Damp/Mould
 

Hi. I am looking at older Algarvian property (in order to get a 2 bedroom house without pool at the bottom end of the price range this seems to be what I will have to do) and I am concerned about damp & mildew which has been a feature of older Spanish properties I have stayed in. Can anyone recommend treatments/equipment available locally for this problem. Washing with bleach and re-painting regularly only deals with the problem temporarily & not the cause. Thanks.

Re: Damp/Mould
 

There are many suggestions like running a de humidifire through the winter,
drilling ventilation holes in your walls to create airmovement within the building.
The most radical is fitting wallboard internally creating an airspace behind it and your inner wall.
What is your budget and specification there is a huge stock of property for sale and you might be surprised what you could buy.

Re: Damp/Mould
 

The builders of older properties gave no consideration to these kind of issues and as a result you are going to find walls are permeable, roof is not completely watertight, there are no membranes under the floor, no gutters, no damp proof course and no hard-standing laid to drain surface water away from the structure etc etc

There are only three solutions, 1) major building project or 2) live with it, wash with bleach and re paint as you suggest (and as many locals do). 3) Demolish and build to modern spec - probably cheaper than option 1 !

Re: Damp/Mould
 

Thanks for the 2 responses already! I think i want to spend around €120,000 not including all the fees, taxes etc. I don't want a swimming pool, I don't want service charges for communal facilities, I would like 2 bedrooms and I would like sea breezes to tone down the summer heat. Am I being un-realistic? That's why I thought I would need to be looking at older Algarvian property and worried about damp/mouls/mildew. I would prefer central/western Algarve.

Re: Damp/Mould
 

Check out the papers , one of them has an advert for a german guy that has a system that may work.

His shop used to be across the road from penguin aircon a few years ago , I dont know if he is still there.

Re: Damp/Mould
 

You may wish to concentrate on Western Algarve if you want cooling winds in Summer as I believe that it is very hot in Central Portugal.

I would speak to a few agents as you may find that you could get something more modern for 120K as some people are desperate to sell.:(

I would recommend Fernando Vaz in Algarve as a point of reference as I have found him to be very reliable and honest.

Re: Damp/Mould
 

I have an older house with no insulation.
I found that the main cause of damp in my house was condensation on the walls; just as water will condense on cold single glass. The walls are just cold in winter; that makes them wet, that causes fungal growth.
I put in underfloor heating and insulated the ceiling. This has mainly solved the problem, but what I would like to do is insulate the walls [from the outside]. I've been told this will really do the trick.
Of course if you have liquid water leaking in somewhere then that's another story.
I also put in a heat recovery ventilation unit. It constantly refreshes the air in the house with outside air, without losing much heat in winter.
The house is now dry and fresh, without that "old house" smell.

I also demolished all the internal walls, which were structural. There's a heavy steel beam hidden above the new ceiling.

Re: Damp/Mould
 

hey Steppitoe how do I reach Fernando?

Re: Damp/Mould
 

Re: Damp/Mould
 

i just close the shutters and leave the windows open all year round,
Solves 99% of humidity problems - worked in France in a stone house and works here on a modern concrete house.
Of course you have to fix holes / leaks etc first

Re: Damp/Mould
 

Have a modern house with external insulation and compared to our old apartment it is night and day but one fbuilt in wardrobe does get the clothes smelling damp/mouldy in winter... anyone tried these low voltage wardrobe heaters and do they do the job?
https://www.cupboard-heaters.co.uk/3...-dehumidifiers

Re: Damp/Mould
 

I haven't tried that particular kind, but I've been told that just 10 watts in a cupboard will keep it dry.
Studies have shown that what you need to do is heat 5C above ambient to lower the humidity effectively enough to reduce damp. Of course that's pretty general, in reality it will depend on your local conditions.
Many people just use a light bulb [if you can still find an incandescent bulb at all].