Mould problem

[Clare11]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but I need some advice on how to kill of mould.

Our flat has always had an element of damp, but for various reasons we can't move.

This morning I pulled out a pair of leather shoes from under my sons cot, to find they were covered in mould. It smells mouldy under his bed, under ours. It's carpet, and I'm at a loss to know how to treat it.

Someone mentioned clove oil, but not sure if that can be sprayed onto carpet? I have a whizz bang air purifier in the room, but I guess it's not getting spores at floor level.

Really concerned for my sons' health, any ideas appreciated.

[Saffron]

Is your purifier also a dehumidifier?

[Clare11]

No I don't think so. We had one of those for a while but it never got on top of the damp.

The purifier has a heated element that burns whatever spores, dust etc are drawn in.

[Saffron]

You really need to identify the source of the damp. A good dehumidifier will help reduce damp in the air, but of course it doesn't stop the damp from coming in.

The purifier will only trap particles in the air which come in contact with it. If there is carpet and a mouldy smell under the bed, chances are the origins of the spores can be in the carpet underlay. If your carpet underlay is old it probably doesn't conform to new CE guidelines for fire safety and should be ripped out anyway.

If you're a homeowner, your insurance may partly cover this. If you're renting, and the mould is a health issue, I think your landlord needs to assess this.

However, putting in new carpet and underlay will not stop the damp if there is for example a slow leak under the floor causing the damp. You might even want to consider removing the carpeting all together and painting all surfaces with a fungiside+paint.

[sedamp]

Hi

We are a damp company with good reccomendation on this website.

We can come to have a look free of charge but to me it sounds as if it is condensation and not damp. If it is condensation we can reduce it for you but it will not go 100%.

If you would like us to have a look please call us on 0208 3044933.

Kind Regards

Eddie

[tomk]

Whatever you do, I think you've got to get rid of the carpet/underlay.

[Clare11]

The carpet itself is about 12months old, but I fear with intermittent leaks coming from the top flat in our building, it's absorbed some moisture since it was laid. It's laid on a concrete floor too as opposed to boards.

We do try and keep the air flowing in the flat, but it can be hard in winter when it's cold.

I fear that until the upstairs leak is dealt with (an ongoing debacle) we won't be able to be 'damp free'. We are renting and our landlord is generally concerned, but as yet we aren't free of the problem.

[Saffron]

What was the concrete floor sealed with?

[Clare11]

No idea. I'll have to check with the landlord.

Every night when I put my son to bed I just worry. The front room is just as bad so I can't just switch layout.