DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi
Im looking for advice from a professional! we moved into a first floor flat in the summer but over the winter we are having serious issues with damp that comes from the corner of our attic bedroom down to the corner of the bedroom downstairs. Our landlord has said that damp profing was done before we moved in, however the walls feel damp and there is a blue/black mould down the wall in both rooms. I want to know what remedial work could be done and how much disruption this would cause us!
We have also moved a wardrobe away from this damp wall, but our landlord has said that the wardrobe helps to trap a layer of warm air which would mitigate the damp, is this true?
And one last thing! in our lounge and kitchen we have put double glazing film over our sach windows as we were have huge amounts of condensation on the windows. Since putting the film up we have had no condensation however our landlord has said that the film does not help with the damp as air cannot circulate. Again is this the case?

Hi

What you have is almost certainly condensation, you were correct to move the wardrobe away from the damp wall as this will increase the circulation of air in that area and avoid the clothes becoming mouldy.

I would suggest getting an independent surveyor in to have a look, the cost will be around £100(ish) and they should be able to come up with a solution although I can almost guarantee it will be along the lines of increasing the ventilation, insulating the major heat loss walls if possible and reducing the amount of moisture where possible.

Hi

It would souns like condensation that you are having issues with, if you use a clean clothe and can wipe off the marks, looks like sooty substance, then the issue s condensation and not dampness.

Unsure what kind of damp treatment the land lord would have had done to a first floor flat!

The main issue with condensation in the winter is the heat within the room turns to liquid when it reaches the very cold walls.

To limit condensation you need to ventilate the room with fresh air, heat the room and although insulation would help it is probably not possible to insulate walls.

Make sure that the radiators in the room are not used for drying clothes as this will cause problems, make sure the windows or room has vent that is openable to outside air, new windows usually have them in top known as trickle vents.

You are correct in keeping wadrobes away from walls as the air in the room needs to circulate, but if condensation occuring there is not enough fresh air in room.

The room above you need to apply the same fresh air and heat, you should be able to rub mould off wall use neat bleach or cleaner with mildew remover - makes walls look better.

If the ceiling/floor above is not insulated try putting in some to limit heat escape into attic room, I doubt the roof and walls within the attic room will be insulated, there fore the warm rising air reaching cold air from outside and condensation occuring.

Hope this helps

Hi
It sounds like condensation. The best thing to do is to use a 3 in 1 mould killer to kill and get rid of the mould. It can be brought from B and Q for around £8. Then just spray it on and wipe off with paper toweling. Then try and leave the windows open as much as possible or get a dehumidifier in the rooms. Its also an option to paint the walls with a damp or mould resistant paint.