Condensation and mould issues in flat

ajp166

Guys moved into my flat nearly 6 months ago. It's a split level ground floor flat the block has 3 floors. The issue is the bathroom has a spotlight which I think is also an extractor but it seems useless also the windows in the flat are very very old, they look like very old double glazing with woodern frames, the building is 1920. Fireplace in blocked in living room.There is very bad condensation in the main bedroom which is at the back of the flat and the living room which is at the front , the kitchen also suffers. In all three rooms only 2 big windows open which is rather unpractical in this weather and unsafe. Another issue is the mould that seems to grow near the windows and has attacked even shoes / coats being left in the wardrobe, I hot a dehumidifier which helps a little but the noise can be irritating sometimes.

No I am having difficulty breathing in here and am coughing a lot also... I don't know how the previous owners lived here and they had 3 kids!

Any ideas? Many many thanks

Swipe

Do you have the heating on much? Are you drying clothes on radiators? If you are renting I'd raise it with your landlord/letting agency

ajp166

No unfortunately not renting. Heating is on quite a bit recently. I brought a tumble dryer as we were drying before indoors and I thought that would help... Still a big problem though

savemoney

A dehumidifier might help. You can get cheap humidity meters on ebay/amazon for a few quid that can measure humidity. Even with extractor fans and not drying clothes on rads you still generate a lot of humidity breathing. My home is usually around 40-65% humidity it can go up a little when cooking

Swipe

Is the tumble dryer vented properly to the outdoors? Keep bathroom door shut while showering, keep lids on pans and run the dehumidifier as much as you can. Wipe down the condensation as much as you can (daily) with a wiper blade and cloth to prevent the mould.

ajp166

The tumble dryer as the water tank inside which I empty.. Thanks. The top windows in the living room don't open... They are very old and designed that way. Only top of the big lower ones open but I don't open in this weather and it's the evening when the water is literally dripping down.

ajp166

I would say it's not so warm even with the heating on fully.. I did fix the draft that was coming in through the two larger windows in the living room but still it's not a perfect temp

savemoney

Here's a cheap one but wont do a whole flat okay for maybe small room

https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/sunday-28-december/product-detail/ps/p/midi-dehumidifier-1/

ajp166

I have one for the back bedroom. It's fills a full 5 litres within a day. It's crazy

ajp166

Is there anything else that would help? Changing the windows won't help?

stator

5 litres a day? Wow, I think you need to find the source of all that water and fix it