Damp/condensation

[cupotee]

I have mildew/mold on the wall behind my bed [outside wall]

When I open the drawers under the bed the contents feel damp, more than just cold. The end of the mattress has the same cold/damp feel.

My husband has COPD so its not a good combination for his ailing chest.

I need to get something done about this but really don't know where to start or who to approach for advice.

Can anyone here give me advice please.

[Graham-W]

You can get anti-fungal paints which will stop the mildew/mould forming and creating spores into the air.
A dehumidifier would dry the air out and perhaps stop the mildew growing, and reduce the damp.
Leaving the window open, just a crack, to allow air to circulate would help too.

[lcg]

a dehumidifier will work to remove the water from the air in your room. my walls were terrible until i got one and my damp problem has improved greatly.

[The Builder]

Classic problem this time of year Cuppa. Many people find de-humidifiers work well, but the real solution is to have better ventilation and heating.
Also, warming up your exterior wall should eliminate it. Do you have cavity walls?

[cupotee]

I do use a dehumidifier in there and keep the room warm,

Yes we do have Cavity Walls that were treated 3 years ago. The damp/condensation were there before and since so filling them seems to have done nothing to help.
When you suggest warming the exterior wall, how do you mean please? Is there something we can have coated on the wall, such as a special paper? There is no chance to turn the room round so the bed head is on another wall, they simply aren't big enough. By the way its a ground floor apartment.

Thanks for your help all.

[carrust]

Have you tried pulling the bed away from the wall so the air can circulate behind it. Also, do you wash the wall in a bleach solution to eradicate the mildew before decorating?

[Marijn]

There's an answer to your question, in a question that is two questions down in "related threads". The title to the question is the same as yours.

[beejay1124]

Yes we do have Cavity Walls that were treated 3 years ago. The damp/condensation were there before and since so filling them seems to have done nothing to help----^
cupo-what do you mean by 'treated' and 'filling them' ?

[carrust]

http://www.decorating-supplies.co.uk/
Scroll down to thermal wallpaper

[cupotee]

beejay1124 cupo-what do you mean by 'treated' and 'filling them' ?

I meant the walls were filled with whatever Cavity wall insulation company filled the cavity with.

Thankyou for the link carrust and others who replied. I will look at the link. The Thermal Wallpaper sounds a possibility.

[Gizmonster]

I agree with the dehumidifier and opening the window slightly.
Just do a quick test, put the palm of your hands onto the walls and feel around the room - are the external walls alot colder than the internal walls ?? If so, I strongly recommend using some thermal lining paper as Carrust suggested ..... I've used it and it does make quite a big difference in keeping the cold out of the external walls :)

[Graham-W]

As I said before, anti-fungal paint.
http://www.ronseal.co.uk/products/anti-mould-paint should keep the mould away for upto 6 years. It's quite expensive but works very well.

[cupotee]

Thankyou Graham-W and Gizmonster. I have a bit to go on here. All i need now is someone to do the work!

I lived in my previous house over 30 years and not once has the least bit of damp or condensation. Its so frustrating when we can't cope doing the work ourselves these days.

[The Builder]

So you have cavity wall insulation already Cuppa? That's what I meant by warming the wall. It should make a great deal of difference. I can only think that you must be generating a lot of water vapour in the house.

I wonder if you have an extractor fan in the bathroom... especially if there's a shower.
Do you have extraction over the cooker? If it's a gas cooker, then even more important.
Perhaps you have a lot of washing drying? Another common culprit is a tumble drier that's not connected to a through-the-wall outlet.

[cupotee]

Thankyou builder. Unfortunately our bathroom is internal with no window but we have an extractor fan that we leave on for up to an hour after our shower. I frequently put the dehumidifier in the doorway too.
I never have wet/damp washing about as my husband has COPD so drying washing is a huge no no. I use a tumble dryer, but again always use it with the hose out the window.
Yes we have an extractor fan over the cooker hood. Both oven and hob are electric. I open the window on the latch when cooking too.
Its a puzzle as our last house had no damp/condensation in all the 30 odd years we lived there.

Thankyou for your interest and advice.

[The Builder]

Well, that answers all my questions Cuppa. For some reason, that wall is presenting a very cold surface on which condensation will form.

Perhaps consider fitting "trickle" vents to the window. Very simple things, but they do keep the air moving..... and the water vapour should escape through them. They're compulsory on new-build these days.

[needawin]

Builder, I am going to fit vents in the bedrooms. Plastic type that can be open or closed. There are chimney breasts in rooms but top is not sealed but fitted with ventilated top. Question is should these vents be fitted high or low. Obviously low would look better.

[Thomson123]

It's very common so nothing to get too worried over, try Abacus damp proofing, they specialise in this area of work. They have a lot of testimonials on their website as well, to reassure you they're a good company. I had used them in the past and I would recommend them. Media URL: http://abacusdampproofing.co.uk/damp-proofing
Description:

[The Builder]

Excuse me Cuppa, while I reply to Needawin.

Needy, as you know, warm air rises. Same with water vapour. I know it's not so attractive, but fitting somewhere near the ceiling would let the vents be really effective.

[needawin]

Thanks builder