Check for Condensation before renting

ps2659

We moved house some 6 years ago and suffered with really bad condensation, if our neighbours had half a window full we had full windows of condensation using a Karcher window vac each morning to take the moisture of the windows wet on the walls below the windows and going black, we were considering selling the house and bought a top of the range dehumidifier this still did not solve the problem, after showering the mirror and windows were full again more work for the karcher, my wife did some research and thought she had found the answer so we ordered this unit my wife read about had it fitted and bingo NO more condensation no damp no wet walls our neighbours still have condensation we have none our house is drier warmer if we shower the mirror gets condensation however,by the time we have dried from the shower the condensation has gone we live in a 2 storey 4 bed house we are not selling now. If you have condensation then buy this product google it and read about it they are about £300.00 plus fitting costs around £50.00 worth every penny we bought the one with heat and it has done the trick read the reviews, the product is the Nuaire drimaster with heat wenow have a redundant karcher and dehumidifier. Good luck hope this helps. We never have to open windows this machine does the trick believe me.

Tyler_Du

My wife and I lived in our previous house for ten years before we moved and rented it out. We never had a problem with mould all that time, my dad is a retired builder and always made sure I understood the need for ventilation, etc. Got a call recently from our tenant regarding an issue, went round the following day to sort, she'd also txted me saying there was mould in one of the bedrooms, I checked it out and low and behold there are clothes drying in that room, no windows open, the heating is never above 18 or so either.

Innys1

ps2659 wrote: »

We moved house some 6 years ago and suffered with really bad condensation, if our neighbours had half a window full we had full windows of condensation using a Karcher window vac each morning to take the moisture of the windows wet on the walls below the windows and going black, we were considering selling the house and bought a top of the range dehumidifier this still did not solve the problem, after showering the mirror and windows were full again more work for the karcher, my wife did some research and thought she had found the answer so we ordered this unit my wife read about had it fitted and bingo NO more condensation no damp no wet walls our neighbours still have condensation we have none our house is drier warmer if we shower the mirror gets condensation however,by the time we have dried from the shower the condensation has gone we live in a 2 storey 4 bed house we are not selling now. If you have condensation then buy this product google it and read about it they are about £300.00 plus fitting costs around £50.00 worth every penny we bought the one with heat and it has done the trick read the reviews, the product is the Nuaire drimaster with heat wenow have a redundant karcher and dehumidifier. Good luck hope this helps. We never have to open windows this machine does the trick believe me.

That's a positive air system which I referred to previously.

As it happens, I have now had one installed in my tenanted house and, to date, no problems.

mumps

Innys1 wrote: »

It's a positive air system. It draws in fresh air from the loft and pumps it into the house - same idea as leaving a window open, but not as in your face.

An airtight house will cause its own problems. There is nowhere for the moisture to go if the air is constantly recirculating. Eventually, the stale air gets so full of moisture, it has to condense - there is a limit to how much moisture air can carry. The warmer the house, the more moisture the air can carry.

Your son's house isn't airtight if it has a positive air system - obviously.

This system has improved the situation but not totally cured it. I worry about the black mold and effects on my grandchildren. The situation was really bad before they installed the positive air system, the mold was all over the bedroom walls and ceilings. I assume the system was needed as the house was pretty airtight but we are at a loss as what to do now.

FBaby

It is not a lifestyle issue when most people can go about their daily business without problems, yet some people are as careful as they can be and suffer terribly.

Then how do you explain that some tenants have no problems whilst others do in the same house?

Opening windows is not free when a house has to be heated, nor is having no insulation to speak of

So the landlord should spend a lot of money to accommodate a particular tenant who doesn't want to take action that would remedy the problem because they don't want to pay extra utilities? That in addition to the fact that the rent is probably reflective of the fact that it is an older house compared to newer similar properties.

Innys1

mumps wrote: »

This system has improved the situation but not totally cured it. I worry about the black mold and effects on my grandchildren. The situation was really bad before they installed the positive air system, the mold was all over the bedroom walls and ceilings. I assume the system was needed as the house was pretty airtight but we are at a loss as what to do now.

I suggest you re-read my posts for the many tips I have already contributed to this thread.

A positive air system will not cure mould on its own. You need to take a series of steps.

Keeping a house airtight will encourage mould, not deter it.

Innys1

FBaby wrote: »

Then how do you explain that some tenants have no problems whilst others do in the same house?


So the landlord should spend a lot of money to accommodate a particular tenant who doesn't want to take action that would remedy the problem because they don't want to pay extra utilities? That in addition to the fact that the rent is probably reflective of the fact that it is an older house compared to newer similar properties.

You're wasting your time. Far easier to blame someone else than take responsibility for one's own actions.

Davesnave

FBaby wrote: »

Then how do you explain that some tenants have no problems whilst others do in the same house?

It's a mix. I think this is obvious.

As Doozer says, modern building materials can and do alleviate problems, and given enough investment, just about any house can be improved in this context.

But it's not likely that such investment will be made to most rentals, so the imperfect houses will respond differently with the behaviours of different tenants, which is what I suggested.

My own property must have had problems, or the previous owners wouldn't have gone to the bother of boring holes in the outside walls to install after market ventilators in every one of 5 bedrooms. I've taken all of them + one chimney away. This morning, the humidity in my office is 51%... and outside it's peeing down.

Leo2020

Our last home had no problems with condensation and mould. However, come rain or shine, summer or winter the bedroom window and bathroom window was nearly always open - only slightly mind - they could still be locked.

We rented it out and the first tenants decided to run a tumble dryer inside with no outside vent - the result was damp patches and mould on windows/ceilings.

The house has wall and loft insulation. A relatively new central heating and double glazed PVC windows/doors. Plus an extractor in the kitchen.

The mould was not our fault but the tenants.

GwylimT

Leo2020 wrote: »

Our last home had no problems with condensation and mould. However, come rain or shine, summer or winter the bedroom window and bathroom window was nearly always open - only slightly mind - they could still be locked.

We rented it out and the first tenants decided to run a tumble dryer inside with no outside vent - the result was damp patches and mould on windows/ceilings.

The house has wall and loft insulation. A relatively new central heating and double glazed PVC windows/doors. Plus an extractor in the kitchen.

The mould was not our fault but the tenants.

Our first tenant was similar, instead of having the open locks like yours our windows had vents you could open and close. So I went round and removed the vent covers on each window so they couldn't be closed. Despite the fact that all condensation problems went they still insisted having the vents open hadn't solved it, so they covered them all in tape. When their furniture then went mouldy they tried to blame us. Some people just cannot be helped. Even if they aren't wet homes of people who always have their windows shut stink.