Mold problem

[jeba]

Last week I moved into a new house and much to my disgust found that there is quite a mold problem. Are there any companies in Cyprus specialising in dealing with mold?

[Mike J]

To treat the mold, spray the bleach onto the mold affected area and allow to dry. Don't us a cloth to wipe the mold away as you are merely spreading the problem . Keep re-appling until the mold has gone . De humidifiers certainly work and it's amazing the liquid they drag out of these concrete houses but also ensure the air can circulate by opening windows etc.

Cheers

Mike

[trevnhil]

Last week I moved into a new house and much to my disgust found that there is quite a mold problem. Are there any companies in Cyprus specialising in dealing with mold?

To recommend a company we could do with knowing which area you are in.. Peyia, Yeraskipou. or in the hills


Trev..

[jeba]

Last week I moved into a new house and much to my disgust found that there is quite a mold problem. Are there any companies in Cyprus specialising in dealing with mold?

To recommend a company we could do with knowing which area you are in.. Peyia, Yeraskipou. or in the hills


Trev..

I´m in Kiti (near Larnaca) but wouldn´t mind paying a higher callout fee if they have to travel from Paphos. Aren´t there companies acting islandwide?

[trevnhil]

I cannot say that there are No companies dealing with the cure and eradication of Mold
But I have never heard of any.

Trev..

[jeba]

I wonder how efficient dehumidifying would be? Given that the humidity outside will often be beyond 70% you´d have to keep your doors and windows permanently closed - otherwise all the good done by a dehumidifier will be undone by fresh air (containg lots of water) from outside. Or you´d have to run your dehumidifier 24/7 which would result in a hefty electricity bill. But maybe that´s what you have to accept?
The cupboards affected the most are all in front of walls in which water pipes/drains are running. However, there is no clear evidence of any leaks. So I wonder whether it could really be that the temperature gradient between the cold water in the pipes and the surroundings is causing condensation on the wall? I´m struggling a bit to believe that, especially as the pipes (not the drains) seem to have insulation (as far as I can see - and I can´t see much).

I also wonder whether it´s good enough to treat the "infected" cupboards with anti-mold spray or whether you´d need to rip them out, plaster the wall behind them with plaster containing a fungicide and have new cupboards installed?
What kind of professional would I need to assess the situation? There seem to be no companies specialising on mold treatment in Cyprus. I hope I´m wrong.

[jeba]

You do keep your doors and windows closed when dehumidifying, but ut's not forever. You will be amazed at how quickly your home will dry out. The result will be drier cooler air and a much more pleasant atmosphere. Dehumidifying and treating with bleach, works.

Maybe I should´ve explained better: All the cupboards are built in. So If the walls behind them are moldy (which I guess they are as only those cupboards in front of walls containg pipes are affected and a wall containg pipes is shedding paint), treating the cupboards with bleach won´t help the walls. That´s why I´m inclined to suggest to my landlord to rip the cupboards out so you can assess what´s happening behind them.

[jeba]

I got the impression reading this thread that you were talking about moving into a newly built house that you had just bought, but now you mention your landlord. Is it a 'new' house or just new to you?

It´s just new to me. I´m renting.

[darrow]

your landlord should sort it if you are a new tenant i should have thought. a dehumidifier will work with the windows open, maybe not as effectively though. i have had mine 33 years and wouldn't be without it. i keep my windows cracked open all year round and this time of year they are all open! i put my dehumidifier away at the end of May and get it out at the beginning of November. i only use it during the night, probably a throw back to when i had economy 7 in U.K.! i have never had mould problems. air needs to circulate to reduce condensation. there used to be a company called Mr Damp who advertised in the Paphos Post but i don't know if they are still around. hope this helps.

[J B]

We have a 'damp old cottage' in N Wales - we find that by just 'living in it' the damp seems to reduce substantially.

Maybe try that?

[PaphosAL]

We have a 'damp old cottage' in N Wales - we find that by just 'living in it' the damp seems to reduce substantially.

Maybe try that?

This is an excellent idea, JB, which certainly helped me enjoy a couple of 3 months extended stays in K.Paphos a few years back. Friends of friends had a two bed g/f apartment just up the road from the Wheatsheaf. But their business in Whitby meant they always had to be back there from early Nov to late Jan.

The first year they locked and shut up for winter, they faced utter disaster when they arrived back in Feb- MOULD!!! Culprit: calor gas heating and cooking in October... Did a wonderful deal with them for the following two years @ Cy£200 pcm. This included use of their ancient Toyota twin cab (with me keeping it properly serviced, maintained and shod).

After I vacated and they returned, they couldn't believe the difference! Purely on account of me being in residence and keeping their home-from-home nicely aired and ventilated. They were also amazed at their 'born again' truck, LOL!

But tell me please, JB. If you're on your farm in Salop mostly, and only in your house in Tala occasionally, don't you suffer from the same mould problems at Tala?

ATB! AL

[jeba]

a dehumidifier will work with the windows open, maybe not as effectively though. i have had mine 33 years and wouldn't be without it. i keep my windows cracked open all year round and this time of year they are all open! i put my dehumidifier away at the end of May and get it out at the beginning of November. i only use it during the night, probably a throw back to when i had economy 7 in U.K.! i have never had mould problems. air needs to circulate to reduce condensation. there used to be a company called Mr Damp who advertised in the Paphos Post but i don't know if they are still around. hope this helps.

By how much did it reduce your humidity levels with windows open? I´m currently having more than 70 rel%. sometimes up to 78 rel%. At least in Germany, where I´m from, they recommend to keep it below 60 rel%. But the climate there is different, of course - so not sure what´s recommended here.

[kansas]

We were advised by a Cypriot painter (who originally painted the interior walls in our house) to use vinegar for the mould and to open the windows for at least an hour a day rain or shine. We ditched the gas fire and installed electric panels. We bought a dehumidifier and the amount of water it took in the first week was amazing, a full tank every day. We also installed large ceiling fans in each room (Tower Electric) and switched them to winter setting in October. Together with the dehumidifier, the fans, airing the rooms each day, touch wood, we haven't had any mould in any of the rooms, cupboards or wardrobes for several years. Our house is, like many others in Cyprus, not insulated but we live in it full time. Hope this helps.

[PaphosAL]

Bugger! Earlier on, I quoted and replied to jeba, with some helpful info. Post vanished, ffs...

jeba: A synopsis for you- Windows NOT wide open, just security locked 1" open. Allows a gentle through draft, where the powerful dehumidifier DEFEATS the moisture-laden incoming air, and allows the whole place to dry out, without allowing low-life in!

More info tomorrow, if needed... Cheers- AL

[Dominic]

No posts have been deleted. All I can see is your post to J B.

[PaphosAL]

Think I forgot to actually hit the [Submit] button after [Preview], Dominic. Easy trap to fall into, when you're an old git like me (who has had a few glasses of Scotch beforehand...)

Cheers- and please keep up your marvelous work here on PL- it's a total revelation!

AL

[darrow]

a dehumidifier will work with the windows open, maybe not as effectively though. i have had mine 33 years and wouldn't be without it. i keep my windows cracked open all year round and this time of year they are all open! i put my dehumidifier away at the end of May and get it out at the beginning of November. i only use it during the night, probably a throw back to when i had economy 7 in U.K.! i have never had mould problems. air needs to circulate to reduce condensation. there used to be a company called Mr Damp who advertised in the Paphos Post but i don't know if they are still around. hope this helps.

By how much did it reduce your humidity levels with windows open? I´m currently having more than 70 rel%. sometimes up to 78 rel%. At least in Germany, where I´m from, they recommend to keep it below 60 rel%. But the climate there is different, of course - so not sure what´s recommended here.

I can't quote humidity levels but I don't have damp and my de humidifier is emptied about every 3rd day.. Speaks for itself I think.

[kansas]

I should have mentioned these on my earlier post. We now have three Thermopro's purchased from Amazon (one of their best sellers). These show current temperature/humidity levels as well as historical levels. For example it's currently stating that the humidity level in the lounge is 44% DRY with a temperature of 27C and the historical levels show - low 25% DRY, high 73% WET, and temperature - low 13C and high 29C. It also states COMFORT when the humidity and temperature levels are optimal. This little gadget allows us to take action when there are extreme levels. Best thing we ever bought, second only to the dehumidifier!

[jeba]

Update: I´ve received a callback from a specialist in mold treatment whom I tried to contact to no avail before and he said it was indeed possible that there is condensation caused by water pipes in the wall, there wouldn´t necessarily have to be a leak if the water is cold enough. However, to confirm this he´d need to measure the temperature in the wall - which he won´t do since he´s based in Germany.
He suggested to rip out the built-in cupboards, to remove the plaster and replace it with either silikate or chalk plaster as this would prevent mould from growing due to the basic ph (above 10). Everything else would only be cosmetics as the root of the problem wouldn´t be eradicated. When I asked about the desired humidity level he said ideally it should be below 45-50 rel% as this will prevent formation of mycotoxins from cellulose.

[J B]

But tell me please, JB. If you're on your farm in Salop mostly, and only in your house in Tala occasionally, don't you suffer from the same mould problems at Tala?

Erm, Shropshire please, not Salop!

Nope, we don't seem to get mould in our Tala house - we used to get a bit on the bathroom ceiling but a quick scrub with some bleach and ensuring the window was left open after each shower soon fixed that.