Mould/damp on bedroom external wall Damp can be a major issue in the home. Find answers to questions or post your own here.

[bevm]

Help. I have black spots of mould appearing on the wall under my bedroom bay window. The wall is decorated with blown vynyl and emulsion and the paper is beginning to lift. The right hand side of the bay is virtually clear and the worst spot is the left hand side.
These black spots are also on the paster underneath and and the windows which are upvc double glazed.
My husband has sealed under the window sill and he tells me there are no tiles etc missing on the outside.
I do have floor length curtains at the window but the top small window is left open all day although not at night as we live on a main road.
I do tend to have washing on the radiator sometimes so could it be caused by condensation?
How do I get rid of it?
How do I stop it reoccurring?

[stew]

sounds like a ventalition problem to me the clothes dont help on the rad
the long curtains restrict the flow of air behind them.

[matheus]

You have a condensation problem. The spots of black mould are called superficial mould growth.

The reason the mould is collecting is because this area of the wall is probably the coldest, therefore creating a cold wall surface. It is more noticeable during this time of the year as it is colder, and we are far more less likely to ventilate rooms as opposed to the summer time. You have probably noticed this?

The drying of clothes is normally a large contributory factor, as you have increased the moisture within the room. You should dry the clothes elsewhere, preferably ventilated.

You should also try and ventilate the rooom as well. You may find the UPVC windows have trickle vents integrated into the frame on sliders. You may also find that the UPVC windows do not have any trickle vents are also adding to the lack of ventilation!

A little bit more information on the type of property would be helpful. What is the age of the property, is it a bungalow. ie is it a ground floor wall or first floor? Is the wall cavity construction or solid?

[thedoctor]

See our project on condensation on the website