Neighbours complaining of mould/damp

[Greeehg]

Hi everyone,

Has anyone ever heard of a newly installed Virgin wall box causing mould or damp in a neighbour's property?

I live upstairs in a block of four flats and my downstairs neighbours have noticed dampness and mould on the inside wall of their bedroom. On the outside of that wall is where my Virgin media box is. 

I'm going to call in the morning but wondered if anyone else has had a similar issue. We've had a lot of rain lately and the only alterations to the block have been Virgin media being installed.

[jpeg1]

Does your cable come in through the wall behind the box? That would leave a route for damp.

If the cable runs outside the wall up to your flat and through the wall there, you'd expect to be seeing the damp in your flat first.  A photo from outside would help. 

I'm afraid you won't get much help by phoning in. 

[Client62]

We have many ( 150+ ) properties where we act as landlord or management agent. At this time of year grumbles about damp & moulds are common, just be aware the person's "life style" is a huge factor.

Failing to open bathroom windows and drying laundry indoors on racks or radiators being the number one cause of interior damp / mould during the winter months. Unless the VM connection box has a cables that enters the down stairs property allowing water to enter, it would be a surprise if it was at the root of their problem.

Expect suggestion of the "life style" issue to be met with hostility to flat denial, no one likes to hear "you are the cause of this problem".

So one might wish to avoid any issues / risk of conflict with the folks down stairs and refer them to the landlord or building management agent. 

Avoid souring the relationship with folks living close by at all cost.

[Greeehg]

Morning, thanks for taking the time to reply. So the box is on the downstairs outside wall as shown. The cable then runs up the wall, round the front into my living room. 

 

 

 

 

[jpeg1]

Your photos have to be cleared by a moderator, but from your description it sounds unlikely that the box is the problem. 

[Greeehg]

Thank you, that puts my mind at (more) ease.

[jpeg1]

That wall shows signs of a long standing damp problem. Certainly nothing to do with the box being fixed there. 

[Greeehg]

Thank you, I'll share that with the neighbours.

[Client62]

I agree, this is not your concern.

[Jonny-M]

Damp course is bridged by render and there's hard ground surrounding the property, that small VM box is not the issue.

Score a line in the render above any DPC and hack it off, let the bricks dry out and the problem will go away. It may even be the case that the ground level is too high.