Help with solving damp / condensation problem please!

[wigwam33]

I've read through lots of previous posts on these topics and think we have a problem with condensation. My son's room, which is next to the bathroom and above the kitchen (and also next to the rise-and-fall airer) gets very cold and smells slightly damp to me, especially in the winter time.

We dry our clothes outside as much as possible but still sometimes use the inside airers- especialy in the winter. We definitely cannot afford to buy, install and run a tumble drier but we could afford to install an extractor fan in the bathroom (none at present but 2 windows). I read about the ducted extractor fan based in the loft, which I think could be a solution as we have loft space above the bathroom. Could we kill two birds with one stone and install one for the kitchen as well? Where would the kitchen fan go? (we have a suspended plasterboard ceiling). Any suggestions?

You need PIGLETJOHN.
He will know the answer to this and anything else to do with plumbing, DIY ETC
PIGLETJOHN!! Are you there??

Could you afford a little drier? They're about £100 new but you might find one on eBay.
Apparently drying clothes inside is like 'throwing buckets of water at your walls'

why does the room get cold? Lack of insulation? Lack of heating?

are you also able to implement the solution of only doing washing when the forecast says it can be dried? Buying a few extra clothes is a lot cheaper than fixing condensation damage!

poshme we haven't got any space for a little drier. Also, it's not so much the initial outlay, it's the running costs that I'm concerned about.

specialsubject I think that the room is slightly damp as I've seen the odd bit of damp, especially near the window, although I'm not sure if this is caused by internal condensation or penetrating damp from outside. The room has 2 external walls - one west facing and the biggest one north facing. There's a decent sized radiator but it is on an internal wall. Double glazed window and solid walls (so no insulation there).

I try to dry clothes outside as much as I can but we live in a rainy place so often not practical. And in the winter it's just too cold. Also, I go to the laundrette when we can get a lift, but we don't have a car so that makes it more difficult to take big loads of wet washing!

There is a way of testing if damp is from external source or internal- I can't remember how but I think it involves putting foil on the wall- maybe try googling?
Or have you thought of trying a dehumidifier? Not sure how much elec they use though.
I used to have a small drier in the shed. It was only for thicker hard to dry things like baby gros etc and I was really strict about not using it unless I really HAd to.

Yes I've wondered about a dehumidifier too. I wondered if we had a duct extractor whether we could dry clothes in the bathroom using that?! Sounds crazy but my logic is that as the purpose is to extract water then why not. I always do an extra fast spin on the washer so that clothes aren't as wet as they could be.

just an idea, but we also have a bedroom with external solid walls, about 300 years old. We've dry-lined one wall and bingo, the condensation on it has stopped! The room is also warmer - now need to consider the other walls.

might be worth considering? It is 'moisture board' with a polystyrene backing.

extractor fans also good.

a bathroom certainly needs ventilation. An extractor fan wired to come on with the light switch gives a reasonable assurance that it will actually be used (some people have an aversion to ventilation and will not switch fans on).

The ducted ones that can be fitted above the ceiling are generally quieter and more powerful. A basic cheap "builder's fan" is very weedy, though very cheap and easy to replace if it wears out and gets noisy.

Here is one example of good ducted fans. Read the reviews and the extract rate (cubic metres per hour) and noise (db) both of which should be much better than a cheap fan. Spot the difference. Rigid duct is preferable to flexible hose, though more work to fit. It should slope slightly towards the outside to prevent condensation running back, and should have loft insulation flopped over it to reduce condensation inside.

You must never ventilate into the loft itself. The duct needs to exhaust through a wall or eaves, or if unavoidable, the roof. A skilled roofer can usually make a vent through a roof without it leaking.

If you have a good extractor in the bathroom, it will also extract the water vapour from any wet washing you might hang over the bath.

For the kitchen, an extracting cooker hood is better, because it captured the steam and cooking smells directly over the cooker before they can disperse. Do not get a recirculating hood, which is nothing but a showroom ornament.

An ordinary tumbledrier costs between about 30p and 50p per load depending on whether it is synthetics or cotton. Heat pump driers cost less to run but much more to buy.

specialsubject thank you for the suggestion. I had considered it but after a conversation with a friend, I was worried about the board trapping moisture between the board and wall, thus causing further condensation and (unseen) mould. Has anyone else got any experience of this?

PigletJohn thank you for your tips as well. I think an extractor fan in the loft is the answer. There is an external wall adjacent to the bathroom (and therefore in the loft above it) but not sure if there are already any vents in the loft itself. I guess one could be created for the duct to the outside.

We have an extracting cooker hood over the cooker but it is phenomenally noisy. I can't hear the radio or have a conversation with it on and the room is open plan into the living room, and therefore I am reluctant to use it. The cooker is built into a chimney breast and the hood installed into the chimney itself.

Get a new hood, if the old one is noisy. It might not have an extraction duct, recirc hoods are often surprisingly noisy (as well as useless).

Thanks PigletJohn I think you're probably right, it may just be a recirculating one. I'll look into that.