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Plumbing

Ventilation - prevention of mould

Anonymous user 03/03/2024 - 3.15 PM

I own a 1910 terraced house which we have a few problems with however i am a bit stuck with who to get in to look at these problems. We have had problems with mould in the house when curtains or furniture is place too close to the wall - only the walls thats are on the outside of the house. Although i have managed to control this in some parts of the house there are other parts where furniture/curtains can't be moved. As well as this our bathroom really struggles with the extractor fan we have in place, the window is always opened whilst showering and for a period after however we do get the occasional spot of mould which can build up if not cleaned. In addition to this we have an attic room which gets a mould problem on the roof and we often need to have a dehumidifier running during the wetter months. Speaking to my uncle he thought we would need a heat recovery system installed into the house - having read up about this it seems this is normally installed into newer properties. I am not sure i have put this query under the correct trade but any help would be greatly appreciated. Many Thanks Candida

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3 Answers

Anonymous user

As said above condensation with upvc can cause problems if adequate air circulation is not allowed. As you know condensation is normally where heat and cold meet, so make sure the roof is insulated correctly, if it is an old loft conversion it may have rockwool blanket installed which will struggle to be adequate u value and normally does not allow for any air circulation around the rafters. External walls can be battened out and insulated which would stop cold walls condensating as well. Make sure any kitchen fan is extracting to outside and not just circulating to remove odours, and dryers should also vent externally. Make sure the bathroom ceiling has adequate insulation and that the fan can cope with circulating the volume of air required to keep moisture down. Hope this helps

Answered12 January 2017

ZijlhofTcheresheva Limited

Rating: 5 out of 5

Leeds

Hi I have seen similar problems. Sometimes when we add double glazing to old houses they retain too much water as they don't breath naturally. If you do have double glazing, are there any vents on the windows? Getting a special vent installed might also help, one that has a special membrane letting the excess water out,but not letting the heat escape. People breath out quite a lot of moisture also and then there is the cooking, laundry etc. it could add to the moisture in the house. I have also seen a lack of attic insulation causing damp and mould in attics. I hope this helps to get you pointed in the right direction. I'm sure someone else will add something too

Answered11 January 2017

Anonymous user

The problem comes from lack of insulation/ventilation When warm moist air hits a cold surface you get condensation. If there is no air movement the water stays on the wall and fungus grows, As you have a 9 inch sold wall there is not insulation. The walls need to be thermally insulated. to keep the heat in their are a few methods most common are insulated plaster board best but most expensive insulated lining paper. cheaper possibly a diy job. the better the insulation the more you will save on heating bills. You only have to do the walls which directly face the outside and in your case the roof.

Answered12 January 2017