Is there such a thing as anto mould paint?

[whataboutbob]

And does it work? There is recurring mould on 2 external walls in a property I have responsibility for. It's let out to students, belongs to my Dad who is too poorly to manage it. I've done various things (de humidifier, vented tumble dryer etc) but it's still a problem.
The agents have suggested getting their contractors to re paint with said anti mould paint this summer between tenancies. has anyone tried this?

[wowfudge]

Yes there is, but there are other things to investigate: what are the guttering and pointing like? Is the loft insulated and is there sufficient airflow. Are the eaves blocked, for example? Do the tenants actually use the dehumidifier and tumble dryer? They probably think these electrical items will cost them a lot of money to run. Do they have trickle vents on the windows open and ventilate the place adequately? What about the heating - is that put on enough? Is it down to penetrating damp or is it coming from condensation inside the house?

My suspicion is that you could spend good money on this and it will just mean the mould grows back a bit more slowly. It certainly won't cure it. If the lifestyle of the tenants is adding to the problem isn't going to fix things.

[whataboutbob]

Thanks wowfudge. It's a 1960s ex council building. I got the council (freeholder)'s damp contractor to come out. He did some looking around, took some reading and said it's condensation not penetrating damp. However he did admit that builds from that era often tend to create condensation because there are cold spots on the external walls, there's a lot of concrete eg in the floors of the flats above and thatretains the cold. Which causes moisture to settle on the walls inside the flats. The tenants assure me they are using the tumble dryer. I noticed the de humidifier out in one of their rooms last time I was there.
I do suspect the agents are always dreaming up ways of getting their contractors out and sending me a nice over inflated invoice so that's why I posted!
Also, I was planning on repainting this summer to spruce the place up. I'm not sure how aesthetically pleasing anti mould paint would be?

[wowfudge]

I don't think you'll see much difference between anti mould and standard paint tbh. Is there any way of improving insulation if cold spots are commonplace?

[whataboutbob]

The contractor did talk about installing some kind of venting system which is linked in to the mains and draws in air from outside continuously, causing a micro draft and reducing humidity. Would cost about £1000.
Not sure about insulation. The issue is the concrete floor in the flat above which causes a cold spot water settles around, on the top of the walls in the bedrooms. Could that be insulated?

[wowfudge]

I used to work for a property management company and a flat we looked after had one of those systems installed. I don't know much about them - how noisy are they in operation and how much do they cost to run? I wonder if an insulated false ceiling could be put in and eliminate the cold ceilings issue? Worth further research I think.

[whataboutbob]

Thanks Wow your posts are always useful. I'm not surprised to hear you used to work for a PM company, you come across as v knowledgeable! The ceilings are not v high so that could be a problem.
I think I need to look into one of those venting systems, maybe find some reviews before making a decision.

[wowfudge]

Thank you - glad to be of assistance. Without knowing what floor your flat is on, fitting some air bricks could help with ventilation without the costs of the ventilation system suggested. You can fit cowls on the outside so you don't get a howling gale through them.

[whataboutbob]

Thanks wow! It's on the 1st floor of a 3 floor block, ex council, 1950s-1960s build.

[wowfudge]

Hmm - you might need freeholder permission or consent of the management company if the entire block is now in private ownership. Check the lease.

Someone like Sarah Beeny should do a series on dealing with damp and condensation as issues crop up so often and frequently people are given duff advice on how to deal with them.

[whataboutbob]

That's true, I'd have to get the council to give consent as it would affect the structure. I needed their consent for a vented tumble dryer.
Definitely Sarah Beeny should do a series on damp. It's such a widespread and perennial problem. I used to watch "the housing enforcers" on TV did you see it? A TV presenter joined teams of council housing inspectors looking at dodgy rented housing. That was quite informative on damp and other issues.

[Fourarmsv2]

Do you mean condensor tumble drier?

I bet they're not using the tumble drier / dehumidifier. Could the agency do a few spot checks?

However, anti mould paint did help us in an area that was prone to mould once we reformed our condensation causing ways!!

[Mouthfulofquiz]

We had a positive pressure venting system put into our old house and it's great. It was £500, costs about 12 quid a year to run apparently and isn't noisy. Well worth it if you can't rely on tenants to open windows etc

[whataboutbob]

Thanks. The tumble dryer is vented to the outside of the kitchen as I knew I couldn't rely on students to empty the water tray regularly. They tell me they are using it. I also saw the dehumidifier out in one of the rooms so I assume t hey are using it.
That's very interesting about the PPVS mouthful. Worth considering definitely.