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Damp on bathroom ceiling- advice welcome!

8 replies

ImpatientGriselda · 04/05/2016 10:39

We had black mould forming on our shower room ceiling a couple of years ago. Shower room is at basement level with no windows, and we had it repainted and a stronger extractor fan put in. Also have a crystals- based dehumidifier. The mould returned within a year, and the ceiling is flaking; is there anything more we should be doing? We don't have damp in other rooms.
Thanks for any advice. Smile

OP posts:
5BlueHydrangea · 04/05/2016 16:10

No help but we have a very similar problem! But damp is creeping around the house. Seems likely to be condensation related. We have bought a dehumidifier just need to use it more!

murphyslaws · 04/05/2016 16:12

Wash with bleach. Then gloss paint. It worked on ours

ImpatientGriselda · 04/05/2016 22:23

Thanks murphyslaws; how long has your ceiling lasted without mould so far after doing this?

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ladypie21 · 05/05/2016 10:56

We were recommended Zinnser Perma-White for our bathroom ceiling. Does a great job... no more mold over shower for just over a year. Bit pricey though.

PigletJohn · 05/05/2016 11:03

How poweful is your extractor? Does it work? Verify there is no obstruction by allowing a smoker into your home and watching the vile fumes being sucked away, and appearing at the vent on the outside of your home.

Can you feel it sucking fresh air through the gap under the door?

Does it come on every time you turn on the bathroom light, and does its timer continue to run it until all the water and the wet towels have dried up?

ImpatientGriselda · 05/05/2016 22:53

Thanks ladypie.
Pigletjohn, thanks for questions, will check and report back...

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ImpatientGriselda · 09/05/2016 12:47

Hmm, have checked and I'm not actually sure where the extractor actually blows out to! Can't feel it sucking fresh air at all. It doesn't appear to be on a timer and switches off when the light goes off. Is there a make you'd recommend?
Thanks very much for your help.

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PigletJohn · 09/05/2016 14:08

you say it is in the basement and has no windows. So it needs effective ventilation and sounds like it does not have it. If there is an external wall that reaches above ground level, you could have a wall mounted fan. If not you could run a duct. Possibly between the joists of the floor above, otherwise it would have to go through an adjoining room, possibly concealed above a wardrobe or lichen cupboards.

I would probably go for a 2-speed ducted fan, probably running at low speed constantly until the humidity has dropped and the mould can be dealt with. With the high speed being switched on during, and preferably after, baths and showers.

If you could achieve reasonable ventilation, most rooms would be OK with a fan that comes on with the light switch and has a run-on timer, but I think a windowless basement room will need more.

Modern fans are available with very low noise, and much more powerful than the cheap fans that builders usually throw in. Ducts are usually 100mm diameter, in rigid white plastic which can be painted, but flat rectangular ones are available, and larger diameter which might be needed for greater throughput or long runs.

It is easy for a builder, electrician or plumber to bore a round hole for a duct through an ordinary brick or block wall, there is a special core drill for it. I would lean towards an electrician who can also wire it correctly.

Tell me about the room layout, and where a duct might run.

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