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I know, and apply as much as possible, the general principles - keep stuff ventilated, try to eliminate cold spots, make sure it's not caused by water ingress etc etc, but there comes a point when you live in an old house with solid stone walls that certain internal wall areas are going to get a bit mouldy, especially in winter when, even with the heating on, cold spots are harder to avoid.
So, what do others who 'enjoy' living in old, cold houses do about those areas that are prone to a bit of surface mould? A weak bleach wash every so often? Mould proof paint? Anything else?
This is prompted by the discovery of a mould-covered leather jacket in a little-used wardrobe that's built in on an external stone wall. The wardrobe obviously needs venting and maybe a rethink of how it's used and what gets stored in there, but there are other spots in the house that are prone too.
Some of the above. Think about what furniture goes where and what gets stored where, but it happens and walls/clothes/stuff sometimes gets mouldy and needs a clean. Have added a Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) and that has helped a lot. Not so good for the cold that goes with an old stone building, though.
I installed a PIV in my last place, 1880s cottage, and it made a difference. If I was in your position I'd install another but this time the heated version.
PIV in the loft. Solved 99% of issues within a couple of weeks.
If I was in your position I’d install another but this time the heated version.
I did install one with heater, and wish I hadnt bothered and saved the money just getting a standard one. The heating effect was minimal and I just used it without the heater
PIV will work well, but you need a dry (not damp) loft space
Hiya,
Live in a 1790's house, walls 800mm thick. We use a Dehumidifier. Some of the original issues we have was caused by the mortar used to point the stone. Since moving in I have removed the portland cement and repointed completely using lime mortar. I also insulated the house more and rebuilt the heating system to work better.
My comment in all of this is the problem is normally a multitude of factors insulation, heating, and ventilation.
Oh yes if your house is rendered get it checked this can be trapping moisture in.
BR
Jerry
We've a stone built house, but when we renovated we basically built a wood frame inside - and have an always on AGA.
My workshop though was very damp, I put a false floor in (just air underneath) and dug a full width french drain across the ground the 'higher' end of the land to reduce the water 'running' under/through it.
Thanks all. To be clear, the house doesn't have a bad problem with mould, it really is just a couple of persistent areas that will get a bit , and I mean a bit, not loads, of spotting of mould*
* although to be fair the back of this wardrobe is quite bad and at least one of the coats is a write-off, but I bet it's not been opened all winter so prett.y much zero ventilation in months
Thanks all. To be clear, the house doesn’t have a bad problem with mould, it really is just a couple of persistent areas that will get a bit , and I mean a bit, not loads, of spotting of mould*
A PIV will just freshen up the air in the house and reduce condensation on windows if that is an issue.
I know you say only a couple of mould spots, but thats the stuff you can see.
Dehumidifier here - made a massive difference over this winter. Could of normally mouldy spots in the utility / downstairs loo which is built into the side of the bankside so one wall is "underground" - not a spot of mould this winter (Maeco Arete after much research!).
If it's on an exterior wall, check that there are no leaking gutters and remove anything that allows moisture to remain on the wall for too long. Stuff like mosses, plants etc prevent moisture evaporating. Make sure the that the height of the ground outside is lower than inside. Consider drainage.
My parents bag and seal everything in October, drain the water, turn off the power and head south. Then they head north in April reverse the process! Maybe not practical for you but works for them!
Oh and the HG Mould spray works wonders for local spots...
We used some mould resistant paint additive in a coup/le of places which were mildly mould prone, which makes a difference, plus when we do get some light mould over winter, the HG mould cleaner works really well.
The cellar has a dehumidifier to minimise damp, works well, but not cheap to run these days.
We have the damp 'built in a nook' wardrobe issue and have some bags of damp absorbing crystals hanging in it and leave the doors open. Also try not to over fill it.
As we rent there's a limit to what we can do other than not use it.
+1 for the dehumidifier. I use a EcoAir DD1 Classic MK5, and it's kinda scary how much water is in da house.
I keep an eye on the humidity in an attempt to keep it less than 60% using that, although it's too noisy to leave running if you're in the room with it.
I've been looking at those PIV setups but worry that our main damp areas are too tucked away in 'dead air' spots to benefit from installing one, and also whether they can make things draughty.
We used some mould resistant paint additive in a coup/le of places which were mildly mould prone, which makes a difference
Good to know, I think we'll be doing this as we work through the redecoration
We have the damp ‘built in a nook’ wardrobe issue and have some bags of damp absorbing crystals hanging in it and leave the doors open.
I'll have a look out for some of them. Also thinking about changing the doors for louvre doors so it's all aired out a bit better
we have a PIV, try to keep weep vents on windows clear and have stock of HG mould spray.
damp areas like the bathroom have as good an extractor as I can find and anti mould paint.
Although currently considering passsive vents in each room too, as I noticed adjoining neighbors houses have weep vents in the slates, and some passive venting in the main stone built areas, and seem to be fine for damp.
Don't treat it like a modern house. Yep, insulate the roof space. Maybe double glaze or as we did secondary as new windows would have changed the look. Ventilate. Accept drafts. Light the flaming fire everyday!
As above we frequently light the fire through the summer for a short while in the evenings. It is amazing how much air it pulls through the house plus it heats our water when we do this.
Our old stone house is happier being warm all winter. Lime plaster or lime based insulation helps on stone faced walls
https://edenhotlimemortar.co.uk/insulation.php