How do I get rid of this

sarah_id1

This is not dampnedd as it is only in one corner of my bedroom on top. How do I get rid of this.

Tyler119

do the walls of the room have any vents? We had a room that had similar problems. Some idiot had roughcasted over the exterior clay vent and then plastered over the interior joining one. It can be a common problem.

The only real way to sort it, is to have a vent put in so the walls don't sweat.

[Deleted User]

Sorry but it looks like damp to me.., I've got exactly the same markings on my bathroom ceiling.

lambourne

It is highly unlikely you have damp in a high level position unless there is something such as a leaking pipe outside running against the wall. This looks very much like a classic case of condensation caused by warm damp air in the room hitting the cold wall and the moisture in the air condensing onto the wall surface which eventually turns to mould. The best way of dealing with this is to install a vent or at least have some ventilation such as opening the window as much as possible and not covering any vents that already exist. Wipe the wall down with a dilute bleach solution (bleach and water) this will kill the mould.

Davesnave

There's a large difference between damp & condensation. If it's in a bedroom, in a corner, then it's likely that you don't ventilate the room enough to avoid a build up of condensate during the night.

'Getting rid' may mean changing your ventilation habits, or if that sounds unlikely, a reasonable solution is to paint over with an oil based primer before redecorating that part. There are stain block paints, but they are more expensive, and I understand the pros don't use them. Not a permanent fix, but this type of mould tends to bleed through normal emulsion paints.

Werdnal

It looks like surface mould caused by condensation to me. As others have said, provided bedroom is not on the ground floor its very unlikley to be damp.

Adults exhale litres of moisture in their breath in a day, and add to that steam from showering, bathing, cooking etc, and you have a recipe for nice moist conditions to form on cold outside walls, and encourage all sorts of micro-organisms and fungus to start growing and making dark patches and spots on the walls.

If you can wipe the stains off (try before they get ingrained in the paint and damage it), 9 times out of 10 its mould caused by condensation. You can get special mould sprays - Dettol do a Mould and Mildew one, which have enzymes in them to kill the mould and ihibitors to help stop it coming back so quickly. A quick wipe over once a month should keep it at bay.

If you rent, try to keep it under control, as LL can charge your deposit for redecorating if you allow it to penetrate and stain the paintwork.

Also a dehumidifyer might help.

DRP

lambourne wrote: »

It is highly unlikely you have damp in a high level position unless there is something such as a leaking pipe outside running against the wall. This looks very much like a classic case of condensation caused by warm damp air in the room hitting the cold wall and the moisture in the air condensing onto the wall surface which eventually turns to mould. The best way of dealing with this is to install a vent or at least have some ventilation such as opening the window as much as possible and not covering any vents that already exist. Wipe the wall down with a dilute bleach solution (bleach and water) this will kill the mould.

^^ all good advice

and if you can, move the furniture away from the corner.

A combination of cold wall, condensation from the window and the enclosed space behind the furniture will almost inevitably lead to mouldy growth.

wannahouse

i find baby wipes is a really good way to remove the mould from the walls regularily..and if it leaves staining, HG mould remover and killer from B&Q is the best stuff i have ever used...
it removes the mould stains from paint, even the landlords shower curtain and also grout and silicone around the bath, where nothong else would work, BUT it did bubble up and destroy some gloss paint i applied it to,(oops!)

ess0two

It'll come off with white vinegar and a cloth.

G_M

The damp either comes from outside (penetrating) or from insie(condensation).

Penetrating damp.
Could be a roof leak (loose/broken/missing tiles) through attic to ceiling; Could be a blocked gutter overflowing down wall; Could be blocked downpipe from gutter; could be poor pointing (cement between the bricks).

Solution = fix whatever is the cause!

Condensation.
Damp air created by shower/baths, drying wet clothes etc is trapped in the air in the house and condenses on a cold wall/window.

Solution = reduce moisture entering the air (eg dry wet clothes outside) and/or remove moisture from air (use extractor fan/windows) and circulate air internally.