international anti condensation paint

want2bmortgage3

has anybody any experience of this paint? it is £25 a tin and supposed to increase the surface temperature of the wall therefore reducing the condensation and subsequent mould growth?

yan1

It should "do what it says on the tin"!
BUT, I bet it wouldn't make a considerable difference. There are much more productive methods to help prevent condensation in a room, the top one being ventilation.

want2bmortgage3

well my problem is my outside wall faces north and is not insulated, this means the flat quickly can get cold and any moisture in the air is drawn to these outside walls.

as you say i agree with things like ventilating, i have double glazing and the trickle vents are always open, and i often have windows open on the latches.i am also installing a more powerful fan in the bathroom and an extractor duct for the hob.

however i want to rent the flat out in a few months , and need to re decorate anyway so was thinking this paint could help. but obviously dont want to waste money.

bryanb

This paint is designed for boats. It seems to be an ordinary paint with powdered cork in it. Did no good in my boat.

yan1

I know where you're coming from- I have one of those walls North facing, solid brick construction. Re-plaster and it blows, lining paper peels, no easy solution. I've done a job before where I built a stud wall with a damp proof membrane and insulation, then boarded and skimmed it. Not had a call yet, but is obviously an expensive, drastic measure!!

You could try the paint, but don't get your hopes up, I would sugest!

BG_Porgy

It is all down to the temperature of the wall being below the dew point or whatever they call it The paint is attempting to act as another layer of insulation but I suspect that it will have a limited effect.

Controlling condensation is all about getting the right balance between heating and ventilation. If you cannot bring the temperature of the surface that has the condensation on it, above the dew point then reduce temp of air or the amount of moisture in it

Two fast and free tips Keep doors to Bathroom and kitchen closed at ALL times these are where high volumes of moisture are created stop it getting acces to the cold surface and especially bedrooms. Keep bedroom door closed all of the time.

I have inspected hundreds of houses with severe condensation. It is about poor construction causing cold surfaces and lifestyle that puts moisture into the air You need to tackle both but it is not easy I have condensation in my house ( but not severe ) remove the mould growth regularly as it attracts more moisture and mould spores are not good for health.

Saffron22

We used this in our lounge where we were getting cold spots from a) outside walls and b) the fact that we have to use the patio door here to let our dogs out. We kept getting small patches of mould which rubed off but left a stain.
We used this anti-condensation paint about a year ago and it did the trick!

sashman

Just think for a moment, whilst it may do what it claims to do, ie increase the temperature (most paints will slightly), it isnt curing the problem of condensation, simply moving it to the next coldest surface......!

sashman

designermatt_2

I would be amazed if this stuff works. If you have a cold wall, insulate it! If you can afford to lose about 80mm off your room size, fix 25mm battens to your wall, fix 40mm Celotex accorss the face of thge battens, tape all joints, and fit 12.5mm plasterboard over the top. If your wall is a solid brick wall 215 thick, you have just upgraded it to a 'U'-Value of 0.35 wm2/K, which is the magic figure required by Building Regs when upgrading an existing thermal element , when your wall is worse than a lesser 'U'-Value ( different according to construction) and you are doing work to over 25% of that thermal element.
By doing this, your construction will be warming the wall, hopefully ensuring that all surfaces will be above the dew point temperature, and creating a vapour barrier which should prevent interstitial condensation and forming an air gap that should also limit any moisture coming through the wal from the outside. The comment regarding moving the problem on is a fallicy. If your otehr surfaces are above the dew point temperature, you will have no problem, but ensure you have adequate background ventilation to ensure the evel of waterin the air isn't too great

want2bmortgage3

the wall has a cavity so insulating this is an option. however i will probably remove all traces of mould, and redecorate with matt emulsion and see if it comes back. i soon will have improved ventilation with a new bathroom extractor fan and chimney fan for the hob vented outside. the only other thing is drying clothes but if this is done in one room with the window open and door shut then im hoping that will be ok.

Poppycat

Or getting some ventilation, install air bricks and or use a dehumidifier

Dont dry clothes on radiators etc and dont breathe as it allows water vapour into the room last bit was a joke btw

Its a balancing act with condensation the warmer the room the more water it can sustain, when temperature drops the water condenses onto cold surfaces so if you can insulate, heat the home, or extract the water in the air this would help