4 ms·

I've unfortunately lived in too many houses where mold becomes a problem. It's never my fault, it's always been because the house is old/doesn't have proper dam

I've unfortunately lived in too many houses where mold becomes a problem. It's never my fault, it's always been because the house is old/doesn't have proper damp proofing/cheap paint was used, or no damp proofing applied on exterior walls. I clean it, of course, so I'm not literally living in a house with moldy walls, and I keep the house as dry and ventilated as possible. But in certain climates it's nearly inevitable to get mold during winter or the humid season unless the house is very well built and modern. The worst, and again very common, is when the paint is so cheap it can't be cleaned easily - when you use anything that can actually clean the mold (soapy water + a bit of vinegar is my preference, but baking soda, very weak bleach solution, or commercial mold cleaners) it also destroys the paint.

HPsquared 4mo ago
There is specific kitchen / bathroom paint that is smoother and has some anti-mold ingredients. Makes a huge difference to use the correct paint in a damp environment. Condensation itself is a function of the air conditions (temperature and relative humidity ie dew point) and surface temperatures. All surfaces should be comfortably above the dew point to prevent mold. You can use a hygrometer to measure the air, and an infrared thermometer to measure surface temperatures.
- esperent 4mo ago
  Absolutely but one thing about living in rented accommodation - you rarely get to choose the paint. I agree that a dehumidifier helps but you basically need one in every room. Where I live you can easily take out 10 liters a day from every room during the humid season (which is the maximum capacity of the machine I rented).
  - account42 4mo ago
    Might be different but repainting your apartment is expected from renters here to the point that contracts often state you need to do it every X years and before moving out.
    - Natfan 4mo ago
      i've always assumed that the letting's agency will _definitely_ take my deposit if i fsck with the walls
    - esperent 4mo ago
      Definitely not normal here although in my current house I did repaint with good paint, but I had to ask the owner permission first. I think that the owner needing to repaint between tenants is considered normal wear and tear here.
- ipsento606 4mo ago
  > All surfaces should be comfortably above the dew point to prevent mold. I agree that this should be the case, but actually achieving this in the UK (where heating is very expensive and housing is poorly insulated) is prohibitively expensive for many people.
  - HPsquared 4mo ago
    Dehumidifier is an option as well, and/or heat-recovery ventilation.
modo_mario 4mo ago
>But in certain climates it's nearly inevitable to get mold during winter or the humid season unless the house is very well built and modern. Do you keep it warm? These things were often built with a fireplace inside.
mrngld 4mo ago
Do you have HVAC? Maybe some of my difficultly understanding is being American I'm in a hotter, much more humid climate, so we've got central HVAC. A key feature of heat pumps isn't just that it lowers the temperature of the air, it also reduces humidity. I've got a lot of exposure to new home construction here and can tell you I don't even know what "damp proofing" is, and our bathrooms don't need special paint. They're ventilated and we have HVAC. Beyond that, if homeowners take 30 minute showers with scalding hot water and the door closed then, well, the outcome is inevitable no matter what you do. Not just mold but you'll start damaging fixtures, etc. It's hard to get old caulking clean and keep it mold free, just gotta recaulk regularly, but I'm somewhat skeptical of blaming paint.
- esperent 4mo ago
  No, I've never seen a residential house with HVAC, even in big apartments. It's all split wall mounted AC units here, or if you're fancy a ceiling version that's basically the same. I think Americans call these heat pumps?
  - quickthrowman 4mo ago
    Split AC systems remove moisture from the air when they’re running too, that’s why there’s a condensate drain on the evaporator (and the condenser, but that is outside).
    - esperent 4mo ago
      They remove a small amount of moisture, yes. It's nothing compared to what a dehumidifier removes though, even if they're in dry mode.
      - quickthrowman 4mo ago
        A condensate dehumidifier is just an air conditioner where the condenser is inside the same space as the evaporator. It uses vapor compression refrigeration. Granted, the condenser and evaporator both condensing moisture inside of the space does remove more moisture so you’re correct about it being more effective, but an A/C unit does a pretty good job where I live, and cooler air holds less moisture. I never deal with cold and damp conditions, a dehumidifier probably works well in the UK. I’ve lived in forced air and radiant heated buildings and they both dry out the air like crazy in the winter so dehumidification isn’t needed, humidification is.
slibhb 4mo ago
Get a dehumidifier and put it in the room with the mold problem.

HPsquared 4mo ago

There is specific kitchen / bathroom paint that is smoother and has some anti-mold ingredients. Makes a huge difference to use the correct paint in a damp environment. Condensation itself is a function of the air conditions (temperature and relative humidity ie dew point) and surface temperatures. All surfaces should be comfortably above the dew point to prevent mold. You can use a hygrometer to measure the air, and an infrared thermometer to measure surface temperatures.

esperent 4mo ago
Absolutely but one thing about living in rented accommodation - you rarely get to choose the paint. I agree that a dehumidifier helps but you basically need one in every room. Where I live you can easily take out 10 liters a day from every room during the humid season (which is the maximum capacity of the machine I rented).
- account42 4mo ago
  Might be different but repainting your apartment is expected from renters here to the point that contracts often state you need to do it every X years and before moving out.
  - Natfan 4mo ago
    i've always assumed that the letting's agency will _definitely_ take my deposit if i fsck with the walls
  - esperent 4mo ago
    Definitely not normal here although in my current house I did repaint with good paint, but I had to ask the owner permission first. I think that the owner needing to repaint between tenants is considered normal wear and tear here.
ipsento606 4mo ago
> All surfaces should be comfortably above the dew point to prevent mold. I agree that this should be the case, but actually achieving this in the UK (where heating is very expensive and housing is poorly insulated) is prohibitively expensive for many people.
- HPsquared 4mo ago
  Dehumidifier is an option as well, and/or heat-recovery ventilation.

modo_mario 4mo ago

>But in certain climates it's nearly inevitable to get mold during winter or the humid season unless the house is very well built and modern. Do you keep it warm? These things were often built with a fireplace inside.

mrngld 4mo ago

Do you have HVAC? Maybe some of my difficultly understanding is being American I'm in a hotter, much more humid climate, so we've got central HVAC. A key feature of heat pumps isn't just that it lowers the temperature of the air, it also reduces humidity. I've got a lot of exposure to new home construction here and can tell you I don't even know what "damp proofing" is, and our bathrooms don't need special paint. They're ventilated and we have HVAC. Beyond that, if homeowners take 30 minute showers with scalding hot water and the door closed then, well, the outcome is inevitable no matter what you do. Not just mold but you'll start damaging fixtures, etc. It's hard to get old caulking clean and keep it mold free, just gotta recaulk regularly, but I'm somewhat skeptical of blaming paint.

esperent 4mo ago
No, I've never seen a residential house with HVAC, even in big apartments. It's all split wall mounted AC units here, or if you're fancy a ceiling version that's basically the same. I think Americans call these heat pumps?
- quickthrowman 4mo ago
  Split AC systems remove moisture from the air when they’re running too, that’s why there’s a condensate drain on the evaporator (and the condenser, but that is outside).
  - esperent 4mo ago
    They remove a small amount of moisture, yes. It's nothing compared to what a dehumidifier removes though, even if they're in dry mode.
    - quickthrowman 4mo ago
      A condensate dehumidifier is just an air conditioner where the condenser is inside the same space as the evaporator. It uses vapor compression refrigeration. Granted, the condenser and evaporator both condensing moisture inside of the space does remove more moisture so you’re correct about it being more effective, but an A/C unit does a pretty good job where I live, and cooler air holds less moisture. I never deal with cold and damp conditions, a dehumidifier probably works well in the UK. I’ve lived in forced air and radiant heated buildings and they both dry out the air like crazy in the winter so dehumidification isn’t needed, humidification is.

slibhb 4mo ago

Get a dehumidifier and put it in the room with the mold problem.