Will AIR BRICKS control mould in coastal property?

matty_hunt

Hi. I wonder if someone can help. I have black mould inside my flat, on the external walls. The flat has air bricks in every room and the property is less than half a mile from Bournemouth coast. I have done loads of research on reducing the mould and treating what is there. (Im going to wash the old paint off, wash down with bleach, repaint with dulux trade diamond matt with anti-mould additive, add trickle vents to the windows) Ive also read about dehumidifiers. The current external air bricks vent into the cavity space which in turn vents into both the underfloor space and the rooms. I assumed the airflow from these would help keep the moisture inside down. However, through researching the mould I came across two comments that did not recommend air bricks/passive vents, but no reason why. The more I think about it I wonder if I am actually letting in more moist warm sea air into the property than Im venting out. This would be the same if I install trickle vents in the windows which are recommended to be open all the time. Also, with a dehumidifier, would it just be sucking in moist sea air through the vents? Should I block up the air bricks into the rooms? But installing the trickle vents, which seem to be highly recommended, would be like small versions of the air brick, just in a different location. I read that if it is too damp outside to dry washing you should not open the windows, given the location thats most of the winter months, but the air bricks are open permanently and the sea air is relatively warm coming off the Atlantic. I appreciate that sealing off a house, reducing drafts etc can increase the condensation rate by trapping the moist air in but am I potentially letting in too much moisture from outside?
Any advice welcomed. Thanks