Improving air quality in a house

IrishTeacher

Apologies, didn't know where to put this. No part of the Home and Garden forums seemed to fit this query.

Basically, I'm living in an old house and the air quality is terrible. I've just spent an hour in a steam room getting my breathing back to normal, and then within 20 minutes of returning home my chest is feeling tight and I'm coughing again. I don't know what to do. Is there any professional that could come and do an assessment?

I know the house is damp but I have the vents in the windows open most of the day now (didn't have this before). The heating is on for about 1 - 2 hours a day. I have the dehumidifier doing 90 but it can't be every where at once. I've searched for mould but can't find any. The house was empty for a long time, so it's possible it has mould but I can't see it. That which I did see, in the bathroom has been cleaned.

Does anyone have any ideas how I can breathe easy again? I'm asthmatic and this is really taking its toll.

MicktheMan

Pm Sent

sullzz

MicktheMan wrote: »

Pm Sent

Why not share your ideas with the rest of us

MicktheMan

sullzz wrote: »

Why not share your ideas with the rest of us

IrishTeacher asked the following:
Is there any professional that could come and do an assessment?

From the forum charter:

Any threads naming specific companies/traders will be deleted. Exceptions to this will be at the moderators' discretion.

Do not advertise any commercial activity on this site. This will lead to an immediate ban, the duration of which is at the moderators discretion.

Threads looking for recommendations in a certain area will be allowed but any recommendations should be given by pm only..

Therefore the pm:)

Outkast_IRE

IrishTeacher wrote: »

Apologies, didn't know where to put this. No part of the Home and Garden forums seemed to fit this query.

Basically, I'm living in an old house and the air quality is terrible. I've just spent an hour in a steam room getting my breathing back to normal, and then within 20 minutes of returning home my chest is feeling tight and I'm coughing again. I don't know what to do. Is there any professional that could come and do an assessment?

I know the house is damp but I have the vents in the windows open most of the day now (didn't have this before). The heating is on for about 1 - 2 hours a day. I have the dehumidifier doing 90 but it can't be every where at once. I've searched for mould but can't find any. The house was empty for a long time, so it's possible it has mould but I can't see it. That which I did see, in the bathroom has been cleaned.

Does anyone have any ideas how I can breathe easy again? I'm asthmatic and this is really taking its toll.

Is it possible to leave this hosue , honestly i once got a incredibly bad asthma attack from being in a room with mould and damp and honestly couldnt breathe , this problem will get worse coming into the winter ,if its only rented accomodation you can get out of lease no problem when there is issues such as mould etc at stake .

IrishTeacher

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Is it possible to leave this hosue , honestly i once got a incredibly bad asthma attack from being in a room with mould and damp and honestly couldnt breathe , this problem will get worse coming into the winter ,if its only rented accomodation you can get out of lease no problem when there is issues such as mould etc at stake .

It's my own house I'm afraid. I'm not in a position to leave so just need to make the best of it.

heinbloed

Contact your GP, a pneumonologist and the asthma society.

Personal medical advise from the heating and plumbing forum is worth nothing and can be risky.

the_syco

Sounds like mould. Either buy a dehumidify from somewhere like Argos, or rent an industrial one from your local DIY, and leave it run for a while.

Joey the lips

The op is not asking medical advice so there is no reason to close the thread at the moment. S.He is asking to solve a house problem which is medically effecting them.

I would rec you contact the societys mentioned and tbh if your house is unsuitable for medical reasons you should not be in it.

Bear in mind it gets more stuffy at this time of year.