Mould, Condensation and High Humidity in rental flat

LP0008

MattMattMattUK said:

LP0008 said:

Thanks for all the response @housebuyer143 @tacpot12 @Typhoon2000 @MattMattMattUK

To update / answer some of the questions:
our shower room doesn’t have a window or an extractor fan, it has ceiling ventilation which we recently asked to be cleaned as it wasn’t functioning well. 

We use the extractor fan when we cook. 

We do have to dry clothes on a rack as we do not have a dryer. 

There’s two of us in the flat and it is fairly spacious a high ceilings etc. 
No vents in the windows. 

The windows are almost floor to ceiling so they cover a huge area. I know that condensation on window glass is quite common but it’s the condensation on the plastic window frame which concerns me - it can sometimes be there the entire day. 

The level of condensation and mould between the outer and inner window also concerns me because I cannot understand how that much moisture is coming between the two windows. 

The worst area is a section where the outer window doesn’t even open so I’m not sure how I would resolve. I don’t know if you can see from the image below: 

Probably also worth noting that this is our second year here and we didn’t have these issues last winter.  

Does the extractor vent externally, or does it just filter the air and add it back into circulation? 

With poor bathroom ventilation, drying clothes indoors and some/all moisture from cooking you are adding a significant amount of moisture into the property, a single load of washing could be several litres. I think in your circumstances you need to get a dehumidifier otherwise you will continue to have problems. 

I have no idea about whether it’s external or not! Thank you for the advice - hopefully our dehumidifier will help the situation. 

markin

Did they brush the entire line or just vacuum around your vent, It should be done yearly. Can you now see the steam clear and being drawn in the vent?

Is the a good gap under the bathroom door to pull air in?

ThisIsWeird

Hi LP.

Almost certainly caused by what others have said - you are producing too much moisture which you are not removing at source, and your flat isn't being ventilated enough to cope with this.

Could you provide some fullish answers to the following, please? (You could cut&paste the Qs, and add your answers after them in bold or italics if it's easier :-)  )

 

1) When you shower, does the room become 'steamy'? Do mirrors steam up? If so, how long do they take to clear again? How do you clear the room of steam? The ceiling vent - what happens when you hold a sheet of bogroll near it - at what point does it get sucked up against the vent? Repeat this with the bathroom light off - does it still 'suck'?

2) These inner windows - are they 'secondary glazing' or are they full 'double-glazed' windows added on the inside of the old single-glazed windows? Could we have some clear photos of this arrangement, please? And what can open in this setup - can the outer windows? The inner? Both? Neither? Do any of them have 'trickle' vents - small narrow grills running along the top? How do you get in between the two sets of windows in order to remove the cond? Where does most of this cond form - on the inside surfaces of the inside windows, or in between the two sets?

3) Your flat is naturally warm, presumably being heated by the old office pipes running through it. How would you increase this if you wanted to - what are the controls? How do you pay for this heat? Would it cost extra to have your flat warmer? (I'm not suggesting you do, at all!).

4) How many rooms in your flat? Any 'spare' ones, like a mostly unused guest bedroom?

Thanks.