Wootton Bassett couple consider living in car because of damp on walls

John Barrett, 65, and his wife Jenny, 60, have been living alongside damp in their Tanners Close home for three years.

John suffers from COPD and says that he has been advised to stay away from damp - something he's unable to do.

“I sometimes feel like walking outside, shutting the door, and going to live in the car as even that would be better than spending our time in that house,” said Jenny.

The Royal Wootton Bassett property, maintained by housing company GreenSqareAccord, first started to show signs of damp back in 2020 with the couple’s bathroom floor.

“The mould had come through the floor and I contacted GreenSquare but it took two months for an appointment,” said Jenny.

“The man reckoned it could be rising damp as our bungalow is years old and DrainWizard came out to check the outside sewer pipe, finding two airline cracks in the pipe itself.”

Some of the mould in the bathroom which has plagued the Wiltshire home since 2020. (Image: Dave Cox)

This led to the bathroom floor being replaced but the problems persisted and spread to other areas of the Barretts’ home.

“The flooring was taken up but the replacement was placed on a damp floor,” said John.

“There is now mould in the bedroom and lounge, beside the bay window, as well as in the hall.”

The wet marks on the lounge wall are a particular problem for the couple given that the room is their main living room where they spend most of their time.

“They haven’t done a proper job at all over the years,” said Jenny.

“The lounge is our main room in the house but it is awful to live in now. When it is raining, the wall is drenched and covered in black stains, making the whole room smell terrible.”

John and his wife Jenny have had to coexist with the mould since 2020. (Image: Dave Cox)

John suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, known as COPD, which concerns the altered structure or function of the right ventricle.

This leads to abnormal respiratory function, with symptoms including shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pains and fatigue.

“I have to use an inhaler often because of my condition,” said John.

“The nurse has told me that I should not go anywhere near the damp because of the issues with my breathing.”

The mould issue is also leading to financial problems for the couple, with even quick fixes setting them back money that they do not have.

“The electric heater is costing £100 a week to keep the house warm, which it is failing to successfully do anyway,” said Jenny.

“We are having to borrow to be able to afford this, which is hard to manage as John is not fit for work given his condition.”

The mould underneath the bay window currently remains in the house. (Image: Dave Cox)

A spokesperson for GreenSquareAccord said: “The safety and wellbeing of our customers is our top priority, and we are sorry to hear that Mr Barrett has been experiencing problems in his home.

“We have been working with Mr Barrett to try and resolve the damp and mould issues in his home. Last month one of our chartered surveyor’s visited Mr Barrett’s home to carry out an inspection. Following recommendations made by our surveyor, we are speaking with Mr Barrett to hopefully arrange a mould wash in his home this week and for further repairs to take place in his bathroom, living room and hallway.  

“We are committed to working with Mr Barrett to resolve the issues in his home.”