Condensation battle

[Scarlett]

I am renting out my house which is an old victorian Bank. It is partly underground, as is on a slope. The walls are very thick and some of it has a flat roof. I've been sent photos of awful condensation by the renters- it was never that bad when I lived there for 6 years, although it did need decorating and sorting out in the bathroom once a year. I want to know if there is anything I can do to sort out the condensation once and for all. there are storage heaters upstairs and only one small one downstairs.
Any ideas?

[Mustardmit]

Buy a de-humidifier -they're not terribly expensive. Admittedly that's probably a temporary fix. You really should arrange for a surveyor to come in and source the cause IMO.

[S_C]

is it condensation or incoming damp ?

if its condensation then you should towards ventilation , if double glazing has been introduced to the building " if so has it got vents".

although the idea of a de-humidifier will help to reduce the inicial problem of the damp , it is obviously not the cure .

hope this helps

[Scarlett]

I am fairly sure it is condensation, the nature of the building is that it is partly underground, there is very little air coming in and it gets very cold downstairs in winter. It is black and speckled, which is condensation I think. Is it possible to put vents into the building, and if so, how?! Thanks!

[S_C]

". It is black and speckled, " this is mold thats is growing due to damp ..

without actualy looking it would be hard for me to diagnose damp or condensation but i will outline a few signs .

the area's where your getting your " black " area's would be i presume the walls where the " damp is happening".

condensation would usualy happen close to where ever the heated air meats the colder air " in other words by an exit door or window " this may strench out for some distance but that would be where it would normaly start to appear .

if the damp is on the walls " below ground and above this area " this could be due to incoming damp where the damp proofing has been damaged and therefore letting in damp . this type of damp " depending on the amount " would be more localised than the condensation. also finding that the room feels " damp / cold " in winter could be an indication leading towards this.

sadly both could cause mold to grow in/ on the plater in and around the damp area's.
this is only a rough guide and should NOT be taken as solid .


either way it does sound like ventilation maybe required and if its damp incoming from outside your damp proofing could need re-newing , but seeking profenssional help regarding this sounds like the best idea . any decent builder would be able to advice what you need.