Home And Garden

[cockatiel]

The house where my grandson and his partner and 3 year old daughter live had new replacement double glazing fitted about 12 months ago.They didn't have a problem before but now the walls are getting very damp and covered with mildew.The landlord doesn't admit there is a problem and just says more ventilation is needed,They do try to leave a window open but it gets too cold sometimes.My grandson's partner suffers from asthma and now their daughter has been diagnosed with it.Apart from putting dehumidifiers in the rooms affected,I wonder what else they can do.Should the landlord be supplying these or is the expense of them down to my grandson

[bhg481]

Now that the windows are double-glazed the walls are the coldest part of the room so, if the atmosphere is moist, condensation will occur there instead of on the windows. There are 3 solutions:
1) stop everybody breathing (not very practical)
2) cavity wall insulation
3) more ventilation.
With a rented house it looks like you're stuck with ventilation (or de-humidifiers).

[buildersmate]

Additional possible solutions to add to the above good advice:
4) Use lids where possible on hob pans and ensure use of extraction over hob / cooker. Not the recirculation type that merely extracts smells and blows water vapour back into kitchen.
5) Use extractor fan over shower / bath in bathroom.
6) Avoid drying clothes over lines or radiators in the house.

[The Builder]

7) Raise the core temperature of the building ............. i.e. Heating

This comes up a lot on here. I don't wish to be unkind, Cockatiel, but we do have a rather strange mindset in this country when it comes to using heating.

We have possibly one of the most miserable, damp, and unpleasant climates in the Western world in this country. Yet, we still probably spend more on shoes than we do on heating.

I've fixed this problem in plenty of properties in the past with a combination of gentle (trickle) ventilation; serious extraction; and just a little heat.

If there is Off-peak in the house, then even the smallest storage heater will do it. If not, a modern small (maybe 750w) panel heater with the thermostat set quite low.

If there is central heating, then just a modest amount of heat during the evening will help keep the core temperature up.

About the only thing I disagree with, is using de-humidifiers. I only ever use them after floods ;o)

They do work, but are simply addressing the symptoms rather than the problem. It's rather like curing a roof leak by putting a bucket under it.

Seriously... with someone who has asthma, I wouldn't even think about being mean with the heating... especially at this time of year.

[cockatiel]

Thank you all for your replies.Very helpful

[cockatiel]

Please can you tell me Builder why it seems only bedrooms seem to be affected by damp and mildew.Central heating warms the whole house