Things you've always wanted to know......

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Joyeux Marteau
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by Joyeux Marteau »

hammerdivone wrote:
Before you do that, post a couple of photos of the mould that it is coming through, preferably wide enough angle so I can see the context of where it is etc. Also which rooms specifically is it affecting?
Unfortunately we cleaned all the walls over the weekend as it was starting to get me down.

It mostly affects the front room and bedroom. They're both at the front of the house, it's an old terraced house. There is no visible damage or pipes in those walls. The house next door is empty so that might be causing it?

Sorry it's a bit embarrassing for me.
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Johnny Byrne's Boots
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by Johnny Byrne's Boots »

Ventilation? Have any airbricks been covered over, or a fireplace boarded up?
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DasNutNock
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by DasNutNock »

Next door could well be having an effect. Also gutters can be a place for moisture to get in. And the roof. ****ing everything, basically. Get your landlord updated, pronto - benefits everyone. He keeps his house in order and keeps his tenant happy.
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Joyeux Marteau
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by Joyeux Marteau »

I'll check the ventilation bricks tomorrow thanks, there's a few at the front of the house.

Thanks Johnny Byrne's Boots.
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hammerdivone
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by hammerdivone »

Joyeux Marteau wrote:Unfortunately we cleaned all the walls over the weekend as it was starting to get me down.

It mostly affects the front room and bedroom. They're both at the front of the house, it's an old terraced house. There is no visible damage or pipes in those walls. The house next door is empty so that might be causing it?

Sorry it's a bit embarrassing for me.
No problem at all.

How old is the house, any idea (I know you rent it)?
Assume front room is ground floor and bedroom upstairs?
Is the front of the house North facing?
Is the outside brickwork or render/cladding?
Is the mould low down on the wall or high up (or all over)?
Is the mould small black spots?
Does the bathroom have an extractor fan?
Does the kitchen have an extractor fan?

It's unlikely next door is causing any issues if the problem is upstairs and down, but a burst pipe or leaking roof could possibly do it.

If the ventilation bricks are at ground level then these will be ventilating the suspended timber ground floor, so even if blocked would more likely cause dry rot rather than damp or wet rot.

In the meantime, and whilst this will sound counter-intuitive during the colder weather you should do the following;

Sleep with a fanlight open, or windows on summer setting. Each person exhales around 1/2 pint of water vapour into the room each night, so 2 people = 1 pint. Imagine throwing that up your wall every night, because the vapour will condensate on the coldest part of the room, and if the windows are covered by curtains that's likely then to be somewhere on the wall.
Use extractor fan or open window when showering and leave open for as long as possible afterwards o clear.
Use extractor fan (assuming it vents to outside - they don't always) or open window when cooking and leave open for as long as possible afterwards to clear.
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by sendô »

Where does the damp course run? Is there anything external touching the wall above the damp course? Leaking drains?
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by Joyeux Marteau »

Hi hammerdivone

I am not sure on the age, but it is an old two up two down house with the kitchen and bathroom on the back.
It is East Facing
Bedroom upstairs and Front room downstairs
the front of the house has cladding but with no visible cracks or damage.
The mould is small black spots and it is all over the walls.
Bathroom as an extractor and so does the kitchen over the hob.

I will ensure that the windows are open when needed, we just bought some catches so that we can have the windows open but the cats can't get out.

Sendo - I'm not sure about the damp course, I'll have to check with the landlord when we talk about the issue.

Thanks all for the help, I really appreciate it! :thup:
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by sendô »

Have a look at the external walls. At the bottom, around 6" up there should be a line in the brick work that clearly has some sort of plastic sheeting installed in the wall. This is the damp course. It stops ground water/damp rising up the wall and causing mould. The issues are, sometimes the course isn't installed properly, or else it's installed too low, or other stuff is later built outside that is too high and ends up above the damp course.

This can contribute to or cause damp and thus mould inside.
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by DasNutNock »

Is the black mould upstairs, downstairs, or both? Whereabouts on the walls is it? Low down, high up, close to windows etc?
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by sendô »

I think we need an artists impression of your property, preferable inside and out from multiple angles with all mould accurately drawn and colour coded.

By the end of the day is fine.
Last edited by sendô on Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by DasNutNock »

Can you also take moisture and humidity readings inside & outside each room?
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by Joyeux Marteau »

Damp proof course looks fine, as you had mentioned Sendo was about six inches above the ground. There is nothing touching the house above it. We are going to borrow a ladder so that we can check the gutters just in case. The pipe from the gutter to the ground is still intact with no damage.

DasNutLock - the mould was all over the walls, near the window in the bedroom and at the top and bottom of the wall, mostly at the top in the bedroom and the bottom in the front room, usually in the corners of the rooms. I'm not sure if I could the readings that you had requested, not sure I have the Tech.

Also probably best if I don't draw a picture, my art skills are rubbish!

Thanks all again for the help, will pop open some windows to get some air in and out when I get home.
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by HalfTimePie »

Do you live on the same road as me?! I've been having these issues since I moved in two years ago. I live in an old Victorian terraced house and its been nothing but a nightmare.

Every attempt to fix or source the problem hasn't worked, ruined all the paint in the kitchen and dining room, mould growing over the back of the kitchen units. I have no idea what to do really, I have looked online at every solution going and wanted to actually get a specialist in ideally to have a look but was quoted over £700. So I'm just hoping that one of my attempts will work one day
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by DasNutNock »

Joyeux Marteau wrote:Damp proof course looks fine, as you had mentioned Sendo was about six inches above the ground. There is nothing touching the house above it. We are going to borrow a ladder so that we can check the gutters just in case. The pipe from the gutter to the ground is still intact with no damage.

DasNutLock - the mould was all over the walls, near the window in the bedroom and at the top and bottom of the wall, mostly at the top in the bedroom and the bottom in the front room, usually in the corners of the rooms. I'm not sure if I could the readings that you had requested, not sure I have the Tech.

Also probably best if I don't draw a picture, my art skills are rubbish!

Thanks all again for the help, will pop open some windows to get some air in and out when I get home.
Sounds like the ventilation all round is in bad order, if you've got it all over the walls on a particular side of the house. Still think you want to get the landlord informed asap, as it's his responsibility to fix it, and I suspect you could potentially reclaim rent you've paid after you notify him if he doesn't fix it quickly.
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by sendô »

I suggest you remove one of the windows and install a large, window sized fan to ensure adequate air circulation. This needs to be coupled with a window on the other side of the house being replaced with a louvre to ensure air flows across the property.

There's really no other option, except maybe setting fire to the carpet.
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by hammerdivone »

Sendo jokes but the principle is absilutely correct. You need to improve the ventilation, the answer really is that simple.

I've seen this problem and advised on it in hundreds of houses. People don't realise that cooking, bathing and breathing chuck out so much water that if there is no ventilation to remove it it will condense on the cold spots of the building. It's usually windows but in older poorly insulated houses is often corners of walls. Hrating is equally as important to keep thw internal temp at the right level, even with windows open (and yes I know this is expensive)
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by Joyeux Marteau »

Thanks :kumb: and Especially Sendo, DasNutLock, Johnny Byrne's Boots and hammerdivone for all the help, apologies if I have missed anyone off.

I will put your suggestions into practice to improve the airflow in the house, might not be able to take a window out to replace it with a fan though Sendo. We are also quite attached to the carpets.

Failing that we will get someone to have a look at it.

Really appreciate all the help guys!

PS HalfTimePie I live in Cheltenham, so not sure if we are on the same street!
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by Burningaham »

I had some issues with a Victorian terrace internal wall, kept getting mould and couldn’t work it out.
Finally found out next door had boarded up ther fireplace in renovations and stopped the airflow - my wall was the other side and kept getting condensation inside the cavity.
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by Tenbury »

How do you pronounce Nice biscuits?

Are they "nice", as in good for dunking,or " Nice" 'cos they come from a flash resort in S.France?

(Maybe I should get out more).
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Re: Things you've always wanted to know......

Post by delbert »

I pronounce them di-ges-tive, the biscuits you mentioned are fit only for foreigners, gayers and poodles......
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