Mold in room

StarTrekkie007

Hello,

I have mold in only one room in the house. The previous owner said that there was a problem in the roof that got fixed.

The mold had gone onto the wallpaper so one of the first things I did was clean off the mold and re-wallpaper the room. However, the mold has come back and onto the wallpaper again.:(

The mold issue is only around the window sill and the ceiling above the window sill.

When investigating the mold issue, everything seems to point to condensation.
However, I don't see any condensation on the windows (double glazed) and the walls
are dry to the touch. The only areas that seem slightly moist is the wallpaper around
the window sill with the mold. Also note that when I re-wallpapered the room the wallpaper around the window sill never seems to have dried completely (and its been several years since I've done this).

So can this be a condensation issue (without any visible signs of water droplets on windows). Windows are clear and no fogging ?
or do you think the dampness is coming from the outside and seeping in ? (this may account for the wallpaper never drying properly)

Who is do I ask to investigate this (e.g. double glazing firm, damp expert, general builder) ?

Grenage

Yes it's very common to get mould in window reveals - especially in north-facing windows; it's the coldest part of the wall. You probably won't have enough moisture to notice, but it will be there.

Occasionally a leaky gutter or the like can be to blame.

Norman_Castle

If its wet throughout the year it could be leaking around the frame. Is it sealed properly outside?

StarTrekkie007

In reply to Norman. The windows and window frames are dry. It is only the wallpaper around the window sill that is slightly moist. If I were to get someone to look into possible leaks from the outside should I contact a double glazing firm or a general builder ?

If it is just a condensation issue, I was thinking of either getting trickle vents or a dehumidifier.

If I go for a trickle vent is it something I can install myself or do I need to get a professional ?
Also, since the room with the problem is already the coldest room in the house I am concerned that a trickle vent will cause warmth to escape and even more cold to come in. How are trickle vents with regard to keeping warmth in a room ?

With a dehumidifier, my concern is the noise. Any recommendations for quiet dehumidifiers ?
If not, during the cold winter months can I just use the dehumidifier after I wake up in the morning
and not during the time I am trying to sleep or do I need to use it at night when I sleep ?

LUHG1878

Are you sure the roof was fixed?

We had a similar issue with mold, we had the roof repaired, and redecorated. Unfortunately the mold returned, and it was because the problem wasn't only in the roof, water was breaching the render and getting behind the lead work. Once we got the root issue fixed, no more mold.

If it is condensation, improving ventilation can help, so getting a trickle vent is a good idea. It is something you could find yourself, you can purchase from your local diy store, or somewhere like Amazon sells them.

That said, you mention that the room is cold, what type of construction are the external walls?

The reason I ask, we have solid brick walls, and the rooms were cold, and we too had some mold on walls where the warm room air was coming into contact with the coldest spots on the wall. We've started insulating the walls and it has fixed this issue, and most rooms are now comfortable, even in winter, still got three more rooms to do though!

StarTrekkie007

Hello,

In response to LUHG1878, my home does not have solid brick walls since I had civility wall installation
done shortly after I brought it. I am not sure why the room is cold. Even if the windows are north facing,
then so are the windows in my main living room below and this has no mold issues and my main living room is cosy warm whilst my bedroom with mold issues is cold. So I am wondering
if there is a sealant/insulation issue that is letting cold (and dampness) in. My cold room is double glazed so I am surprised the room is cold. I see no condensation on the windows and they are not foggy. But is there a way the double glazing has still failed (thus making the room cold) ?

Question: If you have two rooms (one above the other) and windows facing the same direction,
and if you spend approx. the same amount of time in both rooms (thus generating approx. same amount of moisture in the air) then why does one have mold issues and the other does not ?

I've looked outside my house at the window frame and surroundings of my rooms.
The cold room with mold issues and the bathroom both have mold around the outside window frames.
However, looking at my main living room (directly below my cold bedroom) has hardly any signs of mold around the window frame. So does this indicate anything ? Does this show the possibility of damp issues coming from the outside ?

pinklady21

Might be an issue related to the cavity wall insulation which could be creating a bridge between the two brick walls across the cavity that is allowing moisture to penetrate.
Check if you have a guarantee with CIGA. Then give them a call to ask them what they suggest.
We have a 1930's house with a cavity that was filled by the previous owner. We had dampness and mould in the north facing bedroom.
Via CIGA we traced the new company that had taken on the guarantee work for previous installations, and eventually got them to agree to remove the now failing insulation.
It was a rockwool type product that was soaking wet, so no use whatsoever for insulation!
Equally, your mould issue could be something else - such as failing render, or mortar, or possibly a leak somewhere.
Best of luck finding a solution.

LUHG1878

I agree with pinklady that the cavity wall insulation could be the issue, or it could be a poorly installed window unit.

Either way, I think when you find the root cause, and address it, you're mold and cold issues will go away.

Good luck with it.