Beat Lifestyle Condensation

[Shalini1]

Hi All,

Firstly, I have wooden fitted wardrobe on an external wall in a room in my *rental property -and this has stopped mould in that room. I am thinking if i could try getting wood like panel glued to external wall in living room to stop mould? any risks you can think of? i will be grateful for your advice.

Secondly, can i get vent done in ceiling to help moisture escape with hot air-it is a bungalow? Anyone has any experience of it?

Thank you v much for your time and help.

[Colin3]

insulate the inside of the room with 25mm kingspan or similar ? Do your windows have trickle vents? ( If upvc)

[Colin3]

vent in ceiling (no room above) with fan and duct thru to a vented roof tile is ok . Not cheap to do tho

[David240]

@Shalini

Get professionally cleaned before inventory so there is no mould at move in

Lifestyle condensation is prevented by lifestyle. See advice as follows

Google ‘Condensation, damp and mould centre for sustainable energy’

And ‘How to get rid of damp energy saving trust’ for lots of great advice

There is absolutely no sensible reason why a living room should have mould from condensation- condensation is generated when people take baths, showers, breath, boil kettles and cook or put laundry on radiators. Tell tenants it causes mould, damages their health and costs more to heat air with more water in it and they will have to pay for mould removal if they don’t open windows 10 min every day etc; and give them advice how to avoid it in the property manual and remind them before winter every year, particularly if you know there’s been mould in your place previously. Highlight the clause in the contract which says they are responsible for keeping place ventilated and clean from mould. Provide a washer dryer or washer and dryer not just a washing machine. Maybe provide a dehumidifier.

A wardrobe may have hidden mould it won’t prevent it unless magically it gets rid of condensation tho wood will have some insulation properties which may help.

Wood rots (including beams in roofspace) - why not ventilate to the outside.

Maybe install ventilation fans in the wall- there are fans which run constantly in whisper quiet mode and boost when Humidistat says above rh 60% (say) - these are commonly used in bathrooms and kitchens with ducting to the wall or ducting through the roofspace to the eaves.

Get some digital hygrometers for the property (Amazon 6 for 20 quid manufacturer thermopro )

There are ‘positive ventilation’ systems which use a fan in roofspace to pump air throughout a house and it then escapes where it can - these have mixed reviews and are expensive to install but are claimed to work

Check your EPC - from 2028 new tenancies can only be given if epc is C or better (2030 for existing tenancies)- so better insulation or improved heating may be needed anyway and would help. Note also the system for calculating EPCs is due to change in mid 2026 but EPCs done before then will stay valid

Good luck

[David240]

@Shalini1 see also these previous threads re damp/mould

Black mold and condensation

It seems the condensation issues in my flat continue with the tenants reporting persistent black mould even with good weather and windows open. I am about to consult damp specialists and am thinking positive invasive ventilation (PIV) may be the way forward. I wonder does anyone on here have experience of installing PIV and can advise whether it’s been successful and fixed the issue. Thanks for your help/advice. Carole

Damp walls + Molds ? Time to leave the House?

Hi All. In my flat, Mold is spreading on two of the bedroom walls despite the complaint I sent to my landlord during the summer. First, the walls started getting wet and it could even be seen from the inside of my room during the summer (During April). Even though I have informed the landlord, his caretaker had a look at it and told me that he got nothing to do as it is an old house. Now the situation has gone worst. To heat up the room, i bought even an electric heater as the existing radiat…

[Candid1]

1 No to wood like panel

2 every area needs ventilation but vent in the room vent in plinth maybe

3 identify source of damp its simple enough. If damp from below wall insulation is of little value. If it is from outside check gutters and pointing etc and dpc clear.

4 north corners do get cold or you have a 9” wall just fit 50mm polystrene backed plaster board in the alcove. You still need ventilation though.

[Colin3]

Insulation ,ventilation and heat, 3 things to help. I have insulated properties for many years and no mould in any of my rentals

[David122]

@Shalini1

I have wooden fitted wardrobe on an external wall in a room in my *rental property -and this has stopped mould in that room.

You may find that the mould just transfers to the inside of the wardrobe. As others have said, you need a proper solution to the problem. I’d suggest you get some expert advice if you’re not sure as you could waste a lot of money on things that don’t work.

[Shalini1]

yes Colin trickle vents are there. thanks about insulation advice

[Shalini1]

thanks yes expensive

[Shalini1]

thanks David. they have this lifestyle issue but they r saying not. and i shared above info to them. house is always painted and cleaned before every new tenancy. thanks

[Shalini1]

i have provided 2 dehumidifiers in property. i will check my EPC and explore positive ventilation and consider all your advice for which i am v grateful thanks again

[Shalini1]

no mould reported in summer months. teants moved on 30 june and mould reported in november

[Shalini1]

thanks a lot for your valuable advice

[Shalini1]

yes we r considering insulation but as others said, it is v expensive. and rental is low. so wondering if selling would be better. thanks