Is this condensation a damp proof course problem?

[VivaLeBeaver]

We live in a 1900 semi. No cavity wall but there is a damp proof course.

We are good at ventilating the house, have a dehumidifier downstairs, don't dry washing in the house, etc.

Dh wipes any condensation off the windows every morning. He's concerned as he says there's more condensation in the living room than in the bedroom and there aren't two people breathing all night in the living room. Also he says the condensation is worse than it was a few years ago.

He thinks the damp proof course may need redoing. I'm not convinced. But if we get a company out to ask them they're surely going to say that yes it does need redoing aren't they? So not sure how to find out.

My house has a bad condensation problem and I use a dehumidifier all day and night during the winter which only helps a little bit.

I frequently have to clean mould off the walls and furniture.

What kind of windows do you have? I have wood framed double glazed windows with a very small gap between the panes and hope when I replace them with new UPVC ones it might help.

We've got upvc windows.

Our dehumidifier is on day and night but is ten years old. Still seems to work ok, it's often filling with water and needs emptying. Maybe I need a new more powerful one.

I had a representative from this company round and he poked his damp-o-meter into a few walls but said they couldn't help my problem so that was very honest of him, I thought.

Tbh, I think I need several dehumidifiers although I live in a small 3 bed semi. When I run mine in the bedroom, the windows don't mist up - but the downstairs ones do .

I think they're quite expensive to run as well.

Do you have a gas appliance downstairs?

Five, that company looks really good. It was the thought of redecorating and replastering that has been making my heart sink even more than the cost implications. So a company that can do it from the outside would be great, especially an honest one. Will talk to dh aout getting them round.

Damp proof and condensation are two different things. To stop condensation you need good ventilation or a really powerful dehumidifier

It can be a sign of carbon monoxide being created by a faulty gas boiler/fire

Our carbon monoxide alarm needs batteries. Will sort that out tomorrow.

Please do just in case

Viva, the rep was very honest with me and iirc they drill holes in the bricks increase the ventilation to the house. They could only have done it in one wall of my house which wouldn't have helped my problem.

There's another company that puts something in your loft if you have one. I'll have a google and see if I can find it.

This looks quite expensive good.

I have got the thing in my loft, do not get it, it does nothing. The thing cost about £2k and is utterly useless, you would be better to buy 2 really good dehumidifiers.

Thanks nancy. Will rule that one out then.

We also have an old house and terrible condensation in the winter. Once the temp drops below a certain level, the windows are house are covered in water. In fact, water was running down my ds's bedroom wall this morning. Dehumidifiers don't work. Nothing to do with the damp course

Dd's room has a small ventilation thingy at the top of the window, which helps a bit. The kitchen now has a fan which has been fantastic. I wipe and open the windows every morning, and keep the bedroom doors ajar at night to allow airflow.I try not to have furniture against the outside walls.

We also had the same problem in our flat, which was Victorian.

I'm never buying an old house again!

Thanks nancy - £2k

Moogalicious - how long do you have the fan running for? I have a fan in each bathroom and in the utility room and an extractor hood over the hob. I never know how long to leave them on and am always conscious of the running costs.

Dh has pointed out we have an open fireplace/chimney in the living room so it's the most well ventilated room in the house.

Can I just pop by to suggest the Karcher window vac - obviously treats the symptoms rather than the cause, but it's been a God send for us! Amazon do it, have seen it in B&Q and on ideal world (shopping channel). Also the cheap "moisture traps" - a couple of pounds from hardware shops or similar - help to take the edge off.

Just when we think the condensation can't get worse, the really cold weather hits and it freezes :(

We had quite bad mould on one side of the house (cold side of the house that gets no sun) by having as little as possible against the walls and having the dehumidifier on from October to march we have got rid of it. We have a 3 bed house and a dehumidifier that is meant to be strong enough for a 6 bed house, the amount of water that comes out of it is amazing

Not sure about the £50 window vac, a towel seems to dry the windows ok. If it was half the price I might be tempted.

if you had a damp proof course problem you wouls be able to see staining/mould around the bottom of the walls.

if you are minimising the vapour you produce and ventilating as well as you say then you need to find an alternative water source. i would reckon that water supply and heating pipes might be candidates. also how is the roofing? guttering etc? could you lift some boards and look under the floor of your sitting room? if a pipe has been leaking you might find a lake. water companies can use various techniques for listening to leaks in around your supply pipes. it might be worth asking then to check. if you have a meter it is worth looking when no water is running to see if it is flying around.

nancy which one did / do you have?

Which loft vent thingy? Not from the company linked to but the same idea from another place, or did you mean the dehumidifier? It's a delonghi one that cost about £200, if you look on the delonghi website they list All the strengths they do, get one that is for a bigger house than you have,