Mold

Baldie

Sorry, I didn't quite know where to post this;

I have a mold problem in my Kitchen. The Kitchen gets very damp during the winter, and mold is developing in one of the corners. When we purchased the house 6 years ago, the kitchen extension (where the problem is), wasn't on the plans of the house, so my solicitor had to get them added. I was wondering, would we have a case here?

Who would be the best person to contact it get the extension sealed and insulated?

Can we claim on the house insurance?

NobodyImportant

No, you wont be able to claim on the Insurance.

Where is the mold? High or low? What does it look like? Black spots?

Is your cooker hood venting to the outside properly or is it a recirculating type?

Why do you think it needs sealing and insulating? What is sealing?

How old is the house?

Baldie

The mold is high up on the walls in the corner of the kitchen. I have looked on the outside, and there is a 1/2 cm gap between the original house and extension. Sorry I should have mentioned earlier, but this is what I want to get sealed up.

The cooker hood is used every time we use the cooker, and it is extracted to the outside of the house.

I'd say the house is about 25 - 30 years old.

NobodyImportant

There can be a range of reasons for the mold, from excess moisture in the air, cold bridging, lack of insulation (Warm moisture laden air hitting a cold surface and condensing), small roof leak etc.

Look into the Moisture content of the air in the kitchen, especially after cooking or washing up etc. Amazon sell temperature/Hydrometeres for a fiver that will tell you how much moisture is in the air. I use a few of these in my old damp to keep an eye on things.

Our kitchen had a modern extractor fan vented to outside. Or so i thought. When i actually took the hood down, the fan ducting didnt go into and then out of the wall, it was just going back into the bloody room. Make sure the duct goes outside and doesnt leak.

I presume this gap isnt too deep? You could always get two tubes of silicone sealant and fill it up. That or expanding foam with silicone sealant over it.

Is the mold on the wall or ceiling or both? Whats behind the mold in terms of insulation? Does the wall feel cold in that area compared to 3 foot further down?

andylennon11

Hi guys, I've a huge problem with mold in my bedroom, it's on the curtains and walls and on my clothes in my built in wardrobe, I can't check what's behind the wardrobe because it's built in. I've an ensuite which I know is the culprit coz their is no radiato or extractor fan. Can someone help me in easy steps as to what I have to do to get rid? I'm expecting a baby too and can't bring them into this environment. I'm at my wits end. My husband thinks if we install radiator it lol all be fine. I'm so so stressed coz I believe so much more needs to be done. I suffer with sinuses extremely badly which I beleive is linked to this! Should I just get a professional in or would they cost a fortune? I recently lost my job and have very little money.i would really really appreciate help.

Maudi

Pm sent

danjo-xx

NobodyImportant wrote: »

Amazon sell temperature/Hydrometeres for a fiver that will tell you how much moisture is in the air. I use a few of these in my old damp to keep an eye on things.

Do you mean temperature and humidity gauges!

NobodyImportant

Yes, Temp and Humidity.

@Andylennon, would need to know more about the property, age, ventilation etc to help. Short term solution is always a de-humidifier. Get one of the Humidty monitors off Amazon too to keep an eye on it.

Cerco

What would a comfortable humidity level for a bedroom?
Thanks.

danjo-xx

Cerco wrote: »

What would a comfortable humidity level for a bedroom?
Thanks.

2) Humidity: find the golden mean
Balancing humidity can be a tricky act, but it’s even more important for health in our bedrooms. Dry winter air can cause dry skin, irritated throats, and makes cold, flu and other viruses feel right at home. In summer, high humidity will encourage mold growth and make various bugs happy. That’s why your bedroom humidity levels should be around 50% all year around. You can increase humidity with a humidifier, decrease it with a dehumidifier or with the help of your air conditioner’s dry mode. Just make sure not stray too far above or below the golden mean.

http://blog.cubesensors.com/2013/07/5-ways-for-making-your-bedroom-environment-sleep-friendly/

andylennon11

Thanks for replies guys, house is old 70 s house. We just put heater into en suite and are going to get extractor fan. It has a window in it too.Think that will get rid of the cause of the mold. It's the built in wardrobe Im worried bout. Can't get in behind it but my clothes do be covered in Mold. If I could get in behind it somehow wud insulating the wall behind it work? I'll get a de humidifier, they are expensive so I always put off getting one. Expecting a baby now so really want room sorted for baby's health. Also wud getting cavities pumped help? I might be entitled to grant.Thanks guys

andylennon11

Ps or do ye think I should get a mold exterminator professional in? This cud be so expensive so if we cud get rid of it ourselves I'd way prefer to do it this way!

MicktheMan

andylennon11 wrote: »

Ps or do ye think I should get a mold exterminator in? This cud be so expensive so if we cud get rid of it ourselves I'd way prefer to do it this way!

You can't exterminate mould but rather eliminate the conditions which allow mould to thrive.

Do you get condensation on the windows throughout the winter?
If you do then this shows there is an imbalance between moisture being produced within the home, heating level and ventilation rate. Like a three legged stool, if one of the above is out of balance then mould can/will be the result. Any house, no matter how well built etc can have a mould problem if the right conditions are allowed to prevail.

So in general you need to:
1. reduce the moisture load like not drying clothes inside on clothes horse or rads, fix leaks etc.
2. Improve the heating (heating on for longer)- this assumes, of course, that the house has adequate heating system
3. Finally and most important, improve the ventilation.

pm sent

Kalyke

Thanks Mick... Could I PM you a question?

MicktheMan

Kalyke wrote: »

Thanks Mick... Could I PM you a question?

Shoot

andylennon11

Thanks mick

bungaro79

MicktheMan wrote: »

You can't exterminate mould but rather eliminate the conditions which allow mould to thrive.

Do you get condensation on the windows throughout the winter?
If you do then this shows there is an imbalance between moisture being produced within the home, heating level and ventilation rate. Like a three legged stool, if one of the above is out of balance then mould can/will be the result. Any house, no matter how well built etc can have a mould problem if the right conditions are allowed to prevail.

So in general you need to:
1. reduce the moisture load like not drying clothes inside on clothes horse or rads, fix leaks etc.
2. Improve the heating (heating on for longer)- this assumes, of course, that the house has adequate heating system
3. Finally and most important, improve the ventilation.

pm sent

you're after answering something i was wondering about moisture on the windows so thanks for that mick. but is it a catch 22 where you need to leave the heating on for longer but must also improve the ventilation which will take some of that extra heat out??

MicktheMan

bungaro79 wrote: »

you're after answering something i was wondering about moisture on the windows so thanks for that mick. but is it a catch 22 where you need to leave the heating on for longer but must also improve the ventilation which will take some of that extra heat out??

Nothing is free!:)
To address your catch22 scenario, most heating systems initially heat the internal air, then this air heats everything else such as furniture, walls (structure), occupants etc. If there is trapped moisture internally (high humidity) then everything including the air is wetter/damper than it should be. This means that it takes more energy to heat everything up. Also damp insulation performs very poorly (ever put a damp jumper on?).
So having a properly balanced heating and ventilation regime will not waste energy (heat) but rather allow for a dryer, healthier and more comfortable space.

bungaro79

interesting, very interesting!! so basically open the window too!