Just moved in...and now having funny turns. Is it the mould?

tink1980

Hello,

I moved into my new house last Friday, its been vacant for about 6 months and we know of two areas of the house that need Damp Proofing, this is being fixed in a week.

In the mean time we have been decorating with paint, cleaning with Bleach, Ajax etc I've tried to have the windows open at all times and even tried cleaning some of the areas where we had bad condensation/black mouldy marks with bicarbonate of soda/vinegar as less harsh.

But last saturday whilst in the house, i used the bath for the first time (i didn't run the taps so not sure if some of the water might have been in the pipes for a while)an hour later i came over all funny, suddenly couldn't breathe very well and nearly passed out. Seriously thought i might have to go to hopsital. After 30 mins out side in the garden, i went back in and within 10 mins had the same feeling, since then my chest has been very tight and i keep feeling very dizzy/blurred vision.

Could this be the surface mould? the damp walls? musty carpets? chemicals?

Also if anyone has any advice on what to do to a house thats been left empty for 6 months too, it would be great. Every time i walk in the door that musty/damp smell hits me.

many thanks
Tink

suisidevw

Possibly a mixture of everything as well as the hype of moving in too....

Also, what boiler system do you have and do you have C0 alarms?

pinkteapot

If you know a plumber who won't rip you off, I'd get them to have a quick check of the water tank and hot water cylinder to make sure there's nothing funky in them...

LEJC

Your symptoms could be caused by any number of things and certainly the things that you describe could all be contributing factors....but you could also have underlying health issues that are also playing a part...


The boards and the threads are here to give advice but if its something that is having an effect on your health,rather than speculating the source, I would suggest its important to talk your condition and symptoms through with your doctor,if only to rule out anything serious...

gildius

I'd get rid of the mould as quickly as possible, and also get a carbon monoxide detector, quickly!

tink1980

Thank you for your responses. I've just ordered the "Kidde 900-0230 BSI Battery Premium Range Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Digital Display" off amazon for £15....cheap when you think it can save your life.

My combi boiler is a Potterton Performa 24 if that means anything. The house used to be owned by a housing association up until 6 months ago, so i would have thought that the gas/boiler/tank should have been kept in good working order.

I think i'll take up the carpets tonight and also wait and see if once the damp proofing is done this Sat if it makes a difference.

thanks
Tink

sunshinetours

Get the boiler serviced ASAP if you haven't already, this would be same advice for anyone moving in anyway.

Mould spores certainly can affect your health especially if you have underlying respiritory illnesses already. You may have to look at removing all carpets and soft furnishings etc as if long term damp these will probably have been ruined

Jaynne

I've got to say that sounds pretty odd for mould particularly if you only moved in last Friday. Frankly most of the time I think people overdo the risk from this unless you're living in a dank hovel.

Exposure to any of the chemicals you've been using could do it I know I've had headaches probably from fumes when using high VOC paints when I can't ventilate properly. It should be a passing thing that won't reoccur if this is the case (unless you start sniffing those paint tins again )

What would worry me the most is the boiler though as carbon monoxide is a silent killer. Get it serviced ASAP.

olly300

tink1980 wrote: »

My combi boiler is a Potterton Performa 24 if that means anything. The house used to be owned by a housing association up until 6 months ago, so i would have thought that the gas/boiler/tank should have been kept in good working order.

Not necessarily. They could have serviced it just over a year ago and that's enough time for it to go wrong particularly if the property was empty.

Leif

Mould won't do that, though some people will get psychosomatic symptoms. Paint fumes can do that, they can make me feel nauseous. Perhaps paint fumes collected in the bath or the bathroom, or just in the house. And as others say, CO is a killer, so get a detector. Why take risks.

Slinky_Malinky

Please don`t mix bleach and vinegar - this produces dangerous chlorine gas...

http://chemistry.about.com/od/toxicchemicals/a/Mixing-Bleach-And-Vinegar.htm