Condensation in MY house

[cuwiar]

Not sure if anyone will be able to help but I thought I'd ask on this forum as I know there are lots of sensible, technical people here - and I'm not a member of any other forums!

I have a condensation problem in our wardrobes. They are basically cupboards built into the chimney recesses in our bedroom and so are on an external wall and there is bad condensation inside the wardrobes/cuboards.

Does anyone have any experience/suggestions about what would be good to line/cover the walls with to try to increase their temperature?

It's a stone built 1900's cottage, so can't cavity fill. Render on the outside, and this is occuring upstairs.

 

[chrismahon]

Hi Cuwiar. Just like coops air circulation is an issue. But dealing with the source of the damp I would say with no air circulation in the wardrobes the damp is coming from outside. If there were air circulation it might cause condensation on the cold outside wall though. It takes heat to drive the damp out or warm air circulation to carry it away. I would look at the stonework pointing outside first as rising damp isn't likely upstairs. Also check the pointing around the stack as more water enters a stack sideways than gets in the top. Have you any missing or loose lead flashing? Short term fix is to leave the doors open or fit small oil filled electric heaters at the back, which must have air circulation around them. Dimplex do them, I fitted two last year as frost protection in a customer's stable kitchen and toilet.

 

[cuwiar]

Thanks Chris, I'm pretty sure it's not water coming from outside, we recently had our roofing looked at and some fixes made. The wardrobe doors are panels with cut outs in them so water vapour can easily get into the wardrobe but, being a wardrobe, can't escape due to all the clothes! The back walls are very cold which is why I think it's condensation. I think we will get a dehumidifier and someone suggested putting a light bulb in the wardrobe (??) I just wondered if there was any recommendations for wall covering to try to stop them attracting the damp air? Maybe cork tiles?

 

[chrismahon]

If you have just had the roof done check the joint, roof to the wall, and all the mortar joints in the wall. Pair of binoculars helps. If the level of condensation is the same in both cupboards it is likely just condensation. Cheapest improvement is polystyrene underpaper, but if there is any damp at all coming through from outside the paper will fall off quickly. Don't like the idea of a light bulb, accident waiting to happen there. Trouble is the walls need to breath otherwise the plaster will disintegrate. Freestanding wardrobes is the way to go.

 

[Marigold]

Hi Cuwiar, have a look at this, about Celotex. http://www.celotex.co.uk/applications/wall-insulation/single-timber-frame-wall-lining
Basically when you've done all the things Chris advises and are sure nothing is coming in from outside except the cold, you sandwich a layer of this between the wall and a new wooden or plasterboard sheet back surface to the cupboard. This in effect provides the insulation you'd get if you could fill cavities. Someone recommended this when I was wondering whether to insulate my quail house, though in that case I decided the layer of insulation might attract redmite, but i don't suppose this would be an issue in your bedroom, I hope not anyway! I did have a look at Celotex in Wickes and it comes in large semi-rigid sheets, quite thin so wouldn't take up too much room in the depth of the wardrobe, and it did look as if it would do the job. see http://search.wickes.co.uk/search#ts=ajax&method=and&w=celotex%20insulation%20board&isort=score As you'll see it comes in a choice of thicknesses, 25mm, 50mm and 100mm.

 

[cuwiar]

Thanks for the info Marigold, I'll definitely look into that in more depth and we have some experience of using a similar product when we sound proofed a wall recently. I don't think redmite will be a problem in the bedroom! I'm sure there's a horrible joke there but I don't even want to think about it!!!

Thanks again Chris, I'll double, double check the outside wall - as best I can at this time of year. There seems to be a thin film of moisture over the whole of both walls. From past experience even freestanding wardrobes get mouldy behind them...maybe I just need to move to warmer climes!!

 

[chrismahon]

A dehumidifier, which you mentioned Cuwiar, is a great bit of kit. We have a large mobile one in the cellar and you don't get more damp than that. It runs for two hours every night on economy 7 and keeps the cellar so dry I store all our garden produce and all my electrical tools in there. It was £360 though! And it is noisy, so you couldn't sleep near it.

 

[Marigold]

We've had many happy holidays in North Wales over the years, but none as wet as this September in Penrhyndeudraeth. Lovely old stone cottage, (no redmite in the wardrobes) Ffestiniog railway ran right past the bathroom window, so you could wave to the driver whilst occupied in there. Arrived Saturday, poured with rain nonstop ALL WEEKEND. On Tuesday we went through Capel Curig the day it had 4 ins of rain. Forecast for more of the same for the rest of the week, so came home early. Still, it's worth it, for the beautiful mountains and the lakes, even if I'm not so good at getting up to the tops as I once was.

 

[cuwiar]

Funnily enough it is pelting it down here right now!!

I knew dehumidifiers could be expensive but I think £360 might be over stretching the budget!! It's like everything though I spose, you get what you pay for! We might have to dust off our flexible friend...and I don't mean the sealant!

I LOVE Snowdonia...rain or shine...torrential rain up there is regular, as you've experienced Marigold but I just think it adds to the atmosphere! Humbling!

 

[foxy]

We have tube heaters in our big sheds. These keep the chill off, prevent condensation whilst being safe.
When I was researching them I remember reading a review where someone had used them successfully in a wardrobe in an old house.

They come in different sizes, we have 2 120watts tube heaters and also one smaller 45 watt tube heater.

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=tube+heaters&rls=com.microsoft:en-GB:%7Breferrer:source%3F%7D&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7SUNA&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=17610915255845690431&sa=X&ei=Ly7qTv-TOYaGhQeK--y8CA&ved=0CJIBEPMCMAE

 

[chrismahon]

If you get a small dehumidifier Cuwiar it will be on all the time and you will wish you bought a big one. Ours is a Delongi which has a humidity sensor, so you can set what you want, has a built in 2 KW heater for faster drying out of a flooded building say (if you need it) and an auto switchoff for when the 10 litre bucket is full. You could easily fill a bucket in a day when you first use it. We coupled to a 30 litre bucket initially instead (tube supplied with machine). It is 11 years old now as we bought it in Nov 2000 when our cellar flooded and my little pump couldn't cope. Now have a gallon per second vortex pump (OK for muddy water) which can! We had a flood upstairs -the water came through the light fitting and through the bed! Friends were staying over next night. Within 24 hours the whole room and the matress was bone dry.

You won't need any heater bigger than 50 watts in your wardrobe -20 watts would probably do the job.