Wet walls in bedroom and my stuff is going mouldy! help!!! Damp can be a major issue in the home. Find answers to questions or post your own here.

[cp123]

Can anyone give me some advice about damp. I recently bought a ground floor 4 in a block flat and have realised much to my dismay that both bedrooms to the front of the house suffer from damp at skirting level. The walls are damp to touch and black powdery mould is forming on the skirting and wallpaper. I had someone out to have a look who said that the damp proof course was fine and that it was just condensation....i've did everything he said but it's still happening and seems to be getting worse. I found a rucksack that had fallen down the back of the wardrobe covered in green mould and my sons bedding gets black moulds spots on it. I have spoken to the neighbours who have no knowlegde of this problem from previous tenents and i'm now wondering if its something to do with the driveway. Prior to the house sale the front garden was chipped and below the chips is polythene sheeting as opposed to the usual breathable membrane. Could this be the issue.

please help.
thanks
x

[TheDoctor4]

Hi

Have you had a look at the DIY Projects Area at all: https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects.htm There are several projects related to damp that may provide you with some help and information!

Regards

[Perry525]

First of all check the hight of the ground outside your bedrooms, it must be at least two rows of bricks below the damp proof course, is it?

Next, check the way you live.
Do you use an extractor fan in the kitchen when cooking, do you leave it on for at least twenty minutes after you finish cooking?
Do you use an extractor fan in the bathroom, and ditto.
Do you keep the bathroom and kitchen doors closed?
Do you put damp towels and other things on radiators to dry.

Do you have ventilation? Do you open windows each morning and evening?

A lot of damp is due to our breathing and sweating, each of us sweats about 330 ml of water vapour each night, just keeping our body temperature settled.
In twenty four hours, we can if active produce a litre and a half of sweat and hot breath. Young children and animals produce more.

This water vapour goes straight to the nearest cold surface, does your bed feel cold? Its probably damp with sweat.