Damp. How does it work?
Discussion
Well I'm currently fighting my yearly winter war against damp in my flat. But I've never managed to work out how damp actually works.
I have a five roomed flat + hall which is double glazed. Two rooms on side, three on the other. The two rooms get sun most of the year, the three on the other only get a bit of sun during the summer. The two that get the sun also have night storage heaters which I put on when it gets cold. These two rooms don't get any damp.
The office, the kitchen and the bathroom are all on the other side & they get damp. The bathroom has the smallest amount of damp surprisingly but the kitchen and the office get loads. Everytime it starts to get cold & wet the damp springs up in the office literally over night. The kitchen and bathroom both have the worst walls painted in anti damp paint which helps and I'm going to do the office at some stage this winter. But here's the thing, how do I stop it/slow it down in the meantime?
Do you have the windows open or shut? Do you have heaters turned up? Do you do both? Rubbing down the walls with that Dettol anti-mildrew stuff is proving very expensive.
Also I only have a small tumble dryer and an airing cupboard to help get my clothes dry.
Errrr...HELP!!
I have a five roomed flat + hall which is double glazed. Two rooms on side, three on the other. The two rooms get sun most of the year, the three on the other only get a bit of sun during the summer. The two that get the sun also have night storage heaters which I put on when it gets cold. These two rooms don't get any damp.
The office, the kitchen and the bathroom are all on the other side & they get damp. The bathroom has the smallest amount of damp surprisingly but the kitchen and the office get loads. Everytime it starts to get cold & wet the damp springs up in the office literally over night. The kitchen and bathroom both have the worst walls painted in anti damp paint which helps and I'm going to do the office at some stage this winter. But here's the thing, how do I stop it/slow it down in the meantime?
Do you have the windows open or shut? Do you have heaters turned up? Do you do both? Rubbing down the walls with that Dettol anti-mildrew stuff is proving very expensive.
Also I only have a small tumble dryer and an airing cupboard to help get my clothes dry.
Errrr...HELP!!
Edited by The Hypno-Toad on Thursday 12th November 19:54
Ventilate the flat regularly. Open windows especially when cooking steamy stuff or burning gas. If you use the tumble dryer where does the hot air go? That is laden with moisture which must condense somewhere. Bathrooms and kitchens will produce lots of moisture too.
The only real option is to ventilate or use a dehumidifier.
The only real option is to ventilate or use a dehumidifier.
Well, it depends on where the water is coming from.
The reason the cold side of the house has damp walls is that the walls are cold. The air in the property is presumably warm, and warm air can contain more water. When the air touches the walls it's warmth is wicked away by the walls and falls below the dew point (a specific temperature based on the huimidity).
Below the dew point the water in the air can no longer be in suspension, and the only place it can go, is on to the walls.
Options are;
The reason the cold side of the house has damp walls is that the walls are cold. The air in the property is presumably warm, and warm air can contain more water. When the air touches the walls it's warmth is wicked away by the walls and falls below the dew point (a specific temperature based on the huimidity).
Below the dew point the water in the air can no longer be in suspension, and the only place it can go, is on to the walls.
Options are;
- Remove the source of water, perhaps a shower, or a leaky tumble drier.
- Remove the actual water it's self (dehumidifier or fresh dry air).
- Keep the coldest walls at a temperature above the dew point.
Edited by dilbert on Thursday 12th November 20:05
There are different kinds of "damp".
Condensation is the easiest to deal with. Just set up a fan heater on a low setting to keep the cold at bay.
Water ingress is the probably most expensive to deal with because you have to pay a monkey, then another monkey after first rips you off.
Try a fan heater in one room only and compare with other.
Condensation is the easiest to deal with. Just set up a fan heater on a low setting to keep the cold at bay.
Water ingress is the probably most expensive to deal with because you have to pay a monkey, then another monkey after first rips you off.
Try a fan heater in one room only and compare with other.
The Hypno-Toad said:
This is why I love PH!
Looks like I'll be purchasing another heater and leaving some more windows open.
Thanks all.
As suggested earlier - try a dehumidifier. If you get one from one of the sheds then you can try if for a week or two and take it back if it doesn't help.Looks like I'll be purchasing another heater and leaving some more windows open.
Thanks all.
Air circulation in flats (and bungalows) isn't very good but the dehumidifier should dry the air around itself and then that dry air absorbs the humidity from the rest of the flat - so it *should* work.
Every damp patch tells a different story/solution. In general warm air when hitting cold surface, will turn to moisture/condensation. As other posters have posted, air circulation, ventilation and control if temperature goes some way to controlling condensation/damp.
Cold panes of glass/double glazing are recognisable for assisting in condensation, but others are not so obvious, for example wardrobes and other furniture tight up against a cold wall, cold ceilings immediately under cold flat roof, with no insulation in between the roof void is another.
In Bristol Housing Association Properties are starting to have installed humidly controlled extractor fans, that operate 24/7 throughout the property
Cold panes of glass/double glazing are recognisable for assisting in condensation, but others are not so obvious, for example wardrobes and other furniture tight up against a cold wall, cold ceilings immediately under cold flat roof, with no insulation in between the roof void is another.
In Bristol Housing Association Properties are starting to have installed humidly controlled extractor fans, that operate 24/7 throughout the property
Wings said:
In Bristol Housing Association Properties are starting to have installed humidly controlled extractor fans, that operate 24/7 throughout the property
A heat recovery and ventilation system would be an awful lot better, and more environmentally friendly, which is usually a public sector priority, regardless of the cost.Deva Link said:
Wings said:
In Bristol Housing Association Properties are starting to have installed humidly controlled extractor fans, that operate 24/7 throughout the property
A heat recovery and ventilation system would be an awful lot better, and more environmentally friendly, which is usually a public sector priority, regardless of the cost.I have noticed that lots of small restaurants, cafes and take aways in Bristol, are starting to use these plug in type extractor fans, wired inside the premises, portable for placing outside the premises on footpaths etc. etc. Do these just extract the air, moisture, smells out etc.?
Deva Link said:
A heat recovery and ventilation system would be an awful lot better, and more environmentally friendly, which is usually a public sector priority, regardless of the cost.
True, until someone fails to maintain them and all sorts of nasty bugs start growing inside the trunking etc. 
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