I was thinking of putting some of that 2mm polystyrene roll on the outside walls before I wallpaper.
Has anyone ever used this before? Does it actually stop condensation? I have a condensation problem in winter, behind wardrobes, drawers, pictures etc.
Bob
I have used it and am sure it makes a significant difference, although have no supporting evidence. I used it in a bedroom cupboard that had north and east facing walls which were solid walls and it always felt cold in winter and had black "mould" in the corners, presumably from condensation aiding growth - after, it seemed warmer and the mould didn't come back although we did do several other things around the house, improving ventilation and warmth and extracting moisture at source (shower / cooker etc). Have to be aware that it is "soft" and will puncture easily, so best not fitted where liable to impacts. I also use the foil backed stuff behind radiators on outside walls as I reckon that must help loss through the wall at that point too, by keeping the wall cooler from radiated and convected heating.
Nick
The real answer is to increase ventilation, most older houses now have all the natural ventilation of draughty windows and doors sealed up and their chimneys blocked, the lofts insulated and sealed off.
Put in some air bricks, put auto extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms and all the problems will disappear.
You will probably be very disappointed with thin polystyrene under the paper.
mrcheerful
In message , "Bob Smith (UK)" writes
no, but we did have it on some of the walls in this house when we bought it. We have removed it during redecoration and not replaced it.
I've never noticed any problem with condensation on those walls it has gone from.
I suspect you need to improve ventilation. It's a 30's semi, not as draughty as it was , but not draught proof by any means, but we have an extractor in the bathroom and kicthen
Tried it many years ago on a cold wall, as far as I can remember it was ok but was easily damaged and was difficult to remove when I re-wallpapered - it resisted the steam wallpaper stripper, messy to remove (lots of polystyrene bits everywhere). You could try using a low power tubular heater at the base of the cold wall or get cavity wall insulation if applicable.
Dave
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