Damp, mould, peeling paint - HELP!

thegirlintheattic

Our bathroom since last summer has been a nightmare. No matter how long we leave the extractor on, how many of those moisture catchers we put down and how long we leave the window open we seem to always have lots of condensation which leads to mould.

The bathroom has 3 external walls as it's part of an extension which I think is the main source of the issue as it gets incredibly cold. So far we've kept on top of it with mould spray from lakeland but have had to replace our furniture as it got rusted/tarnished from the constant moisture.

Recently we've had the paint peeling off from large areas of the bathroom. We believe this is because the moisture has got under the standard (non-bathroom) paint the LL has used. As it now looks like we will not be moving (we were just going to have it taken out of our deposit) does anyone know how to fix this?! LA has said we cannot repaint any part of the house as it's on the market - but we feel we need to do something. Any ideas of how to make it better?

Also are these cracks and broken celing normal? http://www.flickr.com/photos/26375659@N04/

mart.vader

thegirlintheattic wrote: »

Our bathroom since last summer has been a nightmare. No matter how long we leave the extractor on, how many of those moisture catchers we put down and how long we leave the window open we seem to always have lots of condensation which leads to mould.

The bathroom has 3 external walls as it's part of an extension which I think is the main source of the issue as it gets incredibly cold. So far we've kept on top of it with mould spray from lakeland but have had to replace our furniture as it got rusted/tarnished from the constant moisture.

Recently we've had the paint peeling off from large areas of the bathroom. We believe this is because the moisture has got under the standard (non-bathroom) paint the LL has used. As it now looks like we will not be moving (we were just going to have it taken out of our deposit) Why should you have to pay for a fault that is not of your making? The LL used the wrong paint

does anyone know how to fix this?! LA has said we cannot repaint any part of the house as it's on the market - but we feel we need to do something. Any ideas of how to make it better? Ask LL to repaint, using proper paint, and ask for a contribution towards the moisture catchers and mould spray that you have had to use.

Also, does anyone know if cracks between plaster board and the celing/skirting board are normal? They're quite common, but its no big deal. LL can fix easily using Decorators caulk or "Polyfilla"

You could also ask for LL to pay for your furniture that got rusted/ tarnished, but I think LL would start to think it would be cheaper to give you notice !

I have some problems with condensation, which become less, with each window that I replace with double-glazed uPVC. (They're currently D/G aluminium)

I have been considering getting a dehumidifier before next winter, to see if that helps.

thegirlintheattic

mart.vader wrote: »

You could also ask for LL to pay for your furniture that got rusted/ tarnished, but I think LL would start to think it would be cheaper to give you notice !

I have some problems with condensation, which become less, with each window that I replace with double-glazed uPVC. (They're currently D/G aluminium)

I have been considering getting a dehumidifier before next winter, to see if that helps.

We've got UPVC and until recently thought a dedhumidifer would be too expensive as we were moving soon.

Can you take a look at this photos of the cracks? Just noticed that a small patch of ceiling has come down!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26375659@N04/ Celining is third and fourth pictures.

WestonDave

Are the walls/ceiling white or coloured?

thegirlintheattic

WestonDave wrote: »

Are the walls/ceiling white or coloured?

Cream walls and white ceilings.

WestonDave

Cream makes it harder. White I'd suggest a coat of a decent mould killing paint (Zinsser Perma White is good although not cheap) but matching the cream will be hard if not impossible.

If its on the market then its probably not worth doing much more than basic cleaning - if the landlord won't repaint it then its less likely to sell which gives you more time to find somewhere else you prefer, at which point you can give him notice rather than being dictated by his sale plans. You'll probably get clobbered on your deposit but with a bathroom that cold (possibly single skin extension) you will be fighting a losing battle to keep the mould down until the weather warms up - it will be liveable over the summer and I'd be looking to move before autumn to leave the problem to someone else.

thegirlintheattic

lol, I want to move but unfortunatly those plans seem to have fallen through, one of the reasons was to get rid of the problems with this house.

LL has had the property on market for over 2 years with nothing so doubt it will sell soon but I get your point.

Would it be worth taking the bits that are peeling off the wall?

WestonDave

The core problem is that moist air (which will generate in a house) will condense on cold surfaces. You have a bathroom which at best has 3 outside walls and at worst is only single brick construction so its insulation is poor. The real solution to the problem is to insulate it so that the walls aren't cold enough to cause substantial condensation however you can't do this (or at least its not going to be worth you doing it for his property!).

The next best solution is some form of dehumidifier to take the moisture out of the air. You can minimise the costs here. If you get one, I would leave the window open and extractor on after you finish showering etc (door closed). Once the worst of the steam etc has dispersed shut the window, put the extractor off, and leave the dehumidifier in there with the door shut. That way you are working with a least amount of air - if you leave the door or window open the air will keep changing making it harder to dry it out. Its probably also worth getting one of those squeegee things to scrape as much moisture down from the shower walls etc so again there is less to dry off - if you leave that it will have to evaporate and then be dried out by the dehumidifier.

Leif

Are you saying the LL wants to deduct the cost of paint repairs from your deposit? He cannot do that unless it goes beyond normal wear and tear. If the bathroom is damp due to structural issues beyond your control, then it is normal wear and tear.

thegirlintheattic

Leif wrote: »

Are you saying the LL wants to deduct the cost of paint repairs from your deposit? He cannot do that unless it goes beyond normal wear and tear. If the bathroom is damp due to structural issues beyond your control, then it is normal wear and tear.

We haven't mentioned it to LL but when I last mentioned it on here people seemed to suggest that unless we sorted it out before moving the LL would be able to take it out of our deposit.

Not sure if it matters but current LL is not original LL. Original LL was a 'accidental' one who sold just after we moved in to a experienced BTL LL, so it's not really our current LL fault either. Currently LL has house on market but has told us that he isn't really fussed about selling and is perfectly happy with us as tenants.

mart.vader

thegirlintheattic wrote: »

Can you take a look at this photos of the cracks? Just noticed that a small patch of ceiling has come down!

The small patch of ceiling is in third and fourth? - Nothing that couldn't be fixed with a bit of Polyfilla.

The only crack I would be even a little worried about would be the ninth photo (P4111543). It's on the stairs - have you been jumping up and down on your stairs?

Otherwise, they all look like simple shrinkage / settlement cracks to me.