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Moldy village house

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  1. #1

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    Moldy village house

    I live in a village house and after renovation by landlord 18 months ago the walls are now getting moldy. The contractor was asked to use proper mold-proof paint but seems to have skimped and opted for cheapest low quality paint instead. Example: I killed a mosquito and when I used a damp cloth to wipe the blood and mosquito remains off the wall, the paint came off as well. And of course the large black stains spreading on the wall...

    Landlord has now promised to clean and paint the affected areas of the walls. While I am not happy about this kind of patch work approach, I also have a house full of furniture and cats, and I am not eager at all to move everything away so that ALL the walls could be painted!

    I have kept my windows close and have been using air con, dehumidifier and heating fans as appropriate to the weather. Now the landlord keeps insisting I should leave the windows always open at least a crack, to keep ventilation going as he is “guaranteeing” this will solve the problem and keep mold away. Well I don’t agree, since the past 20 years I have lived one floor up in the same village house, and in that floor I always had the windows a crack open because I had mosquito nets. After a few years, mold was growing on every wall and ceiling surface, and when repeated cleaning with bleach finally failed to remove the stains, I bought mold-proof paint and fixed the walls myself. No more mold.

    I cannot imagine how what didn’t work in the old floor would suddenly help in the new floor of the house, and I intend to keep my windows closed, mosquitoes and other bugs and humid air outside. Frustrated about the attitude of the landlord. I could of course install mosquito nets and keep the windows open and then invite him to inspect the moldy walls a few years after, but not interested in providing him with free nets. At that point he might agree to paint the rest of the walls, but then I have to move the house contents to make way for another renovation...


  2. #2

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    Well if you are moving the contents, why not just move back upstairs or to another house.

    Skyhook likes this.

  3. #3

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    Life's too short to stress over something that in the end is not your problem, as you're just a tenant. We've had the problem with smushed mosquitoes leaving a mark on a wall -- just how it goes. For the mould, I suggest you leave your landlord alone and buy a mould wash to wipe down the problematic areas. We had to do this once in our rented apartment (in UK) -- it helped a lot and was less hassle to do it ourselves than deal with negotiating with the landlord to fix everything (at a time that would be convenient for us!). It sounds like you're begging to have your rent increased or be kicked out!

    UK/HKboy likes this.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by emx:
    Well if you are moving the contents, why not just move back upstairs or to another house.
    Because upstairs has people living in there?

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Elegiaque:
    Life's too short to stress over something that in the end is not your problem, as you're just a tenant. We've had the problem with smushed mosquitoes leaving a mark on a wall -- just how it goes. For the mould, I suggest you leave your landlord alone and buy a mould wash to wipe down the problematic areas. We had to do this once in our rented apartment (in UK) -- it helped a lot and was less hassle to do it ourselves than deal with negotiating with the landlord to fix everything (at a time that would be convenient for us!). It sounds like you're begging to have your rent increased or be kicked out!
    I reported the mold problem to the landlord because I felt he needed to know his contractor had tricked him; he supposedly paid for the good quality paint but got the cheap sh*t instead. Landlord wanted to come to see the problem himself and suggested he does the paintwork. - Mold wash is generally just bleach and fragrance packed in an expensive bottle, and bleach and mold wash only works to a certain limit. I have used both.

  6. #6

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    Agree with gigglinggal - things can be OK for years and then one year something gives, whether it's a crack in the external render, rats burrowing through the damp coursing or the dreaded termites (which, no matter what the wimpy ones in more temperate climates do, are quite happy to burrow through concrete in order to reach parquet floors ofr wooden window frames).

    If that has happened, it doesn't matter how good quality the anti-mould paint is, the damp itself is still getting in from the outside.


  7. #7

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    For the record, I agree with you. closed windows and aircon are much better than leaving the window or door "open a crack" and letting the humid air in.


  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by chingleutsch:
    Agree with gigglinggal - things can be OK for years and then one year something gives, whether it's a crack in the external render, rats burrowing through the damp coursing or the dreaded termites (which, no matter what the wimpy ones in more temperate climates do, are quite happy to burrow through concrete in order to reach parquet floors ofr wooden window frames).

    If that has happened, it doesn't matter how good quality the anti-mould paint is, the damp itself is still getting in from the outside.
    Thanks guys, I am appreciating your comments and suggestions. Very very good comments and fodder for considering!

  9. #9

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    Try lighting some incense, those people light in temples, would you? : )