How do we resolve this damp condensation issue at our property

london21

Hi All,

Has anyone had similar issues at their property, we are having issues in our rental property and trying to resolve to make safe, we have done some works in the past.

Thanks

MasterG83

The bathroom looks nasty, I'm guessing they have never had the window open, what vent system do you have in there?

Start by opening the window then get a full clean down using a mould remover.

The find the source, have you been in the loft, are there any telltale signs outside, blocked guttering etc?

london21

We did ventilation in the past, it is a rental property, not sure the tenant was opening the windows and putting heating on.

Brother trying to decide whether to just sell or we did skimming in the past, there is an underlying issue somewhere.

FreeBear

Install an extractor fan with a humidistat in the bathroom. Check loft insulation and bung more in if it is less than 300mm. Turn the heating up to a minimum of 18°C and make sure the radiator in the bathroom is a decent size.

Towel radiators do not cut it and use this one as the bypass (no TRV on it).

WIAWSNB

Is there an extractor fan in that bathroom? Really essential. You can get near-silent models which will monitor humidity and keep a steady vent going as long as necessary.

The mouldy corner in the first pic could be either a damp issue coming from outside - is it an external corner? - or possibly due to a piece of furniture positioned there which blocked ventilating airflow.

Right now, you cannot tell if this is due to an inherent issue with your property, or poor living conditions - low or zero heating, no ventilating, drying clothes inside, etc.

How long has that tenant lived there for? And how were things before that?

'Skimming' isn't going to fix anything, and isn't cheap. You'd be better off killing all that mould, drying the property out properly - in this weather, it just means having as many windows open as possible - and then considering some form of insulated covering. I have no experience of products such as 'Wallrock', but suspect it's pretty effective. It won't transform energy efficiency, but I suspect it'll reduce condensation a noticeable amount.

But, there is no substitute for ventilation, ventilation and more vent.

jonnydeppiwish!

what’s outside of those walls? Above and below

sheenas

Two factors here. Your tenants don’t heat the property very well meaning that air cools down and condensation forms on cold walls. No ventilation in the bathroom to exact humid air. You need to install a decent extractor fan that has a humidity sensor. No point relying on the tenant to turn it on. A dehumidifier would be an idea in the other room.

Albermarle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82033507#Comment_82033507

Although normally there is an isolator switch outside the bathroom door that can be turned off, if someone did not like the sound of the fan ( however quiet).

Grumpy_chap

First thing is to open the window and leave it open.

Open the door from the bathroom to the house and leave it open.

Open another window in another room (with all doors in between open) so that a through-draft exists.

Is the damp in the bathroom only or is there damp in any other part of the property? If it is in the bathroom only, then you can start to build confidence that the root cause is condensation while showering etc.

Bigphil1474

OP, my buddy had a tenant with a room like that. Purely from leaving their washing to dry in there without ventilating properly. The tenant left it for nearly a year before notifying it.

We used to get similar (although not as bad) mould on our bathroom ceiling in the old house. A combination of teenagers being unable to use a window, and wrong paint. The teenagers grew up and left home, and I'd repainted the ceiling with a more suitable paint. Personally, I'd clean all that down with mould killer, get it well ventilated , then give it a coat of paint making sure it's proper bathroom paint, then fit an extractor fan - as Freebear says with humidistat. If he keeps renting it out, make sure the tenants know to ventilate.

london21

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82035293#Comment_82035293

Thanks yeah we will use a paint that is damp friendly and hope they open the window etc, think some are lifestyle.