Mould on Ceilings Won't Go Away

Gimli_SonOfGloin

whatever I do, there's mould on the ceilings of the rooms in the upstairs part of my home.

It's so annoying, and I can't work out how to shift it. I've even had the roof replaced for £5,000(!), and that hasn't done much to change anything.

Any time it comes to decorating, I clean the mould away with the right spray (Cilit Bang is amazing), but after painting over what's left of it, it ALWAYS comes back.

Any advice?

Claddagh_Noir

Is the loft properly insulated / are there any signs of condensation up there?

Is the house fully ventilated after cooking and showering / bathing?

Any chance you can post picture so we can see how bad it is?

I agree Cillit Bang black mould remover is great stuff. I often stockpile it!

MouldyOldDough

Do you have adequate insulation in the loft above it ?

We didn't and had mould until we had the roof replaced and insulation added

Result - mould gone away

elsien

Which rooms, and what heating and ventilation do you have in those rooms?

sometimes it’s due to condensation inside the property and lifestyle factors rather than an external fault such as a leak,

Emmia

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6653818/mould-on-ceilings-won-039-t-go-away

What are the arrangements for heating and ventilation in those rooms? Do you use them to dry washing?

What paint are you using to repaint - bog standard emulsion won't be as good as a specialist paint for keeping mould at bay - I'd look at something like Zinnser Permawhite.

Edit: what are the ventilation arrangements in any bathrooms nearby? What is probably happening is that moisture which isn't extracted is condensing on the coldest surface (the ceiling) - so you can insulate, but you also need to reduce the humidity. Have you considered running a dehumidifier?

grumpy_codger

It's condensation, not leaking roof, so replacing the roof couldn't change anything.

Condensation is caused by too reasons:

• high humidity
• poor loft insulation

It's either or both, but as it's ceiling, the latter is certainly the case. Killing the mould can solve the problem only temporarily.

Baldytyke88

I have a couple of patches on mould on my bedroom ceiling, its been there a few years. Its not too bad, its at the edge and in the corner of the ceiling.

Where on the ceiling is your mould?

I am not aware of any leaks, so I feel it will be caused by condensation.

Bigphil1474

We had some mould problems when we moved into our newer house. The ceiling right along the main bedroom window had little patches. I used some mould killer to kill it off, and we now leave the window on the latch overnight. Mould hasn't come back. In our old house, we had problems in our bathroom, and it was largely because when i last painted it I thought I could get away with normal emulsion in there. I couldn't. Cleaned the whole ceiling down, used proper bathroom paint, and we left the window open more of the time. Mould stopped. It's usually condensation, and if it's a bedroom it'll be just from you breathing. The area near the window will be the coolest, so that's where the condensation forms. If you can't get to the area above the ceiling to improve insulation, then you are left with improving ventilation or running a dehumidifier, which you may have to do even if the insulation is fine.

WIAWSNB

GSOG, could we have close-up pics, please?

As said, it'll be due to either a leak or condensation. Since it's in more than one room, and in more than a single spot, I think a leak can be discounted - and you have a new roof!

A photo would be pretty good to confirm, tho'.

So, it's almost certainly due to condensation. Again as mentioned, this will either be down to a cold spot - say the loft insulation hasn't been fitted neatly up to the ceiling edges, leaving a cold strip - or lifestyle habits.

The latter includes producing too much moisture in the house, and not ventilating it away. It can also be due to inadequate/imbalanced heating, tho' I should state right now that even a completely unheated room won't become mouldy provided it's ventilated enough. It'll be bludy cold, yes, but dry.

BigPhil has given the ideal solution for the last point if it's a bedroom with condensation caused by lack of overnight ventilation.

These upstairs rooms are bedrooms? Q1 - do the window panes have condensation on them in the morning?

Solution: for as much of the day as possible, have the windows cracked open in these rooms, radiators off, and internal doors closed. Ie, ventilate that room dry.

Before bedtime, by all means close the windows and turn on the rads for a while to make it comfy, but don't rely on room temp to keep you cosy overnight; use a suitably cosy duvet, preheat the bed, even use an all-nighter if you really must. But you must be cosy, because you are going to have the heating off, and the windows on vent again.

Wake up to a cold but dry room.

In the morning, by all means jump out of bed, close the windows, and turn on the heating to make it tolerable as you get ready. Jump back into bed with a cuppa.

As soon as you leave the bedroom, do as before - heating off, windows cracked open.

Issue almost certainly solved.

You can buy a digital plugin timer for less than a £enner. There are oil-filled rads available on your local Marketplace for £itto or so - combine them to have your bedrooms acceptably warm just before bed, and just before getup. Running cost for an hour or so should be acceptable, and it's probably the easiest way to sort that aspect.

Ventilate ventilate ventilate.

Other causes include producing excess moisture in the house, and this can be pretty much anywhere, as this warm moist air will circulate and condense out on the coldest surfaces it can find.

The obvious include drying clothes indoors. You can do this, but it requires a commensurate amount of ventilation. So, choose a room that has opening windows, turn off the heating in there, and shut the internal door.

By 'imbalanced heating', I mean having some rooms warmed (and moist!), and others unheated. Nothing wrong with that, but the unheated rooms must be ventilated, and it's best to keep them isolated too - prevent that warm air getting to them.

plumb1_2

And what are you painting over it with? Once it’s been cleaned.

TimeLord1

Invest in a dehumidifier, check that the loft insulation has been fitted correctly, and see if the mold is inside the loft coming through the plasterboards. Avoid drying damp clothes upstairs.