Can a bed next to the wall cause damp??? Damp can be a major issue in the home. Find answers to questions or post your own here.

[shortty]

Hi All, i'm renting a house where damp is forming leaving the external wall of my bedroom wet to touch. My landlady says it's my fault and that my bed is too close to the wall and should be moved away from the wall but the problem is also occuring next to a wardrobe that is not set flush against the wall due to a skirting board that prevents it's direct contact.

A black mould also grew really quickly in the damp areas which although they treated with some special paint, the mould has gone but the damp persists.

Anyone who can offer some advice to a damp student in a damp room would be most appreciated.

[DUDE DIY]

Hey, theres quite a few reason behind what casues damp. Having a bed close to the wall isnt one of them. You dont say in your question what the layout of your room is. Eg: how many windows, lower floor, 1st floor. So its difficult to comment on what could be the probable cause. One thing I will point out is, besides damp being unpleasant it presents health issues for you. Its something I would get your landlady to seriously address straight away, or call your local council for advice. The spores of damp fungus have a number of effects on your health. Your landlady obviously only cares about her rent payments from you and not your health. I recommend a number of google searches on damp, health and tennants agreements to know your rights before you confront her with the information. Good luck......hope this helps.

[shortty]

Hey Dude DIY, thanks for your help and the info. My room is on the 1st floor and has one window 5ft by 3ft which only opens from the top leaving around 1 by 3ft ventilation. The room itself is approximately 8x12ft.

The landlady sent a roofer round (who said he could do nothing) but I don't think it's a problem with the roof, wondered if it could be porous brick work perhaps (if that's possible)?


Thanks again for all the advice

[col111]

The mould is a result of condensation, it forms as mould in areas where the air is stagnant e.g. behind large items of furniture where the air does not circulate and on cold external walls. The solution is ventilation - open the windows more often (especially if you dry your clothes indoors), use air extractors in the kitchen and bathroom or use a dehumidifier to reduce the relative humidity in the air. The mould only occurs during the winter months and after April you won't see it again - until next winter.

[Perry525]

In a way. Yes.
The damp is created by you breathing, sweating, washing, whatever.
You put roughly 2.5 litres of water vapour into a room every 24 hours.
You probably do the wrong things, like trying to keep warm and have a low heating bill.
Unfortunately, turning down the heating, or worse turning it off. Causes the water vapour in the air to condense onto the nearest cold object.
Think of a glass of beer taken from the fridge, in no time its covered with condensation.
Thats what happens to everything in your room every time the temperature drops.
Cheapest solution? Don't have any heating.
Most comfortable? Buy a de-humidifier and keep it on all the time 24 hours a day. Small ones are cheap to run.
As it happens, dry air is cheaper to heat than damp. So you will actually save money using the de-humidifier.
Keep in mind that you are sleeping in a very small room, so you do need some fresh air. But, open the door into the building a couple of times a day - this will do the trick and is cheaper than opening that window.

[Gaz28]

Condensation occurs when moist air comes into contact with a colder surface. In old houses, this generally means corners of walls under windows etc. As for breathing, it takes a lot more than breathing to cause major issues. So do keep on breathing for goodness sake. I would say a lack of adequate insulation, old windows, no loft insulation or old loft insulation can be a contributing factor. Many reasons why older houses are prone to damp/condensation. We've had humidity fans fitted due to wet walls. So fingers crossed it helps.