Mold Mold and More Mold!

[Soon2bC]

Been living in our house for a year and have a black mold spot in our bedroom.

it is in a top corner about 4ft from the window and looks to me like there was a problem before we bought the house as there is some very poor filler.

it is on an outside corner (detatched house) and the tiles look fine, no cracks in the external wall and no leaks from the guttering.

In the summer we had no problems in the corner so I assume it was dried out.

After Christmas I intend to scrape out the filler and re do this so it is smooth. Could it be that the old filler is moldy underneath and this is causing it to keep coming back and growing through. I spray it with mold spray and it goes away but I am conscious that this will just be cleaning the surface. We get mold around the window which has improved since we took down the blind and kept the window open a crack all the time.

has anyone got any ideas?

A likely possibility is you have excess moisture in the room and it's being trapped there. Bleach the area with pure bleach for a few hours, open all the windows in the room too, let it dry completely and then repaint. Next up you need to ensure the room is well ventilated at all times, those little air hole/filters aren't usually great. We have to use a dehumidifier in our house in the winter but that's solved everything (plus dries our clothes super quick!). If no dehumidifier then open windows as much a possible, even if every few days for that room (turning radiator off in there of course!). Best of luck!

What does the spot look like from above?

I'd take a crawl into the loft and pull back the insulation to see if it's damp on the top before doing any filler work.

Dettol Mould & Mildew, ventilate well.

its right in the far corner of the attic where it meets the wall so space is very tight, i will crawl in there tomorrow and have a look

Could be lack of air flow above the spot in the loft.

(Disclaimer, no actual expertise). I spent years thinking the damp in our bay window was due to the actual bay window. Then after researching more I realised that when there is excess moisture in house, a damp spot will occur in the coldest spot in the house (our bay window). Moisture comes from showers, cooking, and especially from drying clothes inside. There is no way we could stop drying clothes inside so instead I bought a whole house dehumidifier like this one www.meaco.com/meaco-20l-low-energy-dehumidifier-is-a-which-best-buy-2014-and-2015.php . And sited it near our clothes hanging space. It pulls out so much water. And the mould patch has cleared up completely (interestingly some mould started to form in two other bedrooms briefly, which I believe was because the doors were almost always shut, so the dehumidifier couldn't dehumidify them). I believe bathroom extractor fans are also important. I know external damp can be a factor, but just wanted to share my experience. Hope yoy find the answer.

We try to leaqve bathroom window open until windows clear after showers and always have the windows open on first locking setting, but i think it needs more of a crack. Fudge, i will check it out i am starting to think it may be too well insulated up there as we have had condensation in the loft on a major scale which has improved some by opening up a blocked flue

photo would help, with something in the pic to show scale.

Just to make sure, as it may be condensation, you don't throw buckets of water at the wall, do you? (or drape wet washing over radiators, which amounts to the same thing)

careful, PJ, MN in general (not the OP) chucks the toys if you dare to suggest that drying washing indoors creates condensation.

they might take it from you, having a bloke user name, but from others they get very upset. The very idea that drying washing outdoors is possible year round (not every day in the UK). Outrageous.

Piglet John is spot on, although admittedly specifically drying washing inside is not the problem, you can do it all you like, on the proviso that you consider where the several pints of water will end up once they evaporated.
If the answer is in your dehumidifier, that's fine. If it's through your extractor fan, or out the window it's fine. But if it's condensating on cold surfaces in corners of rooms, that's when people complain of damp issues.

The best place I ever had for drying clothes any time of the year in no time was in an ex council flat with a central ventilation heat recovery system. Not a spot of mould whatever the time of year! It was so good I'm fitting not one but two in our house!

I actually use my tumble drier more now to reduce condensation issues, at least that way they are soft too!

didnt take a photo....forgot until i was in my car on the way to work.
we do dry washing in the house at the moment but tend to do it in my son's room with door shut and windows open (he has been away)
I think it must be condensation, just bloody frustrating.

it has grown back in a week currently about 15cm x 10cm. will spray it again tonight and let it soak in bleach.

I really must get in the loft!!!

I have a mold allergy and I'm always on 'mold alert!' We have had two spots like this upstairs, outside wall, and both top corners of wardrobes so I've vented the space and added wardrobe heaters.

I had a positive input ventilation system fitted in our last house. What a pp said about cold spots is true. All should be careful of managing moisture in a home as this moisture will have to go somewhere and it will lead to mold if care isn't taken and this can make some people really ill.

We have upgraded extraction and I do not dry laundry in the house unless it's in the bathroom with the extraction on. I always use lids on pans. Keep bathroom doors closed and extraction running until the room is dry after showers and baths. If you have inspected outside and all seems fine it is probably internal condensation from just living it's very common.

I finish work early today so should be able to get in the loft in daylight to double check there is no light showing above the spot, but i do think it is the cold patch.

'although admittedly specifically drying washing inside is not the problem'

And also not the only problem. Long steamy showers and baths with the door open can create much the same problem.

with the door open no one needs that in their life!!! I would scar them all

I have never had these problems in our old house which was probably draftier. just need to learn new ways of keeping the moisture down.