Mould on my bedroom wall/ceiling -- Heeelllllp! [Archive]

Ignatia

04-10-2008, 10:25 PM

Rufus Fornow

04-10-2008, 10:33 PM

Try a dehumidifier from Argos. Takes the water out of the air. Only run it during th day, not while u r sleeping in there - it'll take the water out of u 2!

Chris P

04-10-2008, 10:40 PM

Any use?
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/maho/yohoyohe/momo/momo_005.cfm

Ignatia

04-10-2008, 11:16 PM

Hi Rufus, Hi Chris,

thanks for that tip- has been duly added to the to do list! Any other suggestions on how to tackle the actual removal of it?

ireneo

04-10-2008, 11:58 PM

Hi
This sounds great for now but its only prolonging what you will have to eventually do. You obviously need to find the leak and sort that first, then if your wall is a plasterboard wall you will have to cut that section off along with the section of ceiling and replace them. It sounds severe but its the only solution.
Good luck

Ignatia

05-10-2008, 12:20 AM

Hi Ireneo,

that does sound severe but I realise that I may have to eventually do that- thanks.. I have a roofer booked next week to have an overall look, but also gathered that it may not neccessarily be the roof. it is an old house and there are several possible factors to consider. However I do need to put a (even short term) solution in place for health reasons apart from anything else. Weather permitting I am hoping to tackle it tomorrow, most sources seem to suggest vinegar/bleach to clean it off for now anyways, just wondering if there are any more hints!

Cheers, and thanks for speedy response!

ireneo

05-10-2008, 12:40 AM

Hi
When you get the walls and ceiling washed and when theyre dry, There should be a sealer you can put on them before you repaint to stop the mould coming back for a while.
Hope it works out for you

Ignatia

05-10-2008, 12:51 AM

Hi Ireneo,

thanks for that, will try it out. Thanks to yourself, Rufus and Chris- just want to say too that I love this site and the community spirit that prevails!

Chris P

05-10-2008, 01:24 AM

Hi Ireneo,

thanks for that, will try it out. Thanks to yourself, Rufus and Chris- just want to say too that I love this site and the community spirit that prevails!
Good to have you on board, Ignatia!

Regards
Chris P
Admin

Florin

05-10-2008, 06:38 AM

hi, I`m handyman and I use vinegar to clean the mould , it`s natural but of course don`t smell very nice.

mammasboys

05-10-2008, 08:37 AM

I also have a very old cottage where the walls have not been dry lined. In the winter I find condensation in the corners, around the windows etc.
Firstly what I would do is wash off as much as mould as you can. Then I would make up a mixture in an empty spray bottle of tea tree oil, a whole bottle, top up with a little vodka, about two shots and about the same of water. Spray on the mould and leave it for a few hours with the windows open. You could give it a wipe to dry off. It will kill the spores.
On a day to day basis during the cold season, I normally dry off the condensation with yesterday's t-shirt or vest, which goes in the wash. Then open the windows wide for an hour. Close the door to stop the rest of the house freezing.
The tea tree spray will kill all the air born spores that give those headaches and will kill any other viruses and bugs without poisoning you or your family. It's also great for spraying onto the beds when you change the sheets. Spray lightly, leave to dry for an hour or two. Vacuum and tra la, no bedmites!
Best of luck with the treatment.

Ignatia

05-10-2008, 01:27 PM

Wow- that's fantastic, thanks a million for those tips, will let you know how I get on!

macken1969

12-10-2008, 07:05 PM

I have problem with mold on my bedroom wall/ceiling which I need to tackle asap as I can hardly breathe anymore! I have done some research- all of which highlight 2 things: how difficult it is to treat and how bloody easily it spreads- especially when you try to get rid of it! I really need to tackle this as my health is suffering and wondering if anybody out there has any tips at all? I really want to avoid using chemicals/bleach if at all possible. All suggestions welcome!!!!

Sugar soap is best for killing the spores and cleaning the walls and ceiling it is available in all good hardware stores.... I had this problem with the the black mould growth it is caused by excessive condensation and poor ventilation.. I spent some time trying to find something to solve it and eventually installed a whole house ventilation system. before this I would have very bad condensation on my windows in the mornings now that I have installed the system I have eliminated any condensation in the house and have a constant supply of fresh air into the house without having to leave any windows open.

noni

12-10-2008, 07:36 PM

Hi Macken1969,
Is it a difficult thing to put a ventilation system in existing house?, might be
interested in doing this if it isnt, like you hate condensation on windows in the winter.

Naillij

12-10-2008, 07:51 PM

Hey people, I have this black mould on the inside of my roman blinds, (on the white-black out blind part). Anyone know how to get it off? I have before sprayed it with a very diluted solution of bleach, maybe it killed it i dont know but it hasnt cleaned it, dumped 2 room blinds and bought new ones already, want to try and save this one! Have only 4 year old house but get condensation in the bed room windows in winter

Fizzywitch

13-10-2008, 10:09 AM

We too have serious black mold in the bedroom. It can be caused by warm air touching the cold walls.
Ours has become worse since we got better heating in the house!
From what i have read, the mold likes paper. This seems to be so in our bedroom as the Mold is on the wallpapered wall and the dry-lined wall! The walls that have no paper that are just painted walls, have no mold!
We now have a dehumidifier and I have been told there is something to put into paint that stops the growth of the mold so I am going to research into that this week.
It has been such high humidity this year with all the rain that it is a real problem.
I think moving to somewhere warmer and drier would swing it for me!! :-)

angling mad

13-10-2008, 10:42 PM

look up www.igoe.iedublin 8302599

Marathon Man

14-10-2008, 10:31 AM

Removing the mold but not immediately tackling the problem that's causing it is like pumping up a tyre with a slow puncture... useless....!!!

You say it's an older house.. are there any vents in the wall..? A lot of older houses I know of have, over time, had their vents inadvertently wallpapered over. If you rooms can't 'breath' it could be adding to the problem.

Fizzywitch

14-10-2008, 10:38 AM

Unfortunately we have plenty of air circulating in our bedroom as we have ancient sash windows that rattle about so when there is a north wind the curtains blow about. Oh for double glazing!! :-)

noni

14-10-2008, 10:59 AM

macken1969

14-10-2008, 08:29 PM

Hi Macken1969,
Is it a difficult thing to put a ventilation system in existing house?, might be
interested in doing this if it isnt, like you hate condensation on windows in the winter.
Hi Noni..
yes it's a fairly big job alright and expensive but I have to say it has solved all our problems. Condensation is attracted to the coldest part of a room ie the windows .. if a house is properly ventilated you should have no probs but most old houses are poorly ventilated. have a look at the website below this is where we bought ours it explains all about it. look for the whole house ventilation system. let me know if you need any more info.
www.kiltox.co.uk.

noni

14-10-2008, 11:19 PM

Will do, thanks Macken1969

paddyp

14-10-2008, 11:52 PM

The mold may be aspergillus to which many people have a severe allergic reaction, I had to leave a friends house at 5am and go to a hotel he had a mold test which revealed aspergillus. In america some timber homes have to be demolished when they are infested - google sick house syndrome.

From EHOW:

How to Remove Aspergillus
Step1
Rake around the perimeter of your home and remove as much decaying organic material as you can. Decaying leaves and cuttings are fertile ground for aspergillus to grow, and the mold spores can float in through open windows.
Step2
Mix a weak bleach solution and wipe down every single surface in your home with the weak bleach. Include baseboards, door edgings, windowsills, and every possible surface where dust or mold might settle.
Step3
Remove all sources of water or dampness in your home, to remove possible breeding grounds for molds such as aspergillus. Fix leaky pipes or extreme condensation, and check your roof for any leaks.
Step4
Clean mold-prone areas with miticide, a strong mold-killing chemical. Bathrooms and kitchens, especially under sinks, are fertile grounds for aspergillus and should be cleaned carefully with miticide at least once a month. Wear gloves and a face mask, and ventilate the area properly.
Step5
Run air purifiers in your home. You need fresh air, of course, so once a day during daylight (peak sun is best), open your windows and air out the house for 15 minutes or so. Close the windows and resume running the air purifiers. An Air purifier in the bedroom while sleeping is particularly important for aspergillus control and removal.

HappyHunter

15-10-2008, 12:56 AM

This is a great resource of information on aspergillus

http://www.aspergillus.org.uk

kiara

14-12-2008, 09:46 PM

once you have killed the mould, use rubber paint it can't come through it!

magiceight

15-12-2008, 12:33 AM

Grapefruit seed extract is great for killing mold, it's available from health food shops and is very safe - you can even take it internally for fungal infections (diluted as per instructions on label).

I became quite ill a while back and I believe it was triggered by sleeping beside black mold. Took me a few years and a lot of cleansing to get back to normal.

jeana

18-12-2008, 06:00 PM

I have mould- I have cleaned it off but I think I'll just have to make sure I open the windows more often and use the heating less.

Lullymore

08-01-2009, 02:11 AM

Recently i had a similar problem which i tackled head on. Firstly i cleaned off most of the stuff just with a hard sponge and water. Then we got this stuff from the D.I.Y store(don't know name) clear stuff that you put directly over paint like a sealer on the outside wall (not inside). We also installed a extra vent in the wall which seams to have done the trick. The room is now well vented not cold and the problem has gone for now. I know that you can also get this crystals like salt crystals (cheaply) which you leave in a container and they soak up the excess water mom used these before also adding vents which helped her alot. Good Luck.

jeana

08-01-2009, 10:28 AM

I have a question- if you coat the ceiling with plastic paint stuff indoors- will your room not continue to manufacture mould just it will find somewhere else to stick- just wondering---

Moeby

08-01-2009, 11:03 PM

Hi, I am on the local hall committee and we had serious problems with mould on the ceiling of our meeting rooms. I sprayed it with Detox mildew remover, it is quite potent and you will need to wear a mask. It kills the mildew instantly, in fact you can see it dripping off. I know this may not be the green way to resolve the matter but it does work. You obviously have a ventilation problem somewhere or there is moisture getting in from somewhere so although this may treat the problem, it will not resolve the cause. You need to find out exactly what is causing the problem and then address it.

susannn10

21-02-2009, 06:08 PM

My house is only two years old and the main bedroom has it over the window! It started off in a tiny area and has now spread. The vent is always open so i'm lost to knowing the cause of it!

colmsmum

23-02-2009, 09:46 AM

Fizzywitch,
There is a product I have used to stop condensation turning to mould on bathroom /shower ceiling. I got it from a paint supplier in Baldoyle, Dublin.
You get it in white and paint ceiling once then next day apply second coat
it has worked for me.
You can also tint it if you want to paint walls etc. The name is something like Perma.. something , will check later for you.

Hi noni,

Any idea what the name of the paint is? I'm having awful problems with mold & peeling paint in my en-suite, nothing seems to work, would love to try this out.

Thanks & regards,
colmsmum.

noni

23-02-2009, 10:08 AM

Hi Colmsmum,

I will have a look today to find the paint its somewhere in the garden shed
( I think) will let you know as soon as I find it.

Regards,
Noni

ipod

24-02-2009, 03:53 PM

Hi , i had a minor problem with mould in my old house in the bedroom, then i discovered that the air vent had been blocked with fitted wardrobes, this wont take away the current mould, but check if your air vent is open, and it should help, i scrubbed the bit i had with bleach, but is was only around the window.
Good luck, hope u get it sorted, as its bad for ur health

noni

25-02-2009, 08:35 PM

Hi Colmsmum,
At last found the can of paint its called Perma White for mould
http://www.zinsser.com/product_detail.asp?ProductId=35
I found it very good, make sure you wash off mould before painting, let
me know how you get on.

Noni

colmsmum

26-02-2009, 12:34 AM

Thanks so much noni, I'll have a look for it at the weekend. I'll give you the verdict in a few weeks.

suezanna

15-09-2009, 05:06 PM

you must first cleen it with bleech or any mould cleener then paint on damp ceelent paint. you can get this from any hardwear store. then when dry paint with your normal paint.then i would advise you to get a dehumidifier. i had a realy bad case of damp in my bedroom.the whole ceeling went black and all the walls. i kept painting but it just came back. i was so relieved to finaly find out how to deel with it and am now damp free for a yre. i keep my dehumidifire on all day every day it dosnt cost much and my health has inprooved. good luck from sue in youghal cork

welder9

05-04-2010, 08:28 AM

I have problem with mold on my bedroom wall/ceiling which I need to tackle asap as I can hardly breathe anymore! I have done some research- all of which highlight 2 things: how difficult it is to treat and how bloody easily it spreads- especially when you try to get rid of it! I really need to tackle this as my health is suffering and wondering if anybody out there has any tips at all? I really want to avoid using chemicals/bleach if at all possible. All suggestions welcome!!!!
sand the mold as much as you can an.d wash with sugar soap .apply 2 coats of either damp proof paint or ordinary undercoat.When dry go ahead with finish coats of emulsion.Most important though,find source of mould and get rid.Damp clothing?Bad ventilation?It will only return if you dont eliminate the source.
call me if your stuck ,michael 0863159374
(check the space above the cieling to try to identify the source!)

Angelsfishingrod

05-04-2010, 09:34 AM

Hi there, just wondering if you have a leak in the roof!!! which might also cause the damp!! maybe loose tile, or broken one.. maybe trip in the attic might find problem.. I am in a cottage! and roof leaking, so have mould all over growing!! lifted my brandnew mattress up 2wks ago, and mould all over the bottom!! had to throw it out. no wonder I dont feel well. and Landlord not bothering to fix the roof, so will have to move out again.!:(

Angelsfishingrod

05-04-2010, 04:33 PM

The AURO mould remover and treatment are better than the usual chemical stuff from the hardware store or supermarket, or even horrible bleach. Bleach does not work longterm in my experience.

In case of black mould (Aspergillus) the plaster and stonework need to be carefully removed and destroyed safely as that stuff is seriously dangerous. It lives way deep in the stone and cannot be washed away, at most superficially.

@free4all, sorry you will have to move again
Hi Teck, Thanks, for info! in spareroom, it is black in one corner! but wall is completely dry?? what does that mean! well will ring landlord and if he doesnt bother then will look for somewhere else.. could not believe the mattress,, covered in mould spots, and we have been sleeping on that since moving in Sept!!! not suprised I have been ill!! :(

irishchick56

09-04-2010, 12:16 AM

Same happened to my mattress in the last place I lived - what a shame! And it is so hard to notice.

I've lived mould free since August of last year, it makes such a difference. What bliss! A different kind of health, the immunesystem does not have to fight every minute.

I would never ever move into a place with mould again, you have to look very carefully, also in corners, in the bathroom etc. And beware if a place is freshly painted - often that just covers up bad bits ...

In the last place I had an environmental health inspector come out - they don't do much but at least write to the landlord and tell him to get things in order.

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

Olivier

13-04-2010, 08:00 AM

Hi Noni..
yes it's a fairly big job alright and expensive but I have to say it has solved all our problems. Condensation is attracted to the coldest part of a room ie the windows .. if a house is properly ventilated you should have no probs but most old houses are poorly ventilated. have a look at the website below this is where we bought ours it explains all about it. look for the whole house ventilation system. let me know if you need any more info.
www.kiltox.co.uk.

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-fabrication-d-un-recuperateur.html?artpage=3
That's mine more or less finished : http://picasaweb.google.com/olonguet/HouseCrushoa#5416127331291076066

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/HouseCrushoa#5422138793872768098
There's only a couple made when I take the photos but you get the idea.

toddler

11-10-2010, 10:24 PM

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

rumble2

15-11-2010, 02:36 PM

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

Vagabond

04-12-2010, 09:52 AM

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

palminnie1

14-12-2010, 02:52 PM

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