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Original poster

If I set fire to this stupid house will that finally stop the damp?

26 replies

CryingInFrontOfStrangers · 05/12/2016 14:16

We have a dehumidifier running constantly, don't dry clothes indoors, have a condenser dryer, have the heating on regularly and have painted the problem areas with anti mould paint.

But still I am plagued with black mould and soggy walls.

Wtf does this house want me to do?

If I set fire to this stupid house will that finally stop the damp?
If I set fire to this stupid house will that finally stop the damp?
If I set fire to this stupid house will that finally stop the damp?
OP posts:
Original poster
CryingInFrontOfStrangers · 05/12/2016 14:18

The sparkly bits in the last picture are great big fat drops of water. Angry

OP posts:
JE678 · 05/12/2016 14:22

That looks like water coming in rather than condensation. Have you had your roof, pointing, chimney stacks and pipes checked?

SpaceDinosaur · 05/12/2016 14:22

Probably too damp to burn helpful

Have you given the house a damn good airing? Open the windows wide, freeze the hell out of the place?

I live in a middle floor flat.
I dry washing inside and don't have a window in my kitchen. It's a PITA. The BEST solution I have found to the build up of condensation is to open the window.

WhirlwindHugs · 05/12/2016 14:24

Has the damp been investigated?

SharpLily · 05/12/2016 14:24

Is it all over or just in a certain area?

Original poster
CryingInFrontOfStrangers · 05/12/2016 14:27

It's on every outside wall, upstairs and down (except in the cupboard where the boiler is).

The landlord keeps telling us it's condensation but he's never been up in the loft or checked the gutters/pointing.

OP posts:
acornsandnuts · 05/12/2016 14:28

Have you had a builder in to have s look. That looks like a lot of damp just from condensation.

JE678 · 05/12/2016 14:30

I would be very surprised if that is condensation, it really does like like water ingress. Could you get a builder out yourself to take a look?

acornsandnuts · 05/12/2016 14:30

I would ring him back and ask for a builder to investigate. I'm a landlord and wouldn't have tenants in there until it was dry.

Ask citizens advice for tenant rights and quote to your landlord.

averylongtimeago · 05/12/2016 14:31

Is the damp in all rooms? Have you made sure that there are no leaking down pipes or guttering which could be making the wall damp?
Another thing to check: have a look outside - is there a damp course? In a more modern house they are made of plastic, in older houses it could be a layer of slates built into the wall or a layer of bitumen. If you look you should be able to see a thin layer along one of the brick courses near the ground. If this is covered by built up ground then damp can soak up the walls.
In an older house, with poor insulation, you can get "cold bridges" round doors and windows, so the wall is cold = condensation = mould.
Sometimes there are leaks round door and window frames, is the pointing and flashing round the doors and windows ok, or are there holes?
If it is one or more of these things it is a relatively easy fix, upping the insulation levels of all the external walls and replacing a damp course is harder and more expensive.

SharpLily · 05/12/2016 14:33

As you're renting my ideas about insulating the place won't be helpful then! But you do have to either push your landlord to investigate further or arrange a survey yourself and give him the result. Mould is not healthy.

For condensation you need to air, air and air, plus good quality double or triple glazed windows and insulation (floor, walls and ceiling). Can't see your landlord sorting that out!

If it's coming in from outside then obviously that needs to be fixed. It's amazing how much difference decent guttering can make though. Have you looked at yours yourself and tried cleaning it? Are there any obviously damaged areas or pointing/rendering?

Hellmouth · 05/12/2016 14:35

How often do you open the windows? It sounds like you're doing everything right though :(

YelloDraw · 05/12/2016 15:26

Is it fuck condensation! Not like that - if you are genuinely opening window,s having heating on and not drying clothes inside.

TBH I would move. The LL is being an arse not sorting this. This is not your problem to fix, and you don't have t live with it since you have the option of moving. And telling every prospective tenant who comes for a viewing why you are leaving...

justdontevenfuckingstart · 05/12/2016 15:31

If you are renting then I think you can contact the council to get someone out to have a look at it. We had this with a tenant. (It was condensation caused by the tenant as it turned out) She had Housing benefit. Not sure if that is relevant.

justdontevenfuckingstart · 05/12/2016 15:34

Not that I think yours is, the plaster is blowing out. (company I work for not MY tenant btw) have you had any problems with your electrics?

Fairylea · 05/12/2016 15:43

Hmm it could well be exceptionally bad condensation, our house is similar and we do everything right too. However when it's this bad you need to tackle it with bigger things - do you have airbricks, ventilation in the roof (air ducts), is the felt round the edges of the roof tacked in too tightly? These were all things we were told to address by an independent specialist we got in to have a look for us. We have also retiled and refelted our roof to make sure it had breathable felt. Our condensation problems were so bad we had to turn off the upstairs lighting as there was water dripping down the light fittings! Awful.

YelloDraw · 05/12/2016 15:48

However when it's this bad you need to tackle it with bigger things - do you have airbricks, ventilation in the roof (air ducts), is the felt round the edges of the roof tacked in too tightly? These were all things we were told to address by an independent specialist we got in to have a look for us.

But OP rents. She is doing everything she should be doing. The rest is up to LL...

Original poster
CryingInFrontOfStrangers · 05/12/2016 15:57

Windows are opened for as long as we can stand it (currently only 5 or 10 minutes a day because it is freezing.

I'm not sure about what we have or don't have regarding insulation, damp courses etc. I know there is insulation in the loft but I'm not sure about the rest. I'll investigate when I have a minute.

And I'll get on to the landlord about looking at it again (while I look for somewhere else).

OP posts:
SingaSong12 · 05/12/2016 16:07

There are some draft letters on the CAB website for trying to get repairs but if you have already tried that contact the council.
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/repairs-in-rented-housing/disrepair-what-is-it/how-to-report-repairs/

Also Shelters website has a lot of info
england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/landlord_and_tenant_responsibilities_for_repairs

SingaSong12 · 05/12/2016 16:08

Both my links are for England - if you are in other part of U.K. You can change settings for CAB, not sure about Shelter

specialsubject · 05/12/2016 16:32

England /wales - write (write, not kiddy comms , a letter with proof of posting) to the landlord stating the issue, what you want done and that if he doesn't do it, you will raise it with environmental health as is your right.

See the how to rent guide.

Advice to move is not usually well received on mn.

YelloDraw · 05/12/2016 16:38

Advice to move is not usually well received on mn.

Why not? Usually easier than getting LL to sort out the issues. No need to put up with a poorly maintained house when you have the freedom to move. One of the benefits of renting!

specialsubject · 05/12/2016 16:41

I entirely agree! Crap landlords exist because people pay them. And fuel the bile spewing and additional costs for those of us who do it properly.

But you just watch the mn landlord haters pile in now...

DoItTooJulia · 05/12/2016 17:03

Is there a cellar?

Your local environmental health housing team should be able to investigate and make the LL carry out remedial works if they find the problem is something that is legally his/her responsibility. Worth getting in touch with them too.

Spam88 · 05/12/2016 17:23

At the very least, that last picture is absolutely not condensation. Keep hassling your landlord. Our last flat had horrific mould that we'd bleach off and would be back within a week, there was water dripping down all the external walls. It was only when water actually started pouring through the ceiling in the middle of the living room that they were (vaguely) interested. They got some builders up to have a look in the attic and turned out all the wood and felt was completely rotten, so water was just coming in and the whole space was soaking. Landlords still decided just to patch up the one hole though, until it happened again and then they actually got the roof sorted and our mould never came back.