Damp in a new house

Whispered

Hiya, we bought our house just over a year ago, it was 2 years old. The ensuite had a bit of damp on the ceiling, which we wiped away and painted over. Now a year later it is back, and again we went to wipe over it and the paint came away, showing the plater board which is also damp and mouldy (the house in only 3 years old!!) We have figured out that the extractor is not working properly. So what i need to know is how do we fix the damp mouldy ceiling board. Is there some sort of paint we can use or do we need to pull it down and get a new ceiling in it?

Also, a few days ago I noticed a tiny bit of wet on the kitchen ceiling, when i went to show my B/F next day it was gone and has not reurned. Should I be worried about this?

10-10-20

Helena, if you have repaired the leak in the ensuite, and you can repair/cover the plasterboard with paint and are happy with this solution, then that's all you need to do. You will need to treat the mould with a specific treatment so that it does not spread.
Plasterboard is nothing more than a thin later to keep the heat down to just above head-height and take a layer of paint.
You may decide that a paint-job isn't sufficient and the plasterboard has to come down, in that instance you'd need to cut out the existing plasterboard and nail fresh board in it's place and then skim it with plaster to match the level of the ceiling again. A lot of work!

So, it's up to you to decide whether it's a problem or not.

Moanin

Apparently a coat of oil based paint on the watermark and then a coat of emulsion will cover up the wet stain if any?

Whispered

It was actually steam from the shower which caused it, because the extractor fan wasn't workind properly (despite being very very noisey). The mould may have already spread through and across the whole ceiling as the paint is just peeling. I will find out tonight, we're going to completly strip the paint and have a look.

About how much do you think it would cost to have someone come in a do it for me? It's a tiny room about 2.5m x 1.2m max. I would prefer to just get a new one in there because the house is only new and i dont think I'd ever enjoy a shower aagain knowing that there is mould in the ceiling

GreeBo

Id check in the attic for something leaking above the ensuite, just to rule it out.
Do you open a window etc when finished in the shower?

AckwelFoley

1 - 2 coats of Dulux sealapore over the blackened area followed by regular paint you choose.

JBCFord

Hi Helena
The damp area that seems to have got much worse would indicate that the plasterboard needs to be replaced if the plasterboard has dark to very dark black patches that gives way under light pressure and flaking plaster just replace it

The fact you say that the extractor is not working very well and is noisy indicates a new one is required
Make sure the extractor is ducked out through a vent either through a tile or slate roof vent or a vent ducted to the eaves exiting the building
I have found fitting the inline extractor unit a lot quieter running and stronger than the ceiling mounted version
Depending on the unit model used check unit specks

There is a damp patch sealer available from any good paint suppliers for light staining but in your situation sounds like your ceiling needs replacing

The water you noticed on your ceiling depending on its location could be from your shower area or bath
Check sealers around shower tray with a small blunt kitchen knife ease it along the sealer if you can ease the sealer edges up with very little pressure the sealer needs replacing check the bath seals to
Remove bath panel surround and check for leaks or staining

Regarding the cost of work to be carried out always get at least three tradesmen to call out and survey the job get written quotes detailing all works including when they can start and finish and don’t just pick the cheapest quote
Have a list of your own questions in a note pad for the tradesmen

as noted always open a window in a shower area after use to Ventilate and dry out the area
regards jbcford

Whispered

Thanks for that. We finished stripping the paint last night and it's just an area over the shower, furthest away from the fan. The staining isn't too dark TBH, more like a grey than a black. We are going to get a sealer and see how that works. If we have to replace the ceiling anyway in a while we'd have lost nothing anyway. There's no window in the enuite but I think in future we will shower in the main bathroom, no excuse for using the electric one during the winter when the water is heated with the rads anyway!

Thanks for your advice.

GreeBo

helena.ryan wrote: »

There's no window in the enuite

eek!
Still, when finished leave the door wide open and open the bedroom window...