Black mould caused by condensation

[Fi]

We have some black mould (or rather mildew?) growing round a north facing upstairs window which I think has been caused by excessive condensation.  We moved in about a month ago, but the house was empty/unheated for a good year or so before we arrived.  Our predecessor removed the vmc's from the attic so the air is not circulating (we rather think we'll have to have them reinstated - this is a big old house).  What would be the best way of  getting rid of the mould?  I seem to recall hearing bleach being recommended but that seems rather extreme.  The walls are painted with textured paint and I would prefer not to do too much damage to the decor - it is innocuous and in good condition (apart from the mould!) so it can stay for the time being - we have more urgent jobs to do in the rest of the house.

Any hints about reducing the condensation?  I'm not convinced those crystals in  plastic bowl thingies are particularly useful, but I am willing to be corrected on that one!

Many thanks.

Fi

 

[Théière]

To kill the mould spores bleach is very quick and good. If the area is painted you can use the NON chlorine bleach like ACE etc wich are  hydrogen peroxide based, same as hair bleach.

Ventilation is a key to reducing condensation. If you can leave a small window open with a mosquito net covering it that would help.

[zeb]

Removing the VMCs is a bit mean; I presume that the pipework is still in place so that reinstalling isn't too big a job? I'm a great fan of them, they rid the house of smells, provide a good trickle of ventilation and remove the fear of carbon monoxide poisoning.

You'll probably find that once the house is lived in, heated and ventilated properly your mould problem will disappear (ours has). In the meantime, the bleach treatment should work but at a later, pre-decoration stage you may need to use a coat of PVA.

Good luck.