Damp and mould

Couldn't you say something about the mould/damp to your landlord...?

Anon because I know people on here and this is quite embarrassing.

My room is really susceptible to damp as I don't want to open my window. My room is in the basement so my window is literally on the same level as the ground floor - I don't want anything like mice or insects getting in my room and they don't even have to climb or anything, they could just crawl into my room through the window.

So my flatmate has said I should just keep my door open, which seems reasonable. I don't want to invest in a dehumidifier because they're really expensive.

Also there's these white fluffy things that have been recently growing on my wall - I don't know if they're mould? I did some research and it could also be Efflorescence?

I don't have asthma or anything but would not doing anything about the damp in the room screw my health up permanently? I don't spend very long in my room as I work, so I only spend a maximum of 12 hours in my room a day. I am considering just not spending any time in my room and just using it to sleep.

Thoughts?

Call your landlord, he needs to deal with this - or at least pay for your dehumidifier. My friend had the same problem, her landlord had to get her new carpets, got someone in to do the bathroom and bedroom and her whole flat smelt of damp. She is so fed up she is now moving out.

So did your friend's flat smell of damp because of the cleaning or was the whole flat damp in the first place? I think my room is the only damp one in the house But I constantly have wet clothes drying in my room. Do you think not letting the clothes dry in my room would solve the problem at all?

I'm unsure of the root cause of her damp but I think it was something to do with her ventilation system, which became obvious after 8 months living there. I'm guessing you don't have a tumble dryer in your flat? If you have the room I'd start by buying an air drying rack, as it may help.

http://www.dormco.com/v/vspfiles/photos/J2-2-9-1165-2.jpg

Whether your landlord is useless or not, it's his job to fix this:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/repairs-in-rented-housing/disrepair-common-problems/disrepair-dampness/

Drying your clothes in a basement with low airflow and no dehumidifier is a terrible idea and if your landlord believes that is the cause of the mold then they would be within their rights to charge you to fix the mold damage. Buy a small dehumidifier, if it's a fairly small space you won't have to spend ridiculous money on running it but it could save your health and deposit. Sweep the area outside your window regularly and fit a temporary screen, one that allows airflow but will restrict dust and definitely stop creatures coming in.

Struggling with this problem aswell at the minute. Payed 140 quid for a dehumidfier which is great but it cannot be in two places at once and with the bathroom door being off and clothes drying downstairs, leaves me with a problem

It's annoying isn't it how much does your dehumi cost to run per day/however long you use it for?

Anon because I know people on here and this is quite embarrassing.

My room is really susceptible to damp as I don't want to open my window. My room is in the basement so my window is literally on the same level as the ground floor - I don't want anything like mice or insects getting in my room and they don't even have to climb or anything, they could just crawl into my room through the window.

So my flatmate has said I should just keep my door open, which seems reasonable. I don't want to invest in a dehumidifier because they're really expensive.

Also there's these white fluffy things that have been recently growing on my wall - I don't know if they're mould? I did some research and it could also be Efflorescence?

I don't have asthma or anything but would not doing anything about the damp in the room screw my health up permanently? I don't spend very long in my room as I work, so I only spend a maximum of 12 hours in my room a day. I am considering just not spending any time in my room and just using it to sleep.

Thoughts?

It's not efflorescence. Efflorescence is salt that leaches out of brickwork and usually shows up as white patches on external walls.

You have white mold. There are things you can do to treat it in the short term but ultimately you have to get some air circulating in that room and insulation dealt with properly or it'll keep coming back.

http://www.mold-advisor.com/white-mold.html

Some moulds can be extremely dangerous for your health (not white mould but other kinds) to the point when it can cause long term and irreversible neurological damage so I'd urge you to take care of this problem sooner or later.