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Insulation help - Condensation running down cold walls
Anonymous user 16/03/2024 - 2.45 PM
In winter, our top-floor flat gets a lot of condensation and we need an idea of what we can do to insulate (preferably without taking the walls apart!). The main problem is the external walls. They all grow black mould (inside) in winter. 2 walls on the stairs, where the unheated air from downstairs hits the heated air from upstairs, literally run with condensation most days in winter. We have a dehumidifier on the stair and have painted the walls with anti-condensation and anti-mould paint - which have both helped a bit - but it's still a problem. Those 2 walls seem to have been skimmed with concrete or something in the past, maybe to keep out damp? But it just means that the walls are even colder, so the condensation is worse. We have had to remove a lot of wet wallpaper over the years and the plaster underneath - on all the external walls in the property - is in bad shape. We are looking into getting trickle vents and airbricks fitted to help with background ventilation. We keep all our furniture an inch or two away from the walls for air flow, we keep the kitchen window open a crack at all times and open the windows properly after cooking, showering, etc. The property was built in the 1890s and it probably used to breathe but has since been fitted with air-tight PVC windows and sealed up. What can we do to insulate those external walls better? And are all the options going to involve major upheaval ?
Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?
4 Answers
ADR Property Maintenance
O'connors building services
Anonymous user
Premier Plastering