damp inside the wardrobe and bit outside

siraz · Post by **siraz** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 6:31 pm

My wife was cleaning the wardrobe and she noticed the black mould on the corner of the inside of the wardrobe.

We had black mould spot on the outside of the wardrobe, which was visible and we cleaned it.

This side of the wardrobe is fixed to an external wall side. I have checked the ceiling there is no sign of leaks, as we have stone gutters with lead covering on top, as i though it may the lead gutter.

I told me wife to leave the wardrobe door slightly open, so there is some sort air flow, so this will stop this black mould growth.

Anybody had this problem or has any suggestion.

python · Post by **python** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 1:12 pm

what is the construction of the external wall?

siraz · Post by **siraz** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 1:48 pm

Hi Python,
Thank you for your reply.

The wall is stone work outside and the inside is the normal bricks and then rendered. I think it has cavity, but due to the nature of the shape of the stone work it may be there equal space of cavity. Th reason i am saying this, as i wanted cavity insulation and they said they can not do it due to stonework.

Simon Site Manager · Post by **Simon Site Manager** » Sun Nov 08, 2009 11:17 am

Hi Siraz,

How old is the house?

Simon

siraz · Post by **siraz** » Sun Nov 08, 2009 9:59 pm

Hi Simon,
I think it may be 1900 or 1930.

Simon Site Manager · Post by **Simon Site Manager** » Sun Nov 08, 2009 10:49 pm

Hi Siraz,

Is there an en-suite or shower in or near the bedroom?

Is the adjoining room to the wardrobe a bathroom?

Looks like another ventilhation problem.

S

siraz · Post by **siraz** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 2:00 pm

Hi Simon,
Thank you for your reply.

There is no En suite in this area or near the wardrobe. Bathroom is another area of the house which is back of the house on the annexe.

This is the front bedroom and this side is against the outside wall.

May be it is ventilation problem, as the wardrobe doors are closed, so there is very little circulation and there will not heat again wardrobe doors are closed again.

In winter the front bedroom is like the north pole and my Loft conversion is worse you feel the floor is too cold.

When we have the central heating on you dont feel the warmth, so i use the electric oil filled radiator which heats the room up, but you feel the heat loss, as after 1/2 hour to and 1hrs you start to feel the room is getting cold.

House is double glazed and the bedroom celing are low 2.9mtr.

Simon Site Manager · Post by **Simon Site Manager** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:01 am

Hi Siraz,

I'm a bit puzzled here, does the wall with the mould get all the weather? Can you get your hands on a moisture meter? Is the mould at the bottom of the wardrobe? Are you able to take the floorboard up near the wardobe?

Shorterm, heat and ventihilate the room. The black mould is caused by moisture, do you get condensation on the windows?

S

DIY_Johnny · Post by **DIY_Johnny** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:21 pm

Siraz, I always have mould behind my wardrobes, book cases and headboard every winter and gets quite bad. I tried leaving the windows open, bought a dehimidifier, waste of time, made little difference. Its a 4 bed flat so you nearly need a couple of dehimidifiers

Flat is 1930 solid brick walls , no air gap in cavity. Wall is stone cold to touch in winter or summer 50 flats in my block and everybody gets the same problem. One flat has been deemed inhabitable by the council and evicted the tenants. Landlord is very unhappy, he spent £1000's trying to get rid of it and came back the next year

siraz · Post by **siraz** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:49 pm

Hi Simon,
Thank you for your reply.

When the temperature is down then you get the condensation on the windows, as we sleep in the bedroom and you see lot of condensation on the window. Condensation is worsen when you sleep in that room.

There are other room does not have condensation. My loft windows are all condensation during cold spell and nobody sleeps there.

We sometimes tend to leave the bedroom door open slightly ocassionally, but if it is cold weather we have the door shut.

Mould start above the skirting board and it is on the edge of the skirting board and along the edge of the wardrobe.

Thankyou for your Reply NewbieJohn, so i gather this is a problem and it is difficult to control unless if you have good ventilation,which you can freeze to death or heat the room up and your gas bills goes up.

Simon Site Manager · Post by **Simon Site Manager** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:04 pm

Hi Siraz,
I'm also, guessing that the house is unoccupied whilst you are in Spain?

I think maybe you might need to get a builder in to look at your Damp Proof Course (DPC).

It would well be worth lifting a couple of floorboards to see if there is any damp under the floor.

Make sure the airbricks (pictured) are clear and open, check all the airbricks not just the front elevation ones.

Simon

siraz · Post by **siraz** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:07 am

Hi Simon,
I do not go to spain, am i living in the house.

This is the 1st floor not the ground floor, as the bedroom is on the 1st floor.

The picture is just to show you the stonework, as Python asked for the construction of the wall.

All Airbricks are clear and i had a damproof course done in year 2000 and i do not have any rising damp on the ground floor.

I had checked outside for any downpipe and there is no obvious leaks or any sign of penetrating damp.

I even applied clear Dulux on the wall can not remeber the name now, it just protect the brickwork. So when it rains instead of soaking into the wall it just drops off like oilbased paint.

Simon Site Manager · Post by **Simon Site Manager** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 12:30 am

Hi Siraz,

1st Floor!!!!!! Am even more perplexed now, what type of room is underneath your bedroom?

Simon

siraz · Post by **siraz** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:01 pm

Hi Simon,
Room under the bedroom is the front Lounge. Central heating pipe goes through the floor board on the bedroom floor.

Mould only start from above the skirting board and long the edge of the wall and then inside the wardrobe.

Simon Site Manager · Post by **Simon Site Manager** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 3:58 pm

Hi Siraz,

What does the pointing look like externally on the damp wall around the same place?

S