Mold growing in rooms in attic - best solution/who to call?

superman909

Hello there. There has been mold growing in the attic of my mum's house, which is large Victorian house that is otherwise is relatively good nick inside (she regularly gets it dectorated, reports problems as soon they occur, etc). Anyway, my mum says the mold has been in the three rooms up there for about 3 years, and looks top be growing as time passes. It used to be really nice up there, but now it's quite run down as nobody goes up there.

I have no idea how to sort this out myself, and I am guessing some damp has got in somewhere, though walls feel dry right now after checking. Anyway, who would be the best type of person/company to call to sort this out most effectively, without breaking the bank?

WestonDave

How much heating is on up there - my guess is that someone has decided that as its not used they will turn the radiators off, which has in turn created a nice cold condensation trap. Once the condensation gets on the walls etc, that will form the base for mould.

I would get some heat up there, and wash the mould off with either a specialist mould killing detergent or neat bleach, and see what happens if you keep it warm and air circulating.

MickMack

Where is the mould growing, is it on the walls or ceiling?
Is it on external walls only or also on internal walls?

If the walls and ceiling are dry then its probably due to condensation over time, if the surfaces are wet then it may be a leaking roof or blocked guttering.

Do you ever notice condensation on the inside of the glass on the windows or on the inside windowsill? if so then its likely a condensation issue!

Is the heating turned off (you should try to keep some heating on during damp cold weather), if so you need to leave the window open slightly in the problem room(s) to allow a circulation of fresh air.


Alternativly you could try using a dehumidifier to prevent damp/mould caused by warm moist air from inside the house (for example from the kitchen or bathroom)

ariba10

Have a read of this.

http://www.harfordsonline.com/downloads/condensation%20info.pdf

superman909

MickMack wrote: »

Where is the mould growing, is it on the walls or ceiling?
Is it on external walls only or also on internal walls?

If the walls and ceiling are dry then its probably due to condensation over time, if the surfaces are wet then it may be a leaking roof or blocked guttering.

Do you ever notice condensation on the inside of the glass on the windows or on the inside windowsill? if so then its likely a condensation issue!

Is the heating turned off (you should try to keep some heating on during damp cold weather), if so you need to leave the window open slightly in the problem room(s) to allow a circulation of fresh air.


Alternativly you could try using a dehumidifier to prevent damp/mould caused by warm moist air from inside the house (for example from the kitchen or bathroom)

Thanks for the replies everyone. Well, yeah, maybe it is because nobody goes up there, and rooms do get very cold in the winter (there are no radiators at all up there!!!).... I

It is on both the walls and the ceiling, and has damaged some stuff up there (like a few photo alnums which we have managed to save in time, and some old pictures, as it is growing on them too)..... As I said, the house is huge, so it would be caused by the cold air I guess in the room? How does it work? Some wallpaper is peeling off up there, paint is flaking, etc.... Looks like a big job

smcqis

ariba10 wrote: »

Have a read of this.

http://www.harfordsonline.com/downloads/condensation%20info.pdf

customary line