidifiers, opening windows, do I put the heat on for longer? Windows with condensation, asthma yep same scenario I wheeze when I lie down and have been fine all day. Scotland has been extremly damp this year and on top of that I live by the sea. Good old bonnie sunny Scotland. I still love it tho so I'm stuck with it.0 -
Do you know who owns next door?
The shared party wall should be the last place you should get condensation as it should always be warmer than your outside walls/windows etc.
If its totally unoccupied then there may be a slightly leaking pipe making next door damp and This will slowly seep through to your side.“Careful. We don't want to learn from this.”0
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