Wardrobes on External Wall - Condensation

fleetingmind

So we’ve just moved into a new house and the main bedroom which is an extension has a huge vaulted ceiling and towards one end are 2 x velux windows, plus 2 other normal windows. At the end of the other room are fitted wardrobes which go the full width of the room and I believe back onto an outside/external wall. We have now noticed that there is a lot of trouble with water/condensation at the back of the wardrobes (on the outside wall) and the clothes are now getting damp and smelling or starting to go mouldy. There was tissue paper in there so probably the old owners way to try and sort it!

As there are no windows down that end we can’t ventilate very easily. what can be done? Happy to rip it out and build better if there is a good solution

Thank you!

Tom99

Paper the back of the wardrobe with this:
https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Polystyrene-Veneer-Lining-Wallpaper-White---10m/p/105968

Fire_Fox

Opening windows and internal doors regularly causes air flow in the room/ floor, not just in one part of one room. My windowless bathroom has never got mouldy, but the large living area windows can pour with condensation ... they are maybe eight metres away.

Additionally you might consider a good dehumidifier: the Which? Best Buys are almost all Meaco and Ecoair brands.

Please wear a face mask when cleaning condensation damp and mould, and hot wash your affected clothing. The mould can be a health hazard.

HTH!

Doozergirl

Insulate properly behind the wardrobes. The cheapest way would be to just place the insulation directly where the wares will be and build the wardrobes in front. The permanent way would be to install insulation backed plasterboard and plaster it in.

I'm not convinced that polystyrene wallpaper would quite cut it.

Ventilation is never really going to help in a full wardrobe. The key issue is heat anyway.

Mistral001

Ventilate the room. The problem is moisture and you need to get rid of that. If you insulate the wall the moisture in the air in the room will not disappear unless there is sufficient ventilation.

Doozergirl

Mistral001 wrote: »

Ventilate the room. The problem is moisture and you need to get rid of that. If you insulate the wall the moisture in the air in the room will not disappear unless there is sufficient ventilation.

If you insulate the wall, the wall will be warmer and the wardrobe will be warmer meaning that water won't want to condense on it as condensation is attracted to cold surfaces.

If the room is warmer as well, the air can hold a much higher % of moisture and so the water doesn't even need to condensate.

Yes, you need ventilation, but the average wardrobe should not need ventilating to prevent mould otherwise they'd build wardobes with vents and tell you not to out items in it

The problem is the cold surface. The lack of air movement will exacerbate any mould growth, but it is not the source of the problem.

jk0

I have a built in wardrobe on a north wall. Nothing I've done has stopped it getting mouldy, other than leaving the door open all year round.

Mistral001

Doozergirl wrote: »

If you insulate the wall, the wall will be warmer and the wardrobe will be warmer meaning that water won't want to condense on it as condensation is attracted to cold surfaces.

If the room is warmer as well, the air can hold a much higher % of moisture and so the water doesn't even need to condensate.

Yes, you need ventilation, but the average wardrobe should not need ventilating to prevent mould otherwise they'd build wardobes with vents and tell you not to out items in it

The problem is the cold surface. The lack of air movement will exacerbate any mould growth, but it is not the source of the problem.

Mould can grow on an insulated wall where there is moisture in the air and there is no air movement.

In some ways condensation is just the symptom. When it forms on cold surfaces, it could lead to mould forming, but mould thrives on there being moist stagnant air.

Getting rid of the condensation at the wall will not reduce the moisture in the air and will not increase air movement either and hence the OP might still find that the clothes will still be mouldy in the wardrobe if the wall is insulated without attempting to reduce the moisture in the air and increase air movement.

tacpot12

I think you can cure the problem by fitting some small (100mm) silent fans to pump fresh air into the wardrobes. Ideally these would dray warm dry air from somewhere like the loft and pump it down the back of the wardrobe and out through grills at the bottom.

Rodders53

Had similar on an old Victorian end terraced house and "fitted" wardrobes on the outside wall. I fixed 2 x 1 battens to space wardrobes away from wall and the problem was solved.

Full central heating was fitted by me at more or less the same time, which may have also helped?

Alan2020

Lack of heating, ventilation and insulation. In our house the radiators in the bathroom and airing cupboard come on whenever there is hot water demand or heating and have electrical backup. Humidity is 50%. And they do vent, have a fan and I open windows when we shower and squeegee the water off tiles/glass in shower.