Geoffrey Settle Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Any ideas what could cause this amount of condensation and mold in a 36 year old house? Windows dripping and pools of water on the window sills. The only time that I've experienced this is when I moved into a brnad new house and it was drying out but I didn't get the mold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Good grief that looks awful and I feel really sorry for whoever lives there. That's surely a health hazzard too A house not far from us had damp, condensation and mould everywhere too and had quite a few people round to sort it over a long period of time but it never worked or went away.A friend of ours who lives nearby and does property reparis etc sorted it though and it was being caused by the gutters.The rain from the roof was not going into the gutters properly (can't remember exactly why) but what was happening was the water was going behind the faciasinstead and as such it was finding it's way down and inside the brickwork etc in all the rooms causing the problem.He sorted the gutters and checked that the flow of water from the roof slates went where it was supposed to be going and the problem was solved.Everything dried out but they did have to treat.remove some of the mould ridden plaster etc. Hope they get it sorted soon.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Geoff. that looks like it has water in the cavities of the building itself.... the picture showing the damp rising from the ground floor could be caused by water filling up the cavity and making its way out through the plaster and block work. Certainly looks like damp is getting in at a higher level as there is mould and condensation showing upstairs. Could be that there is little or no felt beneath the roof slates/tiles or whatever is there not overlapping into the guttering which is causing any water which gets under the tiles to run down inside the cavity. Roof felt is there to take any driving rain etc. down the roof line to the gutters. If it is damaged or poorly fitted; it can cause water to drop into the house itself The waste pipes look to be inside the property and on show as do the water pipes so I guess there are no obvious signs of a leaking pipe or leaking drain. Does the property have a water meter? If so, try turning the water off for a day or so (maybe if the residents are out for a full day) take a meter reading before and one after and see if any water is used when everything is off. That may signify a leak if usage is shown to be happening Other than that, I don't know Baz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Geoff It may also be beneficial to take out a couple of bricks on the outside of the house on the other side of the wall to where damp is showing.... this would tell you if the cavities have been compromised.... also remember that if it has got water ingress into the cavities and the house has cavity wall insulation, it may well have travelled up inside the cavity using the wall insulation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 The house is 36 years old, so 2 questions - Has it always been this bad and if not when did it start being this bad? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Baz... we have no felt beneath our roof slates and our house isn't damp or mouldy but then again our house is 100 years old so probably meant to be like that.Sounds like it could be what you say considering that was pretty much the same as I said re: the one round here too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Mould on the toilet cistern and that amount of condensation cold surfaces such as on the insides of the windows indicates that the air inside the property is very wet on a very regular basis. I'd say the air has been far wetter than a bit of damp penetrating from outside could possibly make it. So I'd be looking at human sources of water - clothes drying on radiators, tumble dryer without an external vent, steaming pans on the hob with no lids, baths and showers with no extractor running, all windows kept tight shut all the time, air vents closed or blocked off, that sort of thing. Even if there's no showering, cooking or clothes drying going on then the average human still loses about 3/4 of a litre of water per day through breathing and sweating - call it a large Coke bottle full each day for a family. Without adequate ventilation to get rid of that amount a house is going to get very damp very quickly! (And don't believe anyone who tells you that they never dry clothes on the radiators, and they always open a window when they're showering - 99 times out of 100 they're lying!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 My wife and myself shower every day and the cowboy fitted extractor doesn't even work. She dries washing on the radiators all the time,(much to my annoyance) and all windows are generally always closed because she's quite small and can't reach them. By all accounts we should be swimming in damp but there's been none whatsoever in the eleven years we've lived in this house? I'm no expert but maybe the temperature may also have something to do with it. We tend to keep the house fairly warm and maybe that dries it out? Either way that house is in a right mess and someone needs to get some professional advice asap. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 Ok to throw another spanner in the works... we have lived in our house for 22 years (or there abouts)We have a drier in the kitchen that should be vented but isn't (only cos there isn't an outside wall where it is located). It's been there for well over 10 years and we have never had any mould.We have a shower which is used daily and we have no vent in the bathroom at all and the window isn't open when we shower either. Yes the bathroom mirror and toilet cistern etc do steam up, but we have never had any mould (been like that for 22 years too)I also dry clothes on or next to the radiators (ones that can't go in the drier for example) and always have done (unless someone is coming round of course ........... and no mouldPans on the hob with no lids ... yep that's me and they always steam up the kitchen too..... but still no mouldOur kitchen radiator is NEVER on... can't even get to the thermostat anyway as it's behind the non vented drier so no idea if it even does work. Bathroom radiator is hardly ever on either as what's the point cos it's warm in a bath of water or under a shower anyway.Bedroom radiators are always off as well as we all hate being in a dry air stuffy bedroom and would rather be under warm and snuggly duvets.Only raidators on are three in the living/dining room area and one in the hall downstairs but again not all the time.No gas fires..... no elec fires....no log burners.... BLIMEY WE SHOULD BE BLUMMIN' FREEZING Our house has a lot of external air bricks though and also also a deep void under the downstairs floor boards so air circulation is good I guess...... Unlike others along our road we have never taken advantage of the FREE cavity wall insulation that we are constantly being offered. The way we see it is that our house was built with cavity walls and air bricks for a reason so it is staying like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Settle Posted March 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 Gosh thanks for all your comments and suggestions - it could be any or all of these - one thing that stood out for me was the cloths dryer that had been in the lounge and is now under the stairs! I suggested that they stopped using this for at least a month. There are no obvious vents in the property - i.e. there is double glazing and they leave the windows open for ventillation. I did also notice that there were some gaps in the base layer of bricks below the damp proofing. I asked for comments from the environmental health and notified the landlord to see what they both have to say. The couple say that they have followed suggestions but the amount of condensation and water is just unreal. I suggested putting the dryer in the shed or garage and they said that there was mold in the garage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 Could be wrong about this but I think some driers condensing types that don't need an external vent? We have a washer drier and that doesn't have a vent but the water does end up going down the waste. I can't see how you could have anything like that in the living room or under the stairs? Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 You're right, most combined washer dryers use the cold water supply to condense the water vapour out of the used dryer air and send it down the washing machine drain hose - if they're working correctly. A standalone dryer doesn't have a cold water supply and so can't condense. It is possible to get condenser boxes for tumble dryers which the hot, wet air goes into, but they're pretty useless and still end up releasing a lot of wet air into the house. Ventilation is a MAJOR problem in houses built or upgraded in the last 20 years or so. The building regs - and energy prices - have driven ever higher standards of energy efficiency so houses have ended up sealed tight with double glazing, draught proofing, cavity wall insulation, huge thicknesses of loft insulation, chimneys sealed off or with fitted gas fires, and air vents either blocked off or left permanently closed. Hardly anyone dries clothes outside on a line anymore, and almost no-one throws all the windows open on a fine day to give the place a good airing. An old house can cope with a fair amount of moisture released into the air because it'll tend not to be over sealed and will breathe naturally - especially if it has a well vented underfloor void. Newer or heavily upgraded properties can be a nightmare to keep dry inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 Mines a stand alone drier (not condensation type) and should be vented outside but isn't..... I'm suddenly really glad we live in an old house that was built properly Geoff, I notice you mentioned you have notified their 'landlord'. Well if it's a rented house then landlord surely has to rectify the problem and it shouldn't be the type of thing a local councillor has to try and sort. There are rules and regulations a landlord has to follow and I'd imagine a house full of damp and mold is pretty much a 'no go' area for renting out and receiving money for. Is the landlord a private one or a housing association one Have they had all the gutters and roof line things checked like me and Baz said...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Settle Posted March 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2014 The none social housing land lord and environmental health are both looking into the matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted March 5, 2014 Report Share Posted March 5, 2014 Hope it's all sorted for the couple soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted March 5, 2014 Report Share Posted March 5, 2014 From the Citizens Advice Website: "Does my landlord have to do anything about damp? As a tenant, you have the right to have the structure of your home kept in good repair by the landlord. This includes some of the installations in the home such as heating and hot water systems. You will often be responsible yourself for repairs to internal decoration and for minor repairs such as a blocked sink. Details about repairs are usually set out in a written tenancy agreement that describes the landlord's and tenant's responsibilities. If you do not have a tenancy agreement the law may still give you some basic rights. However, you should always check your housing status before you complain about housing conditions, as some landlords try to evict tenants who wish to enforce their legal rights to repair. When you have decided that your repair should be done by the landlord, you must tell them about the repair that is needed. You should write out a description of the problem and collect evidence such as photographs, a report from environmental health officers, and medical reports if the disrepair is affecting your health or the health of someone in your household. If the landlord still fails to carry out the work you could consider contacting the Environmental Health department at your local authority, or you could take the landlord to court. If your landlord is a housing association or a private landlord, then the local authority may be able to force them to take action. If you are a tenant of the local authority itself, then you should make a complaint using the authority’s complaints procedure. You should carry on paying your rent while you try to get the repair work done, as your landlord may try to evict you if you have rent arrears." Of course I suppose it all depends if the tenant is ultimately to blame for causing the damp by using tumble driers and stuff without proper ventilation. As a landlord, you are quite within your rights to attach reasonable conditions to anyone renting your property; such as not nailing pictures to the walls or not painting the woodwork etc. without the landlords permission.... I know I do!! Still don't think that a tumble drier would cause that amount of damp in a property; there has to be something far more serious to blame. Just hope his landlords insurance is up to date!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AppleJunkie Posted March 6, 2014 Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 Could be wrong about this but I think some driers condensing types that don't need an external vent?We have a washer drier and that doesn't have a vent but the water does end up going down the waste. I can't see how you could have anything like that in the living room or under the stairs? Bill I have a condensing dryer that has no vent or hookup to a waste. It has a built in water container that just needs to be emptied every couple of drying cycles.....this means that it could be put anywhere within the property. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo Posted March 6, 2014 Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 Not as efficient as vented tumble driers Applejunkie but still good and fairly common now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted March 6, 2014 Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 Our neighbours have a condensation drier in their bedroom. Always seems to be on for hours from when they put it on in the morning to way after they have gone to work. I can dry all my sons work wear (sweatshirts, work trousers etc etc) in our normal one in about 30 minutes and that's on low heat so the printing doesn't come off. Really should vent it out though I guess and no wonder my nose is always running ha ha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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