Mould Problems - Only One Bedroom

Solus

Solus

Solus

Associate
Joined
5 Oct 2006
Posts
916
Location
Cardiff
We have tried dealing with this issue for years, but its reared its head again this year.

I'm starting to think we should get a professional out to deal with the problem, but wanted to check if there's anything obvious that should be dealt with.

It is our master bedroom, doesn't adjoin the bathroom, and the rest of the house is mould free.

Things we have tried:

Cleaned the walls with anti mould stuff, which works initially but it returns.
Insulated the loft and ensured there is air flow at the eaves.
One of those moisture catchers, which haven't done much long term as you will see in the photos.

Here you see the outside of the bedroom, there seems to be something in the wall rusting, which alarms me a bit - but can this actually be the cause our problems?
https://photos.app.goo.gl/q7PpDB6hm4cbOAx03

Here is a closer photo of the rust in the wall:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/wZqJ9k6upRUsLlPS2

I also note what looks like a crack in my fascia board, unsure if this will make any difference?
https://photos.app.goo.gl/mLNR7Z9tXgKLpck52

And now for the internals:

I had to strip this wall of the wallpaper (it was infested with mould last year). This is the wall adjoining our neighbours to the left. You can see the ceiling has mould remaining from before the wallpaper was stripped.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/MRsuNHW15gTtkcgL2

Over the period of a year where I have left the wallpaper off for the wall to breathe, we now also have patches like this, where the mist coat of paint is flaking and bubbling away:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/WFuGEmpyhzjyfZ552

These blinds will be binned, but just to show the extent of the problems:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/9Fn55OBloEAOoYzP2

This is the built in wardrobe, which directly aligns with the rust outside:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/UbaHF2yxnTXReE6g2

We are due to redecorate this room, clearly as I've had to rip the paper off the wall - but I don't see the point if it's all going to continue to be an issue. I will obviously scrape off all of the loose, bubbling paint.

Frustrating as the whole house doesn't have one issue other than this room, we keep the windows ajar wherever possible overnight. I've ordered a humidity monitor to check the actual levels within the room, but it does not feel any different to any other room.

Any help greatly received.
 
Get a pro. Mould totally ruined my health, take my word for it, it's not worth the risk. Fix it, properly, and asap.

Also, don't sleep in there until it's sorted.
 
My partner has some unexplained symptoms which she has put down to coming off steroids, which we're now worried mould could be the cause. She's recently started getting dizzy and anxious when going outside.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/aSj1x5WffJBdpgHJ3 - That's the porch flashing

There's this vent which was blocked up before we moved in (though this is in the living room below which has no issues):
https://photos.app.goo.gl/kOhOpDzBpDDUSpjW2

There's various cracks in the render, though this is also beneath my daughter's room which doesn't have any mould issues.
 
have you asked neighbours who have similar houses, about house construction and issues they have/had.
Have bought a humidity meter too, but maybe a probe is also useful in your case, to map it out; but getting a pro maybe more efficient as suggested.
 
Has somebody just sprayed a load of foam into your wall cavity, collected a government rebate and then legged it?

Seconding that you should get a professional in, expect them to have to make holes to see what's going on.
 
I'll ask my next door neighbour, it may not be showing even if they have a problem there though.

They've only recently bought the house and it was refurbed before they bought it. Likely all brand new paint, but worth an ask.

How much are we talking normally for a damp inspection? Just so I can brace myself as this needs to be sorted
 
I take it your bedroom is on the first floor. Is water leaking down your wall from above? Have you been in the attic and looked for leaks? Is your roof leaking? Do you have a broken pipe above that is leaking down the wall?

It does look to be dampness in the wall that is causing the problem.

I would also say sleep in another room until you get it fixed if you can, it can seriously affect your health. Mould can make you dizzy and anxious.
 
Is it only the exterior walls that suffer?

Are the faciaboards sealed to the house or if you are in the loft can you see day light? there needs to be air flow for the loft space to do its job.

Also in the loft does the insulation touch the felt on the inner side of the roof? if it does you will get loads of condensation coming off that into the insulation and there fore in to the walls.

The wall that's wet/damp does it get lots of driving rain? is the wall constantly cold? does it feel wet/damp constantly?
 
Exterior walls have the most mould, but the wall which had wallpaper removed because it was covered in mould was interior I guess - it's the dividing wall between our house and the terraced house next door.

The facia boards are sealed to the house I think, I've ensured the insulation isn't touching any felt and away from the eaves, though I do not see daylight.

The wet damp wall does get driving rain, there is a street directly ahead of us, we look down an open street with no houses opposite to stop any driving rain. The wall always feels cold, but never damp to touch.

The house has had cavity wall insulation before my time here.

I've been in the loft numerous times for leaks, as we did have an issue with the chimney flashing. The chimney was removed 2 years ago and as far as I can tell the roof is leak free. I have boarded the loft, so it would be pretty obvious.

I had the gutters, fascias and soffits done within the first year of owning the house. Should he have put vents in the soffits?

We do have these in our roof however:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/glideval...gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CM3485_yptsCFVYT0wodLOEOVg
 
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I personally would start with venting the soffits, the cavity wall insulation should have a 25 year guarantee (if done under the government scheme) and you should have a copy of that, meaning you could get them to check to see if its causing the damp issue for free rather than calling in a company to do the same.

The driving rain could be a related issue, causing water to bridge the cavity due to poorly/incorrectly installed cavity insulation.

Additionally, you should take stuff off the floor from around the mould effected area, air flow is the only thing that will make any difference.
 
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Our house had a problem with damp in a few select places on an upstairs exterior wall. We had a positive pressure ventilation system installed and within weeks the damp is gone. The house feels and smells fresher.

The installer basically said these older house, Victorian terrace in our case, are too air tight now and they need to breath. Fire places have been blocked up, fine glazed windows, loft insulation etc all contributed to our damp.
I was skeptical, but a few other people said it worked wonders for them so we have it a go and it's been great.
Good luck with yours.
 
I didn't have any information on the cavity wall insulation from the solicitors when I bought the house, I also don't have any documentation.

As they most likely did have it done via a government grant (ex council house), would it be traceable?
 
Ciga should have details of it, if it was done properly, unfortunately mine was done for cheap by guys who were "working in the area anyway" - so I had to stump up to get it removed...
 
My brother in law says a lot were done by the mark group in Wales, who have gone in to administration.

If I fail to remove the insulation i will try to ventilate the room, as all other upstairs rooms have ventilation, but this doesn't.
 
For starters get a dehumidifier this will help try and control this mold and damp in the room. the next step would be to get some air in that wall. it you either might have water leaking in from somewhere or the insulation might be too dense.

The thought of mold spores etc in the air is not good
 
Solus said:
My brother in law says a lot were done by the mark group in Wales, who have gone in to administration.

If I fail to remove the insulation i will try to ventilate the room, as all other upstairs rooms have ventilation, but this doesn't.
Click to expand...

If it's not registered with ciga just get it done yourself, it's well worth paying for, cavity wall insulation isn't appropriate for exposed walls where there is driving rain, should never have been installed, it's just a bonus if you can get the guarantee company to pay for extracting it
 
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