Damp behind hanging coats on outside wall Drainage and wastage systems and plumbing help, advice and answers

[rosypie]

i have a wall mounted coat rack on an outside wall and it's very cold behind the coats. today i noticed some speckled black on the wall and also the coat hanging in the very corner smelt a bit mouldy. is there something i can paint on the wall to help? or could i put up some polystyrene tiles or something? it's always behind many coats and jackets so it doesn't have to be pretty.

thanks

[croftd]

It may always be best to identify the issue outside rather than in. If theres damp accumulating inside then it means that the wall itself is either getting damp from the outside or it may be time to switch on the heating indoors. condensation in the air may be causing it if the heatings not been switched on yet.
Otherwise check outside, if the is a hole usually above the problem on the exterior wall then thats it, even slight cracks can draw the water in. There may be a larger issue if your damp proof has been comprimised which means that theres a possibility of rising damp.

If all of this is too much for you or perhaps you need to save money and look at it later then use a base coat of oil paint on the wall, just some oil based undercoat will do and then it can be redecorated. This may work as a temporary fix, keep in mind that the problem hasn't gone away if there is structural questions.

hope this helps :)