Do you know if landlords are obliged to sort out the problem of mould? If mould is on the wall when the tenant moves out can the landlord take money from the deposit to fix it?
Just wondering because I have had some pretty yucky mould in my kitchin which has left stains on the paint! And should be moving out in a couple of months... Thank you

I had a similar problem when I moved in my new house. Black mold in corners, general dampness, mold growing on clothes in the wardrobe... It made it hard to heat the house.
I fixed it by putting a ventilation system. I got one from france with all ducts and fitting for about 110 euros including shipping. You can also make one using old computer fans very easily but buying the ducting separately will cost you about as much as the whole unit I got.
I next made a heat exchanger for it, re-using old election posters. There's a link here, it's in french but the pictures explain it well:
http://www.autoconstruction.info/La-...html?artpage=3
That's mine more or less finished : http://picasaweb.google.com/olonguet...27331291076066

The idea is the that the warm damp air going out "meets" cold air coming it an exchanges heat through the panels with it. I get about 60% of the heat back in.
It has fixed all problems of dampness and black mold in the house in the space of a week. After a full season it will have dried the house and make it much more easier and faster to heat up. The dampness has moved from 85%+ to 55/60max% which is ideal.
Also make sure that your house as enough attic insulation. 400mm is best for an old cottage.

To prevent window condensation in the morning, I made shutters from leftover (and new) flooring planks. I went through the whole cold winter without a drop of condensation, nice , warm and cozy :
http://picasaweb.google.com/olonguet...38793872768098
There's only a couple made when I take the photos but you get the idea.

Mould
 

I had green mould growing on the back of lockers in the bedroom, I have given them a couple of sprays with a spray for athletes foot (from the chemists) and have had very little re-growth in the last year. Hope this helps
Tod

Mould is such a pain! I hope these suggestions work for me...

mouldy walls
 

the sealer you need is called polybond if you paint it on the area (once cleaned and dried) it will stop any marks coming back. as someone already said this depends how bad your walls and ceiling are, you may indeed need to replaster but id try this first.. maybe you should put up some pics to give us a better idea... also the leak that is causing the problem would need fixing... this could be damaged guttering, leak in the roof, plaster render missing from outside walls or if stone then would need sealing on the outside or rendering...
Hope this helps you out.. regards Vagabond

budget grants for insulation??
 

hi, any of this sort of thing, ventilation, damp, etc covered by the proposed grants for energy ratings and improvement of same in older houses?
just a query here, in a small bungalow which i may consider as a forever home, there is black mould on one wall, it does look as if gaps outside on either end of a flat roof, but the gutters look brand new.
i feel they were put in and the pebbledash up to the new flat roof extension was not done too neatly hence moisture getting in here, rather badly i would feel from the look outside.
xxp

mould and dampness can be very dangerous as moulds grow, theres a stage where it produces spores. The spores become airborne after drying out or if disturbed.they can be inhaled and over time can lead to serious health problems

Dehumidifiers
 

Here is a site on dehumidifiers: http://www.byemould.com

If you have mould you should get rid of it straight away as it really is a health hazard. But not only that it can ruin your furnishings such as sofas, curtains, rugs etc.

The Soothing Air
 

I know a website named The Soothing Air (http://thesoothingair.com/) which can help you to find the right dehumidifier to eliminate mold