Renovations
I cut a hole in the floor and did some diving. And made the sad discovery that the floor has borer beetle in it and needs treatment.
Abri from Swellendam is gonna do the job.
This picture was taken under the floor and shows supports and beetle tracks.
The under-floor zone is terribly humid and you end up with the camera lens fogging up very quickly.
This picture shows how you might look if you ventured under the floor to take pictures.
The beetle man, Abri told me that there was no underfloor ventilation. He was wrong, there is. Not hugely well planned or terribly effective, but there is ventilation none the less.
Point is although he was wrong, he was also right in a way.
The lack of ventilation was in the living area.
Most of my tenants had complained that the house was "mif". I am not sure if there is a good english word for it, but it indicates a cold damp that causes fungus to grow on everything. The next picture is of the ceiling in the living room, away from the shower and bath room. The fungus is overwhelming as you can see.
The first time I slept there I left the windows closed (it was a very cold night) and all the windows were running with condensation. While scratching my head over Abri's comment about the lack of ventilation, I suddenly realised he had provided the answer, purely by accident. You see there are no ventilation holes in the living space. None. I went round twice to check that I had not missed. As an experiment, I drilled holes all over the place more or less where the ventilation holes should be. See the picture.
I then went to bed with the windows closed. And (trumpet fanfare!!!) there was no condensation on the windows! Problem solved (at least I hope so!) Proper ventilators will be fitted asap to prevent the local bees from taking up residence.
Interestingly enough you can feel the air flow through those small 16 mm holes. Inwards during the day when the outside temperature is highest and outwards when the inside temperature is highest.
Isn't science wonderfull?
17th September, 2005.
Went back to see Abri's handiwork. The floors look great. I haven't coated the floors yet as the ceiling needs painting and I am not gonna drip on newly varnished floors! You can still see the poison that he used to nuke the borer beetles. Hopeufully that is the last of that topic.
The air in the house was much better, warmer, fresher. Those holes really worked a treat! Now I need to go back and fit proper ventilation grids.