RainyDay.ie is a guide to damp and mould in Irish homes, written by James Dunne. Why it exists, who's behind it, where to start and how to get in touch.
Why a site about rain, indoors
Irish weather doesn't stay outside. It comes in on wet coats and washing that can't go on the line, and it settles on bedroom windows every winter morning.
Leave it long enough and it turns into black spots in the corner of the ceiling and a musty smell in the wardrobe.
Most of the advice online about that is written for British homes. It prices running costs in pence at UK rates and recommends products you can't easily buy here.
RainyDay.ie was set up to do the same job properly for Ireland, with Irish prices and products you can actually get.
The name is a small joke. You're told to save for a rainy day. In Ireland, that's most of them, so the money may as well go on fixing the damp properly.
The person behind it
RainyDay.ie is written and edited by James Dunne. He's based in Ireland and has spent more winters than he'd like wiping condensation off windows and fighting mould in rented rooms.
He isn't a surveyor or a building engineer, and the site doesn't pretend otherwise.
What he does is the research most people don't have time for: reading manufacturers' test data past the headline figure, checking what Irish public bodies actually say, working out every running cost at Irish rates and saying plainly when the evidence runs out.
How we research explains the method in detail.
Where to start
If something's wrong in your home right now, start with the problem:
- Wet windows every morning: condensation on windows
- Mould on a wall or ceiling: black mould in the bedroom
- Clothes that won't dry: drying clothes with a dehumidifier
- A landlord who won't act: damp in a rented house
If you're ready to buy, our dehumidifier guide is the place to begin. And if you just want to know what something costs to run, the appliance running cost calculator will tell you in euro.
What this site isn't
It isn't a substitute for a professional when the problem is structural. A leaking roof or mould spreading across whole walls needs someone to look at the building itself, and the guides say so when that's the case.
It isn't legal or medical advice either. On renting, we explain the general position and point you to Threshold and the RTB. On health, we point you to your GP.
And it isn't paid for by the brands it mentions. The site earns commission on some product links, which our affiliate disclosure explains, but no manufacturer or retailer pays to be included.
Get in touch
Questions and corrections are welcome, and so are ideas for new guides. If something on the site is wrong or out of date, James wants to hear about it. Use the contact page.