water on walls Damp can be a major issue in the home. Find answers to questions or post your own here.

[suzanne hughes]

[b]At the beginning of the year I had a problem with condensation in the house which I thought I had solved in January(installing extractor fans/dehumidifier/opening windows etc). However within the last month I have beads of water that appear each day on my living room and dining room walls. the plaster work is bubbling. When I press the plaster a white liquid comes out which smells of vinegar. These walls feel cold, damp and don't smell very nice. If I don't put the cenral heating on the walls feel damp, but when I do put it on the walls are running with beads of water.
Is this the condensation coming back or is this a damp issue? In the drier weather would it be advisable to install cavity wall insulation so the exterior walls don't get so cold?
Also the wooden block flooring I have downstairs is staring to rise in certain areas of the two rooms. Could this issue also be linked to the damp walls?
Please can someone help me with these issues.[/b]

[no1son]

what type of brickwork/stonework is the property built,it sounds like 2 problems with condensation being secondary and easier to remedy.what age is the property and does it have a cavity.

[suzanne hughes]

[b]The house was built in the 1930's. It was built with bricks and the side and back of the house is pebble dashed. There is a cavity. Any advice would be very much appreciated.[/b]

[Perry525]

Do you have running condensation on your windows?
Do the window reveals have black mould?
Think about it, is the water running down the wall the same as the windows?
Are the walls damp behind the curtains, inside cupboards where the air does not circulate?
If so you have condensation.

This is something I wrote earlier, it may help.
I expect this only happens in the winter?
I expect it is due to turning the heating off or down when you go out or go to bed.
Warm air, say at 20 C holds 18 ml per cubic metre.
Cold air 0 C is almost dry 5 ml per cubic metre.
Every time you let the indoors temperature drop, the water vapour in the air falls out.
It condenses onto/into the nearest cold object/surface, usually a window but, if you have double glazing, maybe the walls, or the window reveal.
Your bed probably feels cold, because it is full of cold moisture.
Each of us sweats 330 ml of water every night, that goes straight into the bed.

The solution.
Make sure you have an extractor fan in the kitchen and bathroom and use it when cooking or washing, and keep the kitchen and bathroom doors closed at all times.

Do not dry things on radiators.

Next. Every time we breath out our breath is saturated with water - breath on a mirror and see it in action.
This moisture needs to be vented to the outside. Outside air is usually drier than indoors.
We each breath out 1.5 litres of water per 24 hours, children and animals more.
Either open the windows for 5 mins or so every morning and evening, or use a dehumidifier, that can remove 5 litres or more of moisture per 24 hours.
Leave the de-humidifier on 24 hours a day
in about 3 weeks you will see a difference
in a year the de-humidifier will hardly come on at all.

[suzanne hughes]

Thanks for the advice. In the summer when everything is dry would it be a good idea to install cavity wall insulation ready for next winter to prevent the walls getting so cold?

[bricktech]

Hi, may i ask a couple of questions before forming an opinion on your problem.
Has your property been double glazed fairly recently?
What rooms suffer condensation the most?

[suzanne hughes]

We had new double glazing installed in March 2007. There are two room which have the most issues. They are my front living room - the problems being under the bay window and along the external wall. Also in my dining room - continuing along the external wall and under the window. Originally the external walls in the middle of them they had fireplaces which were removed prior to us moving in to the house. The upstairs of the house is no where near so bad. The majority of the issues is based in the two downstairs rooms.

[barrowmatt]

I seem to be having the same problem, with the lounge wall and bedroom wall (directly above) being wet with beads of water, this is an external face wall.

What is the best short term cure for this?

1. Windows open, house freezing.
2. Windows open and heating on, drive moisture out whilst retaining warmth (just expensive!)
3. Heating on all the time, windows open for periods (day or night?)

I am concerned if this continues I will have a big redecorating task so short term energy costs not a major concern. I am running a dehumidifier.

What may be relevant is that I always had a few windows on the latch 24hrs a day but I was never there, now the girlfriend and 2 kids have moved in there is much more furniture and she is closing the windows at night just as heating is going off (worse case?)

Like the original post my house is around 1930's and it does go cold very quickly once the heating is off. Is cavity wall insulation worth checking, I have no idea if this has been done previously.

Cheers,

Matt

[no1son]

Further to your Dec 01 reply,when the fireplaces were removed and the double glazing installed the only form of adequate ventilation was removed.If you install air vents in the boarded up openings and air vents in the wall space below the windows you should see a marked improvement,the installation of vents does not mean a gale blowing through the house but an aid to the circulation of air away from the cold spots you are experiencing.get the cavities filled as soon as is affordable or apply for free insulation even.Keep clothes off the rads and the dryer vented to outside.Try to keep windows in kitchen open when cooking and bathroom when showering.extraction fans can only be a bonus with your local electrical wholesaler giving good advice on selection.

[emmabones_1999]

I have the same problem with a wet wall under the bay window in the living room. it can get very wet. seems to be worsened by the heating on and even the curtain closed for a short period of time. I have had a damp proof course in this area although this was a good few months ago and replastered with salt retardent stuff. The wet areas tend to be under the window sill and mainly in the corners. I have a dehumidifier which has helped a little. The exteria walls seem to be ok and have been waterproofed. The windows seem to be ok. I am waiting to hear from a company re wall cavity insulation. Any suggestions what I can do as it seems freezing in the house even with the heating on (costing a fortunune to heat) It just looks like the walls are sweating.

Thanks
Emma

[TheDoctor5]

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