Dampness

suzy5978

hi just lookin for a bit of advice really.moved in to a house 4 months ago.there was a bit of a smell but i just thought it was from the previous tennant or something.a few weeks after moving i took a pair of trousers from the wardrobe and they seemed damp but i just brushed it aside and thought they were just cold.
fast forward to now and theres black and green mould popping up everywhere,ive had to throw out loads of clothes because they are either wet or have mould on them.i cant store anything in the wardrobe because everythings getting wrecked.went up to the attic to take the xmas deccos down and theres white furry mould everywhere and everything in the attic is damp.
i hav asthma and feel like its getting worse,i hav to use my inhalers more often than usual.
anyway i called the landlord last week and he said he wasnt well but would arrange to call up.so saturday morning he arrives unannounced with a camera.i had already taken loads of pic of the mould.long story short he made out it was our fault for not opening windows enough.i told him what was the point of me shelling out for oil 2 weeks ago if im to have the windows open?he said he wouldnt do anything about it and i would just have to open the windows more!
i signed a years contract can i get my deposit back if ive given him a months notice?

artyeva

suzy - we have an identical problem - i moved into this rented apartment (in an old building) in the summer and i too niticed a smell. the agent said it was because the property hadn't been lived in for a few months. Now I've noticed mold on my clothes in the wardrobes and on the bathroom walls - there's no insulation in the place so any heat that comes from the storage heater just doesn't stay in the room and my last ESB bill was through the roof!!! I'm not prone to colds or flus but I've been constantly sniffling since September!

My advice would be to explain to the landlord that as the place is making you sick you have no other choice but to move out. Maybe Threshold or the private tenancies board (think that's what they're called) can advise you if you have a right to break the lease because of these circumstances? Worth a try anyway.

I've heard that from Jan 2009 all landlords will have to supply a Building Energy Rating (BER) cert in order to rent out properties. Does this mean the landlord will HAVE to do something about the problem?

bladebrew

hey had a similar problem in my rented apartment,the g/f had to bin some clothes because the were covered in mould,it was growing all over the wall and wardrobe,and the apartment was only 3 years old
i started a thread on this in the d.i.y forum,they suggested opening the windows more and dont dry clothes on the radiator,i cleaned the wall down with polycell mould killer and threw out the back of the wardrobe and replaced it,
i think in my case it was caused by the humidity in the room because we never opened the window and always had clothes on the radiator so far it hasnt come back,

op if there are problems in the attic and its making your asthma worse i wouldnt leave the landlord alone until it was fixed,as artyeva said tell him you would consider moving out,i can understand how the room got mouldy but not the attic!
if you contct the http://www.prtb.ie/ they should be able to advise you on moving out/getting back your deposit

Pauley2

I agree with the last poster.

Mold is often caused by excessive moisture and cool surface temperatures. The moisture could be coming from inside or from out:

Inside: humid air (like water vapour released by drying clothes on rads, steam from showers, cooking etc.), hitting cold, unventilated surfaces (like un-insulated & cold external walls or the wall your wardrobe is against). Are you putting damp clothes in the wardrobe?

Outside: rain water dampening a wall and passing through it. The wall may be cracked or need a simple coat of water repellant or masonry paint applied outside. If you're on the ground floor, then it could be "rising damp" - not a diy fix.

Ventilation will help, as will running an electric heater which tends to dry the air. Keep your bathroom door closed and it's fan on or window open as you shower to contain the steam. Ditto w' the kitchen when cooking...

Remove the moisture source, clean the mold with a proper mold cleaner (cheap thin bleach will work but watch the fumes!) and the problem should go away.

The attic situation is a bit more worrying. There shouldn't be anything growing up there. Most older attics are deliberatly "cold", where a ventilation gap is left at the eaves so that air can pass through. Maybe the vent gaps were blocked by improper installation of insulation. There might be a roof or pipe leak (maybe above your wardrobe)...

A BER cert won't make any difference. All it will do is give an idea as to the energy efficiency of the house and possibly provide some generalised ventilation guidelines - nothing legally binding... Every bedroom should have a vent, make sure your's is not blocked off.

If the problem persists and your landlord won't sort it out then it does sound like you have a case with the PRTB, however by the time they react your asthma may have got worse so I'd be more inclined to look for better digs in a more modern building...

oceanclub

We had the same problem, and rather than having to leave windows open in winter (not really an option), got a dehumifider. Problem solved. Wish I'd bought one years ago.

P.

suzy5978

thanks for all your replies.landlord called yesterday with an architect and a builder.turns out nearly all the vents are useless because of where they are ie in a wardrobe,under the carpet and behind the cooker.so hes going to put all new vents in.so hopefully that will be the end of it!thanks again for your replies x

oceanclub

suzy5978 wrote: »

thanks for all your replies.landlord called yesterday with an architect and a builder.turns out nearly all the vents are useless because of where they are ie in a wardrobe,under the carpet and behind the cooker.so hes going to put all new vents in.so hopefully that will be the end of it!thanks again for your replies x

Good to hear; I would still recommend you get a dehumidifier though to make sure that your house is completely dried out. It's probably completely saturated with moisture right now, and even new vents will only slowly dry it out.

P.

321654

oceanclub wrote: »

Good to hear; I would still recommend you get a dehumidifier though to make sure that your house is completely dried out. It's probably completely saturated with moisture right now, and even new vents will only slowly dry it out.
P.

+1
Everyone should have a dehumidifier for the winter. No point in letting damp get a hold. Its takes much longer to get rid of it once it gets a hold.

And all rented property should have active ventilation too. If it doesnt have it, dont move in.
Something like one of these. Ask your landlord to take a look.

http://www.nuaire.co.uk/Product/Residential_Products/Positive_Input_Ventilation/Flatmaster_2000

I lived in a place that had very bad damp several years ago and never want to take that chance again.

clonsillarunner

hi all

just retrieved my decorations from the attic and noticed that the lining taped to the roof is covered with water droplets. They do not appear to be falling as the floor is dry. However any item that physically touched the lining is coveed in mildew.

I only noticed this today but cannot swear it wasnt there before. The house is 5 years old.

I am thinking of letting the attic door open to allow hot hair up or of buying a humidier and pluggin git in in the attic.

Are either of these options a good idea or is there something else I should do. I live in a semi detached house and my neighbour has the same issue.

any advise would be appreciated.

thank you

um7y1h83ge06nx

clonsillarunner, that last post sounds exactly like me.

I too went up to the attic a few days ago to notice quite a lot of droplets on the felt under the roof tiles. It's a semi-detached too.

The house is about 15 years old, I never noticed this before, but the last evening was the first real time I climbed properly into the attic.

The old timber fascias were replaced with PVC month ago, would this have an impact on it?

clonsillarunner

thanks for the reply supersonic. I think I will do a checnk this evening to make sure that there is no pipe leaking water. Then I will try and remove as many droplets as I can and buy a dehumidifier.

I think I will need to get a tradesman in to have a look. Not sure if I need someone to lay more insulation or a plumber. Is it possible that there is a leak in the roof or is the weather just so bad that moisture is getting in.

Of course I have to ask why my 200 euro barna shed isnt leaking mositure and that is the same age as the house.

Has anyone ever put a dehumidifier up their attic?

all advise welcome

um7y1h83ge06nx

I put up a thread on the DIY forum about it.

If you search for attic in the DIY forum you will find plenty of threads about water droplets on the felt.

It appears that the reason is probably due to lack of ventilation in the attic. This could be true as earlier in the year I changed the facsia, putting in PVC to replace the old timber.

This may have resulted in less ventilation.

321654

clonsillarunner wrote: »

thanks for the reply supersonic. I think I will do a checnk this evening to make sure that there is no pipe leaking water. Then I will try and remove as many droplets as I can and buy a dehumidifier.

I think I will need to get a tradesman in to have a look. Not sure if I need someone to lay more insulation or a plumber. Is it possible that there is a leak in the roof or is the weather just so bad that moisture is getting in.

Of course I have to ask why my 200 euro barna shed isnt leaking mositure and that is the same age as the house.

Has anyone ever put a dehumidifier up their attic?

all advise welcome

There is no airflow in your attic. What you need is plenty on ventilation up there.

Opening the the attic hatch in the ceiling will only make the problem worse. dont do this. Organize some attic ventilation. There used to be a place on Store street in Dublin called "The damp store". I dont know if its stuill there but look them up.

clonsillarunner

thank you all for your advise and help.