Old Terrace House Attic Issues

hellenmic

Hi all,
My parents live in a old terraced house.
The house does not have any soffits or soffit ventilation and looks like its a sealed roof. There is desperate mould problems in the upstairs of the house on the ceilings. I know this is coming from the attic.
I asked my dad if the attic was insulated and he said it was once upon a time but he had to take the insulation out as it was all damp.
To me, that sounds like a condensation issue he was having as there is no soffit ventilation or vents in the roof.
I want to sort this issue asap for my parents as this is not comfortable for them. I will need to get professionals in to insulate and ventilate the attic to address the mould issues upstairs.
Just wondering dis anyone come across a similar issue as I am describing or does anyone have any tips on how to address this.

Thanks in advance

mickdw

hellenmic wrote: »

Hi all,
My parents live in a old terraced house.
The house does not have any soffits or soffit ventilation and looks like its a sealed roof. There is desperate mould problems in the upstairs of the house on the ceilings. I know this is coming from the attic.
I asked my dad if the attic was insulated and he said it was once upon a time but he had to take the insulation out as it was all damp.
To me, that sounds like a condensation issue he was having as there is no soffit ventilation or vents in the roof.
I want to sort this issue asap for my parents as this is not comfortable for them. I will need to get professionals in to insulate and ventilate the attic to address the mould issues upstairs.
Just wondering dis anyone come across a similar issue as I am describing or does anyone have any tips on how to address this.

Thanks in advance

Assuming its not a dormer type house, all you need is some vent slates near eaves back and front.
Ventilation should be equal to 10mm continuous gap over entire length of house.
Insulate with quilt in 2 to 3 layers.
Make sure no extractors are venting to attic space.

listermint

Numerous options but the quickest and perhaps the cheapest is simply ventilation slates / tiles depending on the roofing material.

These would replace individual slate or tiles in the roof but have weatherproof holes in them to allow airflow into and out of the attic. Placed on front and rear of the roof they should allow air in and out of the space. You'd need enough of them to make sure flow is reasonable.

Alas if the damp has been problematic for a number of years you could have structural problems with the roofing timbers themselves.

I'd seek out a recognised roofing company for a review of what's needed.

Alkers

If it's your parents house and you're not going to be doing the work yourself, look at the seai grants for insulatuon, to pass the seai inspect they company will have to install adequate ventilation as well as looking after the insulation. I'd say ballpark 1200e after grant depending on the size and access.

mad m

Is this an old style council house? Dublin?