Posting here as advised in another thread I started in Chat. This will be quite long as I want to include as much relevant info as I can; going to bullet point things for ease.
- I live in a small, 2 bedroom ground floor flat at the bottom of a pretty steep hill, with my husband and 22mo DS. Currently pregnant with 2nd DC due early December.
- The building I live in was built around 1910. It is now four flats but it’s such an odd shape that I really don’t think it was originally intended to be residential (have added floor plan).
- There is a small lawn in the garden which sits about a foot higher than the bottom of the building at one end, on a slope so it gets higher further back. There are air bricks around the base of the building.
- We moved in in December 2019- our neighbour in the other downstairs flat moved in summer 2019. We both had the usual surveys done and neither came up with any current or potential damp issues.
- We had the extractor fan in the bathroom disconnected in April last year. This was necessary as it had been wired alongside our electric shower in such a way that it presented a serious safety risk. Until recently the bathroom window was always opened after every bath/shower (I say until recently because it’s now open pretty much all the time). Bathroom door has always been kept closed at all times. We have yet to have the extractor re-installed, purely for financial reasons but it is top of our to-do list and will hopefully be done before DC2 is born if we can afford it.
- Due to the odd shape of the building, our bedroom has three external walls. The only internal wall is largely occupied by a fireplace which we intend to have professionally sealed (also on the to-do list). We have very tall wardrobes against one of these external walls, which we have had to fix to the wall at the top for stability, so they can’t be moved (have added floor plan for this too, furniture positions drawn in red).
- Because the flat is so small, space and storage is an issue and we have things in every nook and cranny- as well as the large wardrobes we have under-bed drawers, things tucked under the changing table and cot bed in DS’s room, cupboard under the stairs is full to bursting etc. We have looked into storage but it is just too expensive at this time.
- Last October we began to find things going mouldy; to start with it was the boots and shoes that are kept on shoe shelves in the bottom of my wardrobe. Then clothes in the under-bed drawers. Last week found mould on things kept in DS’s room and around the frame of his cot bed. So far we haven’t had any issues in the sitting room, bathroom or kitchen. So far there are no signs of mould on the walls. I have washed/scrubbed everything with copious amounts of white vinegar and sprayed the carpets under the bed and DS’s cot bed.
- Our neighbour in the other downstairs flat says she also has a mould problem- in her case it actually is on the walls, and she has redecorated with mould resistant paint.
- We do not have a tumble dryer, there is no space for one and we can’t afford a washer-dryer. We have dried clothes outside when the weather has allowed and quite often take a few loads up to the launderette but this is quite expensive so we have largely been drying clothes around radiators. I have recently bought a large heated airer with a cover and plan to use this, with the de-humidifier running beneath it, instead.
- Ventilation has been an issue- we had very old, single-glazed wooden sash windows, the frames were in very poor condition with all manner of insects living in them so they were opened rarely. We have just had new UPVC sash windows installed so that will no longer be the case. The new windows do not currently have trickle vents, we have spoken to the fitter about this who is going to contact the manufacturer and see if they are able to be fitted with the type of windows we have. If it’s an option then we’ll be getting them fitted ASAP. Until then we will be opening the windows at least a crack every day. I have also started lifting up the mattress in DS’s cot bed every morning and leaning it against the side to allow more air underneath, and opening the wardrobe doors and drawers for a while each day as well.
- We have also just been given a Meaco Low Energy 20l dehumidifier, which we will be running initially every evening and overnight until we can get humidity to a healthy level- target is 45%. The first night we had it it read 79% in my bedroom- it is now down to 65-70% depending on where we have it in the flat.
- We have also had a slug problem- they are popping up mostly around the sofa and back door in the sitting room, and also between the bed and wardrobes in the bedroom. Not sure if this is related in any way.
So the advice I’m looking for is what other steps I can take to solve or at least mitigate this issue? Finances are currently very stretched and we now have the new windows to pay for so we can’t make any big purchases for at least the next few months, but I am otherwise open to any and all suggestions.