I agree that drainage of this type of basement is not always a solution because water is drawn up capillarily from below. It is part of the old construction. Additionally, it was often desirable in the past for the basement to maintain high humidity - this was where potatoes and apples would be stored.
I have dug up along the outer wall of my basement from 1920 and removed the clay from the outer wall. It was perhaps a little better but hardly modern standard for a basement. But a dehumidifier worked wonders! It runs year-round a few days a week because we dry clothes down there and the basement is now completely dry.
I have dug up along the outer wall of my basement from 1920 and removed the clay from the outer wall. It was perhaps a little better but hardly modern standard for a basement. But a dehumidifier worked wonders! It runs year-round a few days a week because we dry clothes down there and the basement is now completely dry.
The attic may be overly insulated in combination with the absence of a vapor barrier. The hatch alone is probably not enough. I doubt anyone has plastic-coated the ceiling on the upper floor.
Eliminate the cause of the moisture before spraying anything. Much more serious issue than the basement.
Eliminate the cause of the moisture before spraying anything. Much more serious issue than the basement.
Considering the wind, what kind of ventilation is in the house?
I don't think it looks too bad, but something should be done. As mentioned earlier, the cause of the mold must be addressed before any possible remediation. I can share our action plan from our house, as we had less mold than there is in this house. In our case, I believe the root problem is that we have natural ventilation and geothermal heating. In other words, almost no ventilation. We started by replacing all the rough boarding since we were changing the roof anyway. Probably overkill in our case.
1
Ventilate moist air from the living area, mainly from the bathroom and laundry room. This is to ensure that moist air does not reach the attic in the same extent as now.
2
Seal between the living area and the attic to reduce the amount of warm air that rises to the attic. I just placed new paper where there were holes or where it was worn out. In my case, the paper was placed between the roof trusses in the attic from above, no plastic. Install a sealed attic hatch.
3
Ensure that the attic is ventilated sufficiently well, perhaps install a Trygghetsvakt. I have read a bit about it myself but have not installed one yet. We will evaluate later whether we should install a Trygghetsvakt. I don't think it will be necessary.
4
Review if the insulation is correct in the attic. I used linen insulation (Isolina) mainly because it transports moisture better and should dry out when the air is drier than the insulation. I chose the same thickness as before to avoid the risk of creating new problems with changed conditions. It's unclear if it makes any difference.
What am I trying to say with this post, I honestly don't know. Perhaps it gives you an idea of what might be the root problem. If the roof doesn't leak, there is probably no panic in the house you are looking at. And not a super big job. But projects have a tendency to just keep growing and growing. Eventually, there is a risk that the total becomes too large.
I don't think it looks too bad, but something should be done. As mentioned earlier, the cause of the mold must be addressed before any possible remediation. I can share our action plan from our house, as we had less mold than there is in this house. In our case, I believe the root problem is that we have natural ventilation and geothermal heating. In other words, almost no ventilation. We started by replacing all the rough boarding since we were changing the roof anyway. Probably overkill in our case.
1
Ventilate moist air from the living area, mainly from the bathroom and laundry room. This is to ensure that moist air does not reach the attic in the same extent as now.
2
Seal between the living area and the attic to reduce the amount of warm air that rises to the attic. I just placed new paper where there were holes or where it was worn out. In my case, the paper was placed between the roof trusses in the attic from above, no plastic. Install a sealed attic hatch.
3
Ensure that the attic is ventilated sufficiently well, perhaps install a Trygghetsvakt. I have read a bit about it myself but have not installed one yet. We will evaluate later whether we should install a Trygghetsvakt. I don't think it will be necessary.
4
Review if the insulation is correct in the attic. I used linen insulation (Isolina) mainly because it transports moisture better and should dry out when the air is drier than the insulation. I chose the same thickness as before to avoid the risk of creating new problems with changed conditions. It's unclear if it makes any difference.
What am I trying to say with this post, I honestly don't know. Perhaps it gives you an idea of what might be the root problem. If the roof doesn't leak, there is probably no panic in the house you are looking at. And not a super big job. But projects have a tendency to just keep growing and growing. Eventually, there is a risk that the total becomes too large.