cold/damp properties in Winter
 

Poll time:

I have been chatting with a very helpful member (behind closed doors, as it were) and have been informed that her (oops, that gives 50% away!) house in Spain gets damp in the Winter, her bedding, curtains and clothes smell damp etc, and she says she knows others that suffer the same - plus she lives quite near the Coast.....

so...who on here suffers damp in their property and who doesnt? Also, if you do, do you live in a detached house, terraced, apartment etc?

Yours, Mori teapot.

Re: cold/damp properties in Winter
 

Hi mrs teapot

I have to say that I too suffer from this problem, in the winter we have to make sure that we keep the rooms warm and dry because if we do not then things start to smell and can feel damp. Clothing and linen that we used all the time is fine but clothes and linen that are just hanging or packed away in the wardrobe does after a while smell musky. We have the warm air from the air con on for a few hours each evening helps this problem no end and I use crystal humidifiers in the wardrobes and get at leat one litre amonth from each one. I too live near the coast about 6k and I have friend who live about 1k away and the have mega problems they even have shoes going mouldy the cupboard. When we only used the house as a holiday home if we did not leave the air con on timed in the winter months then we would find it damp in the cupboards, we know leave all our wardrobes door ajar so that the air can flow through. Hope that helps you.

Crispy

Re: cold/damp properties in Winter
 

All Spanish builds get damp, single walls, no damp course, gas bottle heating, windows shut in the winter meaning no air movement.
Although they are catching on that it rains in Spain and apparently are putting in damp membranes now.

Re: cold/damp properties in Winter
 

Building work progressing, I can give a first hand account of how Spanish houses are built nowadays.

Breeze block on the outside, with a layer of polystyrene sheet then a second wall of red vented bricks. The only problem we have is the bathroom, when the condensation from showers etc seems to get behind the sink unit. Our neighbour has had a little damp, but having tiled the path outside her bedroom its gone. So considering we've had a pretty rainy period I'd say no we don't have too much of a problem.

Re: cold/damp properties in Winter
 

Ooh, interesting reading Crispy and JDR. It would never have occured to me before.

Anyone else similar problem?

BTW, is it a Myth that it is warm in Southern Spain in the Winter then? I'm buying for warm winters, for health reasons......:ohmy:

Re: cold/damp properties in Winter
 

Compared to the UK its been wonderful. The temps though have dipped to 40 deg in old money on and off for a while in Jan & Feb but overall its been quite sunny & nice, especially in Oct Nov & Dec.

Re: cold/damp properties in Winter
 

Its warm when you first get here, but after a few years you get accustomed to the heat, now it is cold at about 16 or 17 c, which is hot for you. ;-)

Re: cold/damp properties in Winter
 

Winters are defiantly warmer in southern Spain than in the UK, when we first moved out we did not think it at all cold outside (different story inside the house) and the first winter here we looked like tourist in our shorts and T-shirts, this year still no coats but did buy body warmers as it feels a little chilly some times, and I have to wear sock some times but not with sandals I hasten to add. I think because it is so hot in the summer you can feel the difference in the winter hence you think it is colder than it actual is..

Re: cold/damp properties in Winter
 

cavity walls seem to sort the problem

usual in Spain as people say no damp course

Re: cold/damp properties in Winter
 

my parents have a old property in spain thick walls about a metre thick in the winter she does have damp problems but she tilled here walls inside and out about 2 metres all round the property this does seem to of worked well . if you look in the old villages you will of seen this .Although a estate agent will say we dont suffer from damp dont beleive them . i have a new build we dont seem to suffer as much good ventillatoin in the summer good heating in the winter months seems to do the trick .

Re: cold/damp properties in Winter
 

We were getting temps of 20+ in january, but with the clear skies it does get cool at night. Yes there can be a damp problems, but it is at least warm enough to open windows during the day to let the damp out. Spanish houses, at least round here, are designed to stay cooler in summer rather than for the cool of the winter, and as we have had NO frost this winter, I say cool rather than cold. We moived over here partly for health resons, and my wifes' arthritis is much less here than it was in the UK, or than it is when we have made visits during winter months.

Re: cold/damp properties in Winter
 

We rent a detached property about 10 klm from the coast of Benissa and have not suffered any damp issues since we moved in 2 years ago. The property is about 10 years old, so relatively new.

The one thing to remember when living in a Mediterranean country is that you should air out the house every morning (summer and winter) for at least an hour. It does make a difference.

Re: cold/damp properties in Winter
 

I live in a detached older house on quarter acre, and I leave the windows open all year so I don't find it gets damp or musty. I'm in the mountains, 5 kms inland. I don't use gas bottles apart from water and apart from a wood burner, no heating. I did get a bit of damp in, but that has now been fixed. This year certainly hasn't been as cold as previous years.

Re: cold/damp properties in Winter
 

I have a four year old apartment which I use for a holiday home, so it is shut up for weeks at a time. Fortunately no damp so far. The area itself can be quite damp though - close to the Montgo Mountain in Denia, and the cloud often hangs around until late morning so I thought we might get a few problems. My friend lives higher up the mountain and has a lot of problems as well as no sun for 3-4 months of the year.

Re: cold/damp properties in Winter
 

even in topical climats you find that they give the heating a blast just to get the mostuire out even in the summer we do this and last year we had hotter spell than you i would still fire it up now and again stops things smelling. maybe i should do the same to the wife