Dampness problem solver – thingy bobby

got a bit of an issue with damp in the house,

looks to me like when they built the place back i the 90s that they missed some insulation in part of the wall..

well according to my touch test they did anyway. and the cold part is where the mould problem is forming.

I know you can get the whole house air systems which basically move air (slowly) around a property (not an MVHR)

but I was wondering what the best thing was for just the one room, as its the only place in the whole house that gets damp. Can you get single units that just move the air in one room?

its an upstairs bedroom so can go in the loft!

cheers STW folk!

You need a de-humidifier – you can get a good portable one for around £250 -cheap ones are generally not worth it.If its just the one room as you say then this is probably the best .Have a look on appliances online website.

Is it moisture from poor extraction in the bathroom, or just heavy breathing? 🙂

Either way, I’d be looking for a ventilation solution if at all possible.

Similar problem in 1950s council build. Bedrooms have massive concrete lintels above windows causing a cold bridge leading to condensation on the walls where the lintels are. Have hung thermal lining paper to these external walls. No more condensation.

Is there usually anything in front of the damp patch, wardrobe or whatever?

Check the outside of the wall for anyway in which water could be getting in. The insulation might be there but wet.
Paint on clear silicone might help unless you find a hole.

The penis shaped mvhr unit?

The dehumidifier is only a temporary fix .

I’m after one of those small vent systems you get as standard in new builds ..

Maybe they don’t exsist for single rooms .

And I’ve checked the outside , there are n
Holes etc..

And there is nothing in the corner of the room .. it’s an odd one, but I’m pretty sure they just haven’t put insulation in.

If the issue is a cold spot on the wall causing condensation to form, how is slowly circulating the air aiming to address this? Are you thinking to try and pull warm moist air out of the room to reduce the condensation in which case do you want to be losing that heat? Small MVHR unit as above sounds like a good idea to me if this is actually what the problem is, but thermal paper sounds like a much cheaper and quicker first attempt at a fix.

Best advice will be to find the cause of the damp, rather than put a sticking plaster over the issue.

More info required, namely:
Is the external wall a gable end wall, or a side elevation?
Where is the window in relation to the damp area?
Are there any wall cavity vents and if so, where are they in relation to the damp area?
How does the external face of the wall appear where the damp is coming through? Especially above it.
Do you have any broken tiles on the roof?
Or if a flat roof, have you checked the condition of the felt or covering?

Sounds like water is getting in and running down the cavity until it comes into contact with something that is bridging the cavity and absorbs moisture. Build up of excess mortar, bits of brick etc. Not ideal but if the water doesn’t get in, the damp may well not reappear.

Are you thinking to try and pull warm moist air out of the room to reduce the condensation in which case do you want to be losing that heat?

Dehumidifiers tend to be net producers of heat in a damp room on top of electricity usage due to latent energy released during condensation.

Just sorted this exact issue (thanks to some great advice on here). Mould on the wall is most likely condensation. Best course of action (which solved ours) is to simply crack open a window slightly during the day. This allows the air to circulate. Condensation always finds the coldest spot. Ours was in a corner behind a chest of drawers. Since moving the furniture and opening a window the issue has gone.
http://www.heritage-house.org/managing-damp-in-old-buildings.html

It’s a timber frame house , rendered on the exterior. The cavity has been filled with insulation externally , by touching various areas of the wall, youn can feel
The affected area is much much colder than the any other part of any of the other walls. I assumed that by moving the air around in the room, this will stop the mound forming, – window is left open all day in the daytime . And the damp only forms in the winter .

Timber frame, stick or oak frame? Either way, finding out where the water is getting in will be even more important.