Making a pantry into a utility room - with a little bit of mold!

last year

Hello Houzz community,

I was hoping to ask for your expertise and advice on something we want to work on. We have this small pantry room by our kitchen which was previously used for storage of cleaning products etc. from the previous house owners.

We are hoping to make it into a utility room and put a washing machine + tumble dryer with some shelving on the side for better use of space.

This room comprises of a window (cannot open) and a vent on the bottom that leads to the garden (air brick). There is a small issue. When we removed the shelves we saw a little bit of mold forming around the vent cover, not much at all, but just to the left and right of it.

This room is quite cold as there is a lot of cold air coming in and the window has quite a lot of condensation in the morning. I am surprised there is mold to be honest as it is well ventilated.

As part of the utility room project, I was planning to board up the window and basically make it look like a cupboard but leave the vent. I am now worried that mold might still be coming in and it will just keep growing on the boarded up wall. Should I completely cement and close the vent all together and maybe add a small fan leading to the outside instead?

I have no use for this window or this vent (condenser tumble dryer) and I just want it to look like a utility room cupboard without worrying that there will be mold or condensation, so any suggestions you might have would be appreciated!

Thank you!

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Comments (4)

Angie
last year
You need ventilation to help avoid mould, so I wouldn’t block anything up. Could be worth getting someone round to quote for an extractor and ask them for guidance on the issue.
Sonia
last year
In the olden days (!) before fridges, a pantry would be used instead to store food such as butter etc and the room had to be cold to preserve the stored items. I think an extractor fan is the way to go to keep the air flowing.
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User
last year
Could previous owners have had something in front of the vent to prevent air flow that caused the mould?
PRO
Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre
last year
As others have indicated, ventilation is critical - especially if you will be introducing additional dampness from 2 of the “wettest” appliances possible!

I’d certainly be looking to introduce a fan, and would look to have ventilation in or at the door to the hallway(?)

Ensuring there is enough heat in the area will help limit the risks of condensation - I would hope regular use of washer & dryer would provide enough.

It is important, though, to properly treat even the small amount of mould you’ve found now, before it can start to gain a foothold. Cleaning down, painting on a suitable mould-blocking barrier before final paint is well worth it - especially if you are about to cover over the area with a couple of appliances you will rarely want to move!

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Making a pantry into a utility room - with a little bit of mold!

Comments (4)

Angie

Sonia

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