Apartment mould

sashafierce

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68 lost souls

Clean isn't the only issue it could be air flow, there could also be dampness somewhere. Check the vents aren't blocked, are you renting or do you own?

White vinegar does a great job of killing mould. Probably better than bleach as it kills it rather than removing it.

It should be looked into, don't mean to alarm you but what you see on the surface could be much much worse behind the plaster

If youre producing steam, from showers or cooking, make sure the house is well ventilated and properly heated. This is by far the most usual cause of mould.

athtrasna

Do a search on this forum, mould comes up very frequently

noodler

OP.

HG mould spray.

Hardware store on capel street has it, ten euro a bottle.

It works absolute wonders. Cannot emphasise this enough. Stuff disappears on front ofnyour eyes after a spray.

sashafierce

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Bob24

sashafierce wrote: »

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I haven't used the HG one so can't compare efficiency, but this wone works pretty well and is safe enough for the walls (some sprays are only suitable for tiles are non-fragile surfaces): http://www.mouldx.com/mouldx_remover_chlorine_free.html

Having said that you can't only rely on those spays. They will kill the mould and fix the issue for some time, but if the underlying issue is not addressed the mould will come back eventually.

This could either be due to an issue with the buildign (water infiltration in the walls for example) or to something you do (making the place very humid without ventilating it properly).

I first indicator to know if it is you are the building is to know if it is also coming at the same place and very concentrated there. If yes it would tend to indicate some kind of water leak.

sashafierce

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Dardania

does the shower have an extract fan?
and does the bedroom have a vent that's open all the time?

newacc2015

HG mould spray is amazing. It actually kills the mould spores, where as bleach and vinegar will only clean. The only problem with HG is that chemicals in it can react with some pigments in paint

IMO your best option is a dehumidifier. A decent one is about £150 off amazon uk. I know it seems like a large purchase but it will actually solve your issue and is really good at drying clothes on a clothes horse

cnocbui

At night, the temperature in most buildings drops. In a bedroom, with a couple of people sleeping, they are exhaling about 4% water by volume. Basically you breath out hot humid air. The moisture in the air will condense on any cold surfaces, so I would guess that wall may be rather cold - assuming the problem isn't moisture coming from elsewhere.

Assuming the problem isn't dampness from some other source, I would suggest getting a dehumidifier and running it in the bedroom for several hours after you get up. That should dry the room out. You can also use it to dry washing in a closed room at a lower energy cost than using a tumble dryer.

noodler

noodler wrote: »

OP.

HG mould spray.

Hardware store on capel street has it, ten euro a bottle.

It works absolute wonders. Cannot emphasise this enough. Stuff disappears on front ofnyour eyes after a spray.

Theres also a hardware store on Pembroke St Lower that sells it just FYI.

As other say, it is reccommend to test it on a small surface first in case of stains but I have never actually experienced any discolouring.

It also burns - wear gloves.

Bob24

noodler wrote: »

It also burns - wear gloves.

Good point - I would also recommend wearing protective goggles and a respirator when applying those sprays. They are full of chemicals you don't really want in your eyes or in your lungs. Also try to do it in the morning and leave the window open for the rest of the day, sleeping in the bedroom just after applying them is probably not a great idea.

Gatling

You can pick up a dettol mould and mildew spray in most super markets now for around €6 if you can't make it to a hardware ,

SB_Part2

Gatling wrote: »

You can pick up a dettol mould and mildew spray in most super markets now for around €6 if you can't make it to a hardware ,

I've used this before and it worked really well.

Do you dry clothes in your room OP?

dar100

My downstairs bathroom has a pasta like mould growing around the tiles, at different points!! Also the wall seems to be damp with a crystal like white markings!! The bathroom is extremely cold, don't think the tiles on the ground were properly sealed, I have blocked the vent up, oh and it's the room where my central heating boiler is!! Any thoughts on what it is?

seagull

Blocking up the vent means that any moisture in that room will not be able to go anywhere, and adds to the problem. Instead of just a cold room, you now have a cold damp room.

Dardania

dar100 wrote: »

My downstairs bathroom has a pasta like mould growing around the tiles, at different points!! Also the wall seems to be damp with a crystal like white markings!! The bathroom is extremely cold, don't think the tiles on the ground were properly sealed, I have blocked the vent up, oh and it's the room where my central heating boiler is!! Any thoughts on what it is?

seagull wrote: »

Blocking up the vent means that any moisture in that room will not be able to go anywhere, and adds to the problem. Instead of just a cold room, you now have a cold damp room.

And potentially a carbon monoxide problem.
Bad, bad idea - Darwin award territory

sashafierce

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seagull

I know it's not pleasant having an open vent in a bathroom. Ours is over the shower, so there's the delights of the occasional cold draft hitting in the time between turning off the water and getting a towel. I'm still not going to block it up. Do you typically leave your bathroom door closed when it's not in use? If you do, it's going to make the situation even worse.

Do you have an extractor fan in your bathroom? Ours stopped working recently. It took me a little while to sort it out, and I was surprised just how big a difference it actually makes.

sashafierce

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seagull

At the very least, start using the extractor fan. I'd recommend you also get the heater sorted out.

sashafierce

sashafierce wrote: »

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Seems to be a few things you can work on, use the vents, the extractor fan and the heater if possible.

sashafierce wrote: »

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sashafierce wrote: »

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sashafierce

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cnocbui

A dehumidifier, if affordable, would give you a room that's both warm and dry.

I don't think having an open vent in a bedroom in winter is a practical solution the place will be absolutely freezing. Maybe open a window a little during the day but I've the vents closed as you are just burning money having heating on and it all flying out the vent. We have no mould problems btw. In fact I don't even recall having vents in bedrooms in previous houses or at home.

Dardania

Serenity Microscopic Lockout wrote: »

I don't think having an open vent in a bedroom in winter is a practical solution the place will be absolutely freezing. Maybe open a window a little during the day but I've the vents closed as you are just burning money having heating on and it all flying out the vent. We have no mould problems btw. In fact I don't even recall having vents in bedrooms in previous houses or at home.

Common misconception
The Irish building regulations require vents in most if not all rooms - generally 100mm diameter
http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/building-standards/tgd-part-f-ventilation/technical-guidance-document-f-ventilation

A lot of people have no memory of vents from years ago because poor construction techniques (leaky unsealed windows, chimneys etc) meant they weren't required.
But now that more airtight homes are being built since the late 90s, and as proper windows are being fitted to older properties, ventilation issues come up. Particularly if the walls aren't particularly well insulated - thy get cold enough that any moisture in the air condenses on them.

The general solution, that has been told to OP multiple times in this thread, is add heat and move air.
Same principle how one defogs and keeps defogged a car windscreen.

How I handle the problem that OP has of the cold air in the bathroom is I have vents in the bedrooms with the Rads keeping the temp nice, and the extract fan in the bathroom running. That way, the air coming into the bathroom is of a more comfortable temp.

Serenity Microscopic Lockout

Serenity Microscopic Lockout wrote: »

I don't think having an open vent in a bedroom in winter is a practical solution the place will be absolutely freezing. Maybe open a window a little during the day but I've the vents closed as you are just burning money having heating on and it all flying out the vent. We have no mould problems btw. In fact I don't even recall having vents in bedrooms in previous houses or at home.

My home has an open vent in all bedrooms and living areas. It's not freezing.

Augeo

Augeo wrote: »

My home has an open vent in all bedrooms and living areas. It's not freezing.

What are your heating bills like?

I am not in the habit of having heating running any more than is necessary and I found that closing the vent in the bedroom and living room leaves the rooms much warmer when I come in in the evening when the heating hasn't been on all day than having them open. Also these are only very small vents which are part of the window, there are no vents in the wall.

As I said never had bedroom with any type of vent before the house I have now and never had a mould problem.

Serenity Microscopic Lockout

Serenity Microscopic Lockout wrote: »

What are your heating bills like?..............

Not bad, I have gas heating (old boiler), under €60/month in winter. It's a 2 bed flat, not badly insulated, approx 15/16 years old maybe.
It's an end of terrace too so only one wall is attached to neighbours and that's the wall with hall and spare room.

Living room, kitchen and master bedroom are at the gable end (if gable is applicable to end of terrace)

I got home last night at 9pm, -1degC and the heating had been on from 8 to 9pm, lovely and toasty. Wasn't on than anymore.

I have the largish wall vents. Can't close them unless you block them.

cerastes

At the moment I'm looking for a fan which can be wired to a switch but is also wired in parallel so it can be powered and switch itself on if it senses humidity?
Any particular brands, places to buy or websites?

cnocbui

cerastes wrote: »

At the moment I'm looking for a fan which can be wired to a switch but is also wired in parallel so it can be powered and switch itself on if it senses humidity?
Any particular brands, places to buy or websites?

You could have a look here: https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/tcl/search?query=humidstat&Submit=Search

I have 2 Manrose humidistat controlled extractor fans. They work well, but If they failed, I would look to replace them with another brand as they are a bit noisy due to the casing being badly designed and prone to vibrating.

sondagefaux

Mould within apartments and houses is almost always caused by lack of ventilation. Open windows and keep them open (even keeping them open a small crack will do), make sure air vents are clear, get extractor fans installed in bathrooms, kitchens etc. If the problem persists get more and better ventilation.

blacklilly

Also worth noting that many people have their extractor fan set to run for a period of 2 minutes. It should run for a minimum of 20 minutes after you shower.

cerastes

cnocbui wrote: »

You could have a look here: https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/tcl/search?query=humidstat&Submit=Search

I have 2 Manrose humidistat controlled extractor fans. They work well, but If they failed, I would look to replace them with another brand as they are a bit noisy due to the casing being badly designed and prone to vibrating.

Noise is a concern, I prefer if they can be quieter, the bathroom is a long run in ducting to the soffit. Im not sure if there is enough power in a standard size extractor fan to vent moisture as there is no openable window in the bathroom.

I did think of even having a humidity controlled extractor fan and have it wired so it powers a bigger duct fan that does the main work to expel moisture laden air from the bathroom and ducting.

blacklilly

blacklilly wrote: »

Also worth noting that many people have their extractor fan set to run for a period of 2 minutes. It should run for a minimum of 20 minutes after you shower.

The problem here is that a lot of people have linked the extractor fans to the lighting circuit. This means that it comes on when people visit the bathroom for other reasons, and especially at night causes unwanted noise. Thus fan times tend to get set to the minimum. 
A good solution is to link the fan to an adjustable timer switch which can be put on during and which will continue after the shower. The noise then won't annoy anybody.

cerastes

Deleted User wrote: »

The problem here is that a lot of people have linked the extractor fans to the lighting circuit. This means that it comes on when people visit the bathroom for other reasons, and especially at night causes unwanted noise. Thus fan times tend to get set to the minimum. 
A good solution is to link the fan to an adjustable timer switch which can be put on during and which will continue after the shower. The noise then won't annoy anybody.

I think that's what humidity controlled fans do really, connected to the lighting circuit but only switching on if there is humidity, ive considered a fan connected to power via a contactor or relay that's connected to the electric shower, but it's not applicable if the shower isn't electric or if the lighting isn't required, in which case you'd need a permanently wired fan switched by humidity sensors alone.

cnocbui

cerastes wrote: »

Noise is a concern, I prefer if they can be quieter, the bathroom is a long run in ducting to the soffit. Im not sure if there is enough power in a standard size extractor fan to vent moisture as there is no openable window in the bathroom.

I did think of even having a humidity controlled extractor fan and have it wired so it powers a bigger duct fan that does the main work to expel moisture laden air from the bathroom and ducting.

Doesn't the bathroom have an external wall or existing vent?

My fans are always on and only controlled by the humidity, which can be a nuisance on a few nights of the year in summer as the general humidity gets to be enough that when they aree triggder by showering they can remain on for quite a while. Ideally replacing the light switch with a double and wiring the fan to the second switch so it could be turned off would have been better but there wasn't room in the conduit for more wires.

cerastes

cnocbui wrote: »

Doesn't the bathroom have an external wall or existing vent?

My fans are always on and only controlled by the humidity, which can be a nuisance on a few nights of the year in summer as the general humidity gets to be enough that when they aree triggder by showering they can remain on for quite a while. Ideally replacing the light switch with a double and wiring the fan to the second switch so it could be turned off would have been better but there wasn't room in the conduit for more wires.

It has an existing vent and its own switch, but it relies on being turned on, which it isn't always,i was thinking a humidity controlled fan but now I'm thinking one that comes on with the light and is time controlled

cnocbui

I mounted mine in place of the internal vent covers and chased the walls to the loft with a channel for the cables, so no need for ducting runs through the loft.

banchang

Is it a requirement of building regs to have a vent ?

I have a one bed apartment with windows in both bedroom & living room but no vents to outside at all in the property - the only means of ventilation is to open sash windows by a couple of cm at the top.

Have humidity & mould problem on the windows.

sashafierce

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How Strange

I haven't read through all the posts but in our apartment I used to put the heating on very low at regular intervals from October to April. This kept the room temperature stable so it never got too cold. It was electric heating but had minimal effect on our electricity bill. We used a dehumidifier everyday during these months and I also cleared off any condensation on the windows every day. This kept mould away for 2 winters. Clear any mould away with bleach as soon as you see it. Apart from that it's a landlord issue. Once you're being careful about moisture, coldness and humidity so essentially lifestyle adjustments then it is something I'd raise with the landlord. We had to get our builder back to do structural work several times before it was fully resolved.

noodler

sashafierce wrote: »

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I think this is OTT.


I live in a reasonably well ventilated place but I still open the windowns in the morning before I shower and don't close until I leave.

I also try to open a bit more frequently if there are clothes drying for obvious reasons.

sashafierce

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noodler

sashafierce wrote: »

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Leaving windows open while at work.

sashafierce

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noodler

sashafierce wrote: »

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Security would be number one.

Second thing would be that it is cold in Ireland for 3/4 monthes of the year.


I thought this would be relatively obvious?

I am all for decent ventilation but it is absolutely not necessary to leave your windows open all day.

sashafierce

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