Damp

[Mummy2boys87]

Hi can anybody with some knowledge enlighten me as to what they think the type of damp is in these pictures please .... as landlords put everything down to condensation but I don't think it is the cause personally

That was 1 room here's the pictures of others

The bottom pictures the wall feels glue like if anyone can help that would be great

Looks like leaks from above - the square shape on the ceiling could be a poorly sealed shower cubicle? Loose tiles, lack of silicone seal or leaking pipework could all be to blame or a leaking roof. Is it a flat above or the upstairs of a house/duplex or a loft?

Condensation you'd expect it to be worst on the coldest surfaces eg outside walls, not ceilings. Also worst at bottoms of walls or where things touch the walls

Leaky roof or slow leaking pipe? It's possible there's more than one cause of course... condensation is just what landlords say to get themselves off the hook

There's recent legislation about homes being suitable for human habitation, maybe look at that and think about getting the council involved?

Hey the top picture there is a loft space above I thought as it started on outside wall originally maybe guttering but a builder said not was saying it's condensation

What's the state of the guttering and are there signs it is leaking when it rains? This kind of thing is not very expensive to fix, but the damage it can cause can be.

Was the builder a mate of the landlord? Can you access the loft space and have a look what's going on up there?

Thanks for replying I found the council not very helpful if im honest,in a previous property I had environmental team out as the damp was worse than this current house do you think the mould is harmful as I have 4 children two of which are only babies

No sign its leaking and the landlord said the guttering looked ok but i dont know personally as they builder looked. I can't the hatch to loft is too high even with steps it's a terrace so ceiling of high I think the builder was yh basically the did some air vent on chimneys in all rooms as they said condensation and it got painted with antimold paint but obviously if the problem is not sorted the mould comes back through

Where there are clear watermarks this indicates an actual ingress of water from a source above. Where there are no water marks but just black mould and bubbling or lifting this is either a very small leak (tiny drip) or more likely a combination of poor ventilation, inadequate insulation and poor internal heating in the property

If towels or laundry are being dried on radiators this can happen

Driving rain or damp against a single skinned brick wall in the shade or on a north elevation can also cause internal damp.

So would this be down to landlord to fix as they are saying it's just condensation I have my heating on every day when cold for at least 12 hours most days

do you drape wet washing around the house or on radiators?

are the damp patches black with mould?

are they upstairs or in all rooms?

is it mostly on the edges of ceilings where they are next to external walls?

what's the bathroom ceiling like?

do you have an extractor fan?

I have a dryer vented but yes I do dry washing on my downstairs radiator,which is picture where kids toys are the damp in that room is near floor on outside wall.the damp patches have black mole.both upstairs rooms have mould on the edges of ceiling one bedroom has a big damp patch also.The bathroom is plastic tiled everywhere and mole comes through them and no extractor fan

a bathrom with no extractor fan will be damp and mouldy unless you open the window a lot.

Water vapour from drying clothes is lighter than air and will rise through the house until it escapes or finds a cold surface to condense on.

Some of the black marks (probably condensation) appear to be on sloping celings, which are very difficult to insulate, so likely to be cold and likely to attract condensation. I think they are wettest at the lowest point, which still matches with beads of condensation running down. One of the photos shows pattern staining, with the ceiling badly stained between the joists, but not at the joists, which is typical of a badly insulated ceiling. There's a chance that condensation in the loft is rolling down the tilers felt, but for the moment I'll guess that it is on the inside surface.

You could agitate for the owner to fit a powerful extractor fan in the bathroom. It must vent outside, and not into the loft. When (if) you get one, you can hang wet washing in there, with the fan running, and it will suck the water vapour outside the house. it will also remove the steam from baths and showers.

A modern bathroom fan will run for about 100 hours on 15p worth of electricity so the cost is insignificant.

If your windows have trickle vents, open them.

ventilate the house every morning, for example by opening the bedroom windows after getting up until after the beds have been made. Water vapour will rise to the upstairs rooms. If the windows are misty or wet, open them. If any room is particularly misty (apart from the bathroom) in the morning, there is a chance it may have another source of water, such as plumbing leak.

There are some marks by the skirting but they don't seem severe. Is this upstairs or down? Are the floors concrete under the wood floorng?

The loft has been partially converted so no insulation I know as ex went up when I got the property there are no trickle vents they put vents on chimneys a couple of years ago but has,t improved anything. The marks on skirting are downstairs and there is concrete floor under wooden flooring.Is the black mole dangerous as I've read it can be and it's concerning as one of my child has a heart condition so as I parent when you Google mole a lot comes up

Would a dehumidifier help in room I dry washing

yes, although it would cost more to buy and to run than an extractor fan.

I don't think the landlord will buy an extractor I waited 5 months for them fix a leaking bath tap could you recommend a dehumidifier I'm pretty clueless

Hi @Mummy2boys87 that is 100% condensation.

That's not to say there's not an issue on an external wall but the crescent shaped black mould tide marks are classic signs.

I note that you don't have trickle vents on the windows, heat and ventilation are absolutely key to keep this at bay.

Do you work? Is the house empty or is the heating off during the day? Cold walls and ceilings meeting warm damp air from washing and baths, without the correct ventilation is the usual cause.

I know it's hard as it can seem like a waste of heating to have the window ajar, but it's the only way.

It looks like condensation damp to me too. I have similar in places here and it’s down to poor ventilation and moisture buildup. My windows don’t have trickle vents.

We have one like this. It's brilliant!

www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/2250e/ebac-2250e