Green mould on new Mdf skirting

annieb1981

Guys you have been so helpful with various things I've asked about lately, so here's another.

We have had an extension which has its own issues. But not long after moving back into our house we notice that after putting down new underlay, new carpet and new Mdf skirting in an original room of existing house that green mould appeared in the far corner of the room just on the skirting board.

This room is suspended wood flooring so there is a good foot roughly of space underneath and on the outside of this corner there is a downpipe and drain which does. It appear blocked.

My question is, why is this mould forming and every time I clean it away it is back within a couple of days. The previous flooring was wood laminate and we never had an issue with mould or damp before. The only change that was made in this room was window made smaller, new radiator and walls re-skimmed as it was a larger room divided into 2. I am baffled

Fire_Fox

Could the downpipe be leaking? Has the guttering in that are been cleared out recently?

How are you treating the mould?

annieb1981

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Could the downpipe be leaking? Has the guttering in that are been cleared out recently?

How are you treating the mould?

There's no obvious leak and I'm not treating the mould but rather cleaning it away until we are able to investigate further. I wonder if there is a leak from radiator into suspended floor gap and if it somehow is collecting at that corner. Too far fetched?

I just can't understand why there isn't anything up the wall if there is moisture somewhere. Could it be contaminated MDF by any chance? I was thinking of removing the 2 pieces of MDF to start with because mould keeps coming back anyway and seeing if it returned with with new pieces.

Fire_Fox

annieb1981 wrote: »

There's no obvious leak and I'm not treating the mould but rather cleaning it away until we are able to investigate further. I wonder if there is a leak from radiator into suspended floor gap and if it somehow is collecting at that corner. Too far fetched?

I just can't understand why there isn't anything up the wall if there is moisture somewhere. Could it be contaminated MDF by any chance? I was thinking of removing the 2 pieces of MDF to start with because mould keeps coming back anyway and seeing if it returned with with new pieces.

If you don't kill the mould spores, and you cannot find the source of damp it will keep recurring. Please buy a mould and mildew killer spray, and wear a disposable face mask when treating the area. Both inexpensive. :cool:

Norman_Castle

The mdf might be or have been damp and is slow to dry out fully. Is it painted? I've never seen green mould on gloss paint.
As above, if it keeps coming back it needs treating although I've treated mdf picture backing which stops the mould but it still smells odd. Mdf skirting is cheap. Only you know how much work it is to replace.

annieb1981

We have the same problem in one of the new rooms of extension, but this is down to no subfloor and different DPC levels. The thought of spores worries me greatly that's why I clean it away quite quick in the bedroom. The MDF is primed but not painted yet. I suppose I should treat it as a temporary measure. It's been in the house for almost 4 months now and went on straight from builders merchant where it was stored inside the warehouse. It just baffles me completely. If it wasn't a hollow floor I would automatically think leak somewhere. Our builder was a serious crook, but I can't blame him for anything in this corner. What we have noticed is that since dividing the room in 2 this half is extremely cold. We maybe have created a cold spot possibly in this corner? As in maybe the other side of the room now separated was warmer and kept the whole space warmer than it is now? Could this cause the mould by any chance?

Picture might help. The wall needs another coat of paint that's why it's slightly discoloured. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NsMhaIsbSX0Dx92X55PaLH0EbS7arEWd/view?usp=sharing

Fire_Fox

If you are wet wiping the bare wood every couple of days, it may not be drying out fully. Then maybe a little condensation on top ....

armchaireconomist

MDF has a nasty habit of sucking in moisture. You need to find out why the wall behind (I presume) is damp, and i'd replace the bit of skirting while you're at it.

annieb1981

armchaireconomist wrote: »

MDF has a nasty habit of sucking in moisture. You need to find out why the wall behind (I presume) is damp, and i'd replace the bit of skirting while you're at it.

I have treated the area today with a anti fungal/mould solution as a temporary measure. The plan is that in a few months we will be lifting the wooden floor and relaying as it is in need of repair and insulated. Maybe then we will find out if there is damp underneath somehow rising up to this corner or if indeed it is the skirting!

Davesnave

MDF skirtings are very prone to mould, so I'd not use them in an older house.

I had a similar problem in one corner of a room. There was no outside wall at that point, so the dampness baffled me till I discovered that water trapped in old non-functional central heating pipes had leaked out while work was in progress.

The problem went away of its own accord once the water in the sand around the pipes under the concrete floor had evaporated.