Garald Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 (edited) I realized some time ago that the closet unser the stairs smelled a bit funny; I had the bottom of the door sanded a bit to improve ventilation. I just opened the door, noticed the smell had remained, and, putting a couple of things aside, saw this: What kind of damage is this? How to fix it or have it fixed? What should I do to prevent it in the future? Edited May 18 by Garald Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvin Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 What’s on the other side if that corner that corner? Do you have in plumbing in the wall there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garald Posted May 18 Author Share Posted May 18 (edited) 36 minutes ago, Kelvin said: What’s on the other side if that corner that corner? Do you have in plumbing in the wall there? I honestly don't know. I do think that the refrigeration pipes for the heat pump have to be somewhere not far from there. Is it mold, or what exactly? A hygrometer I placed in that closet about 90 minutes ago now gives a humidity reading of 82%. Edited May 18 by Garald Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvin Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 It’s definitely mold and the wall is still wet. You’ll need to cut back the wall there and have a look. Is it just plasterboard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garald Posted May 18 Author Share Posted May 18 (edited) 6 minutes ago, Kelvin said: It’s definitely mold and the wall is still wet. You’ll need to cut back the wall there and have a look. Is it just plasterboard? Think so. I'll contact the contractor - this is a recent renovation - there should be some kind of warranty. Is there any chance it's just the closet's moisture, as opposed to a problem behind the wall? Edited May 18 by Garald Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvin Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 It seems unlikely to me. New houses/renovations can take a while to dry out of course. But if you’re getting mold like that you have some kind of problem. Clear the cupboard out and leave the door open to get some air around it. Do you have access to a moisture meter? You need to be careful with them as they can alarm you about what is wet and what isn’t. However they are handy to compare areas. I would try and determine what’s behind that corner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 That could happen if there is a cold spot (condensation) or if there is a leak outside somewhere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adsibob Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 Looks like an alien invasion to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceverge Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 That's definitely getting wet from somewhere. Pipe leaking in the wall is my guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garald Posted May 18 Author Share Posted May 18 (edited) OK. I've messaged the contractor who did the renovation and will call him on Monday; I'd like to know what is behind that corner. (Plumbing, surely, but I also want to know where the refrigeration ducts for the heat pump go.) I'll also call a plumber on Monday - even if the contractor offers to fix things, I'll sleep more quietly if I pay for a specialist to fix things, since then I'll effectively get him to double-check on the contractor's work. In the meantime, I'll let the closet air. The humidity inside is a freaky 87%. I better get the wine rack out of there on a day in which I feel particularly well-coordinated (it's past midnight now). Edited May 18 by Garald Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garald Posted May 21 Author Share Posted May 21 Talked to the contractor - he will come this weekend to see what he can do. There's no pipe that can leak there. He says that the main underlying reason is most likely one of the following: - a thermal bridge (the back wall in the photograph is an outside wall; it is insulated, but there's a thermal bridge where the foundation ends, if I understand correctly) - moisture seeping in from the outside. The fact that the heat-pump's external unit is just outside rubs him the wrong way, but that may not be the reason after all; I've never seen the heat-pump have any condensation. Another thing that makes him suspicious (and here he may be right) is that there's some sort of mysterious gray plug out there. Is it for a hidden drainage tube for the courtyard? - something seeping from under the house. The house sits on a concrete slab, but neither he nor I knows what lies underneath. A condemned basement? Cthulhu? (Note that this part of town is ridden with secret passageways (the part of the Paris catacombs that is open to the public is only a tiny fraction of the total. According to a map I got from townhall, there's one passageway right in front of my door.) Then there's a lack of ventilation as a contributing factor. I already had the bottom of the door sanded; he'll bore a hole in the door so that air has an inlet and an outlet. I'll also put a dehumidifier in there, at least for now. Speaking of which, do these power-free dehumidifiers work? It's a space of less than 3m^3 or so. https://tinyurl.com/3up9veee The downside is that it requires one to get new tablets every few months. The alternative is to get something like this: https://tinyurl.com/2s35c8j3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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