Black mould

[worms]

As I mentioned above,i went for one of these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Premiair-DD122FW-71-DAY-Desiccant-Dehumidifier/dp/B000E13IPY in the (perhaps mistaken) belief that as a desiccant machine (rather than a refrigerant one) it will work better at lower temperatures through the winter, when the house may not be in the temperature range where the refrigerant type is working properly (or if I want to use it in unheated rooms). This model has a laundry mode which puts a little heat into the air and helps to dry laundry (or small damp rooms). The added electricity usage of the laundry mode may be less than your tumble dryer. It comes with a timer and a humidistat that on auto mode switches between a high setting and a low setting at about 65% humidity - which is acceptable to me but may be far too high for others, judging by previous comments.

 

[MdB]

I believe that the amount of moisture a desiccant based machine can collect is a fraction of the fridge based units at normal temperatures. This is second hand info though so could be wrong. Certainly our fridge type can pull litres of water out of the air per day.

At low temperatures, the air contains little moisture (it will have condensed out on the walls!) so I would guess neither type would be much use in these conditions.

Also, all the electricity either type use will end up as heat so both will warm the rooms a little.

 

[Penners]

Nicole - at the risk of covering old ground, I think it's an idea to try and draw together the various aspects of this question.

Warm air can hold much more moisture than cold air. Condensation occurs when when warm, moisture-laden air is suddenly cooled, forcing its moisture content to precipitate (ie: form droplets). This is what causes rain.

In a house, this is usually the case when the interior warm air, carrying moisture from bathrooms, kitchens, tumble-dryers, breath, etc. strikes a cold exterior wall. The wall then suffers from condensation.

So you have a number of ways that you can use to reduce the condensation:-

1. Try not to generate so much airborne moisture.

2. Ventilate the house so that the airborne moisture is carried out of the house.

3. Try to reduce the temperature differential between the air and the external walls, in order to reduce precipitation.

Your husband's idea of internal insulation could have some effect on number 3, but if you were to undertake it, then you should do your best to try and improve 1 and 2 as well.

 

[biffvernon]

Always wise to keep No. 2 right.

 

[Nicole W]

Thanks for the replies again.

I think the whole insulation thing that my husband is proposing isn't really about the mould (it just came up in the same conversation), however as our house seems to be difficult to heat (we have storage heaters) and the stone walls can get rather cold then I think he's going to sort that out as a separate issue.

We're already opening windows more often. Also our downstairs shower is in a cubicle which would trap a lot more condensation than the one in our bathroom which is just over the bath.

So we're making little steps but hopefully we'll be able to start reducing the amount of mould soon. It's so frustrating that we can't put clothes in our wardrobes etc because they get mouldy.

Thanks

Nicole

 

[Penners]

our downstairs shower is in a cubicle which would trap a lot more condensation than the one in our bathroom which is just over the bath.

We also have a cubicle shower that used to develop a lot of mildew. Now, we just leave the door open, and the problem has diminished by 90%.

I presume your wardrobes are up against an external wall? If you could move them to an internal wall, that might help. Also drill ventilation holes top and bottom, to allow air circulation.

 

[Nicole W]

The wardrobes are built in. Our bedroom has 3 external walls, so the back and both sides of the wardrobes have mould. The other wardrobe has one side of it against an external wall. Eventually we'll rip them out and start afresh, but for now they're a little mould habitat. Maybe I could get David Attenborough to do a series on them... Life in the Wardrobe perhaps!?

Nicole

 

[Schoolmarm]

You could line the inside of your wardrobe where it touches an external wall with polystyrene. Don't use mega strong adhesive, just do a temp job with a few dots.

This will make a big difference especially if the doors are kept open a bit.

You will have to wash and dry properly EVERY item that is kept in there.

 

[Penners]

If the wardrobes are ultimately destined for the sledgehammer anyway, then I would definitely advocate ventilation holes to allow air circulation. They could make quite a difference.

 

[Nicole W]

Sorry I didn't really explain myself properly. The 'wardrobes' are really just doors at the front on a frame. The back and sides are the external walls - definitely lined up for the sledgehammer at some point. We can't put our clothes in them any more due to the mould.

Some of our bedroom walls already have polystyrene under the wall paper. I think it's ghastly and I'm going to look forward to getting it all off!

Nicole

 

[Penners]

Are there no fascia panels above, below or on each side of the doors, that you could drill into. Or why not the doors themselves - holes top and bottom?

Not exactly the way you'd like your wardrobes to look, but to help in the short term....?

 

[Schoolmarm]

I knew what you meant as they were like that here when we moved in.

If you just bought sheets of polystyrene you could put your clothes away which is what you sounded desperate to do.

 

[MdB]

... however as our house seems to be difficult to heat (we have storage heaters) ...

Just as an aside, I assume you running these from Economy 7 electric. Did you know about Economy 10? This gives you cheap electric for 3 hrs in the afternoon, 2 hrs in the evening and 5 hrs overnight which is much more useful than E7. Most people haven't heard of it (though PPUKers have as I've been on about it before...)

 

[JoceAndChris]

Are there no fascia panels above, below or on each side of the doors, that you could drill into. Or why not the doors themselves - holes top and bottom?

Not exactly the way you'd like your wardrobes to look, but to help in the short term....?

It's a really good idea. I mentioned my heart shaped cut outs (drawn from a biscuit cutter) on all the kitchen doors before: they're adorable (I painted all the units too) and the mould is gone. In fact, what with one thing and another, I'm completely damp free!

 

[worms]

We also have a cubicle shower ... Now, we just leave the door open...

:shock:

 

[Penners]

We also have a cubicle shower ... Now, we just leave the door open...

:shock: