Category: Mould

How to deal with damp and mould

Damp can affect any home with the obvious health and comfort issues of mould. It is always wise to spot any problems early and remedy them quickly.

What are the causes of damp?

One of the most frequent problems you will encounter in the home is damp. Furthermore, damp and the formation of mould can be very bad for your health. Mould can aggravate respiratory problems and encourage the emergence of mites.

Damp usually occurs due to poor maintenance. There are several causes of damp in the home, but all can be remedied. Leaks in or around the roof, ceilings, walls, floors, windows, doors or pipe-work can cause damp and mould.

Often, if there is a damp patch visible inside the home, the cause can be identified from an issue on the exterior. For instance, a wet patch at the top of a wall might be due to a leaking gutter outside.

Rising Damp

Rising damp is caused by capillary action through brickwork and plasterwork into the floors and walls of the property. This type of damp usually occurs where there is no damp proof course, or the course has been bridged. If the walls feel damp and cold to the touch, or if there is a stain mark on the inside walls. Paintwork can become stained and damaged, and plaster can become loose. Any wall in contact with the ground can have rising damp, affecting walls both inside and out. However, it rarely rises up further than one metre in height.

Penetrating Damp

Penetrating damp is caused by issues with the building or plumbing, where a problem has allowed water to enter the home. Symptoms will usually only occur during wet weather. However, it can affect roofs and ceilings, along with walls. A watermark might appear, and grow if the water continues to enter. If not fixed, the plasterwork may shave crazing cracking and paintwork may blister.

Penetrating damp can sometimes be caused by gutter or roof problems which have allowed rainwater to spill onto and saturate areas of the wall. Penetrating damp is most frequent in older homes, which have no cavity walls. A new build property with cavity walls offers more protection and is unlikely to suffer from this type of defect. Penetrating damp can be tricky to pinpoint, and often may require expert help.

Condensation

Condensation is caused by excessive moisture due to insufficient ventilation inside the home. Mould may appear on walls, ceilings, furniture and even curtains. There is usually a strong musty smell present. Unlike the other types of damp condensation is largely caused by the occupants of the home, rather than problems with the actual building.

How to Prevent, Monitor & Treat Damp

There are several simple measures that will remedy damp, The problem may be something you can fix quickly with an anti-damp product or repair. Keep your property warm and dry with preventative measures and spotting early symptoms of damp.

Rising Damp

Rising damp is usually worse at the bottom of a wall than at the top. The most common cause is ‘bridging’. Plasterwork or soil bridging the DPC or rainwater splashing up against the wall above the DPC. This is a common problem but can be remedied by simply digging away all the soil. If not, you may need to check if plasterwork is bridging the DPC. If it is splashing up rainwater you may need to install gutters and downpipes. In the end, chemical methods – injected into the problem areas – may be the only solution.

Penetrating Damp

Penetrating damp forms when water gets in from the outside! Examine gutters, downpipes, flashing, plasterwork, brickwork and window frames in detail. Always make sure that downpipes are unobstructed, and the gutters are clean.

Check the plasterwork and brickwork to see if it’s cracked. Seal any gaps around window frames. Check underneath window sills as there should be a drip groove to shed rainwater before it gets to the house wall. If this is blocked with moss, dirt or cement, clear it thoroughly.

Condensation

Condensation forms when warm air trapped inside the house meets cold walls, and mould can quickly spread. Open windows after a shower or bath to allow ventilation of bathrooms. Open windows slightly in bedrooms and living rooms during the night to prevent condensation.

To remove mould scrub the area a mixture of hot water and bleach or mould remover. Leave it for several minutes, and then clean off thoroughly.

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Bathroom Mould – How To Get Rid of it!

Bathroom Mould

black bathroom mould can be killed with bleach
Don’t let black mould take over your bathroom! Prevention is better and less costly than a cure! Use bleach or a proprietary product to kill the mould.

How to get rid of bathroom mould

The first step to cleaning mould from a bathroom ceiling and walls is to use a cleaning product that kills black mould and removes staining. Therefore, use products such as Domestos, Jik, or any other bleach you may have in your kitchen. However, there are also proprietary products such as Mould Buster, developed to kill mould. If you prefer to use one of them, follow the instructions carefully!

The main source of moisture in bathrooms is steam from hot baths and showers condensing on the ceiling and walls, making bathrooms an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. Black mould on bathroom ceilings, walls, and tiles is mainly due to condensation and poor air circulation.

Safety first when cleaning up bathroom mould

Always use PPE (personal protective equipment) when using dangerous chemicals like bleach and even vinegar!

The PPE listed below is essential to protect yourself against the cleaners:

  • Rubber gloves
  • Eye protection
  • Breathing apparatus (not dust  or medical masks)
  • Coveralls

How to kill the mould

  • If you decide to use bleach, create a mixture of bleach and water, using a spray or sponge to apply it to the mould areas in your bathroom. The bleach removes the mould stains!
  • Wash down the area with water.
  • Apply white vinegar with a spray or sponge to the mould area. Vinegar will kill the mould!
  • Wait about an hour before cleaning the area with water again.
  • Let the area dry thoroughly.
  • Ventilate the bathroom to help remove fumes and to help the drying process. Use a fan or heater to speed up the process if required.

Safety Warning

Never mix any other cleaning ingredients with bleach, as it could create a toxic gas. Therefore, wash your mouldy ceiling with bleach first, then apply the white vinegar solution separately.

How to prevent mould from forming in bathrooms

Ventilation is the key to preventing mould from forming:

  • Leave shower and bathroom doors and windows open to properly ventilate the bathroom, particularly after hot showers or baths.
  • Wipe down your walls with white vinegar whenever you see mould starting to appear.
  • Consider installing a ceiling fan and ducting to the outside of the bathroom.

Now that you know how to keep bathroom mould from the ceiling and wall areas for good, prevention is the key! Be proactive by wiping down the tiled walls in your bathroom and the floor in your shower with vinegar once a week, especially in showers, and you’ll never have problems with mould again.

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THE HOME DETECTIVE » Homeowner » Mould

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Damp Walls

Damp Walls In Your Home

gutters

I posted on my blog, in November last year, about damp walls that arise as a result of not having gutters on your home to control the flow of rainwater off your roof.

On Saturday, I inspected a four-year-old property that had a one tile overhang on the roof. There were no gutters, but the house had paving surrounding it.

However, the external walls of the house were in a desperate state because of the three most destructive mistakes architects, developers, builders, and homeowners make!

As a result, I’m going to repeat some of the issues mentioned in my blog!

Damp walls caused by the lack of gutters

Gutters collect rainwater runoff from the roof through downpipes. These convey rainwater onto concrete rainwater channels away from the house in a controlled manner. In addition, they also protect the timber roof structure at the eaves of the house. Furthermore, gutters protect the house’s exterior walls, windows, and doors. They also protect the foundation from damp and potential damage.

damp walls

The splashing against the walls was the most serious cause of the penetrating damp on the house walls. Moreover, the crazing cracking (spiderweb-like fine cracking) in the plasterwork was the main indicator of the penetrating damp caused by this splashing up of rainwater. Cracking was not observed higher up on the walls.

Even if your house has a reduced overhang at the eaves, gutters will still provide the required protection against heavy rain.

Insufficient roof overhang at the eaves

Roofs with no gutters and a two-tile overhang (600mm for a metal roof) or less will allow water to fall off the roof close to the walls, windows, doors, and the foundation.

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Mould and Sleep Loss

Health Risks of Mould in the Home: Sleep Loss

sleep loss
Sleep loss can be caused by mould in your house, bedroom and workplace

Do you suffer from sleep loss?

Did you know that one way to identify a mould problem in your home is by watching your water bill? Leaks and damp surfaces are primed for mould growth, especially in areas that are prone to collection surfaces and warmth—think your bathrooms, kitchen and basement.

In addition to leaky pipes, many people don’t realize that mould can form in other disguised areas of your home such as on your mattress. Whether you sleep in a damp room, spill a glass of water that is absorbed into your mattress, or sweat a lot at night, your mattress may be primed for mould growth. Mattresses can include soft, porous materials such as cotton covers or foam comfort layers, any of which can absorb moisture both inside and outside of your mattress.

So, while you may know to check your pipes or understand that your basement, kitchen, and bathrooms are often culprits of leaks and potential areas of mould growth, keep in mind that places such as your bedroom may hide a serious mould problem.

Here are five ways indoor mould causes sleep loss

Sleep Loss

Mould impacts the air quality in your house by releasing glucans which can cause an inflammatory response to your respiratory system. In turn, it affects your ability to breathe effectively by prompting your body to go into a fix-it mode such as an increase in mucus production which builds up and makes it difficult to breathe.

Sleep Apnea

It is estimated that nearly a billion people worldwide are affected by sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a dangerous and potentially deadly problem wherein a person momentarily stops breathing. The result is gasping or snoring as the person’s brain tries to readjust breathing. Sleep apnea and sleep loss are caused by the blockage or narrowing of the airways that is often the result of congestion associated with mould.

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Leaks at Window Sills

Moisture Intrusion at Window Sills

window sills

During many property inspections, I keep coming across moisture problems associated with water leaking into window sills and at windows.

Moisture absorbed into brickwork and plasterwork causes them to expand slightly. When the brickwork and plasterwork dry they contract slightly. The water absorbed by the bricks and plasterwork usually causes a slight vertical crack at the edges of the internal sills. The paint then starts to bubble along the vertical crack. This crack may continue around the length of the window sill before you notice it. What started as a small vertical crack then became a horizontal crack along the bottom of the window sill on the interior face of the wall.

The cracks are usually not significant unless allowed to continue unabated.

Rising Damp

Sometimes the moisture intrusion at sills is mistaken for rising damp! Water leaking in at the window sill may bypass the damp proof course (DPC) built in under the sill as a water-resistant barrier. The moisture may then appear as bubbling paint or crazing cracking of plasterwork, or both, below the window, extending down to floor level.

On external face-brick walls, this may appear as efflorescence (a white powder).

Internally, this may appear as bubbling paint above the skirting or discolouration of the skirting itself.

How do you prevent moisture intrusion into window sills?

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Mould and Moisture

mould

Mould & Moisture

mould and musty smells are caused by moisture
Moisture is required for mound to grow! If it smells musty it is mould. It can adversely affect your health. If you suffer a pre-existing respiratory condition such as asthma, mould can aggravate the condition.

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Ten Things You Should Know about mould and moisture:

Mould can occur in your home and workplace anywhere in South Africa. If a room or cupboard smells musty it means it has!

Potential health effects and symptoms associated with exposure to mould include allergic reactions, asthma, and other respiratory complaints. It is impossible to eliminate all moulds and spores indoors. All moulds can be found on any surface where moisture is present, e.g., wood, paper, carpet, and food. Mould growth is best controlled by controlling moisture.

  • Clean and eliminate sources of moisture.
  • Repair all leaks.
  • Reduce indoor humidity to 30-50% by venting bathrooms, dryers, and other moisture-generating sources to the outside.
  • Increase ventilation by using air-conditioners, dehumidifiers, exhaust fans and open windows whenever cooking, dishwashing, and cleaning.
  • Clean and dry any damp or wet bedding and furnishings within 24 hours.
  • Clean mould off hard surfaces with water and specialised detergents, and dry completely.
  • Replace damp or wet absorbent materials, e.g. mouldy ceiling tiles, carpeting, insulation etc.
  • Reduce condensation on cold surfaces (i.e. metal roofing, under-tile membranes, water piping, exterior walls, roof, or floors) by adding insulation.
  • Prevent condensation on windows in living rooms and bedrooms by keeping the windows slightly open during cold spells and at night in winter. In humid climates keep windows open 24/7.
  • Do not install carpets or other types of flooring that are not water-resistant in areas with frequent condensation or perpetual moisture problems, e.g. bathrooms, kitchens, laundries, sculleries, drinking fountains, or areas that may be exposed to the elements.

What is mould?

It is the common word for any fungus that requires moisture to grow on food or damp surfaces. In addition, it can be any colour but is often black or white.

Some often look like a stain or smudge, and they may smell musty. They can enter the home through windows, vents, and open doorways, heating and air-conditioning systems. Moreover, it can attach itself to clothes, shoes, linen, bags and pets.

You might find mould and moisture in:

  • Leaky roofs, windows or pipes
  • Ceilings
  • Brick walls
  • Wood products
  • Dust
  • Paints
  • Wallpaper
  • Insulation
  • Drywall
  • Carpets
  • Upholstery
  • Mattresses
  • Wall and floor tiles
  • Built-in units and cupboards
  • Shower enclosures

Is mould harmful?

Often reports about the effects of some moulds include the term “toxic”. However, experts say this term can be misleading, since only certain spores produce toxins, and only under certain conditions.

Furthermore, according to researchers, moulds can produce toxins. However, that doesn’t mean they will. Furthermore, it is highly unlikely that you could inhale enough in your home or office to receive a toxic dose.

Although only toxic under exceptional conditions, it can still adversely affect your health. In addition, if you suffer a pre-existing respiratory condition, e.g. asthma, mould can aggravate the condition.

As a result, some people are especially sensitive to some moulds and may display symptoms that include:

  • Eye, nose and throat irritation
  • Coughing and phlegm build-up
  • Wheezing and shortness of breath
  • Symptoms of asthma and any number of allergic reactions
  • Sleep loss

Tackling moulds and moisture at home

It is mostly found indoors in kitchens and bathrooms, where humidity levels are high and moisture is found. However, who should do the cleanup depends on several factors. One is the size of the affected area. If the mouldy area is less than about 1m² you can handle the job yourself. You can simply remove it with over-the-counter products. However, if there has been a lot of water damage, and mould growth covers more than 1m², it is advisable to hire a specialist contractor.

The following measures can help:

  • During humid months, use an air conditioner or a dehumidifier.
  • Ensure there is adequate ventilation, especially in your bathrooms.
  • Before painting, add mould inhibitors to the paint.
  • Use mould-killing products to clean your bathroom and kitchen.
  • Don’t carpet your bathrooms and toilets.
  • Remove or replace wet carpets and upholstery.
  • Fix leaks to prevent moisture from collecting in areas of the house.
mould and musty smells are caused by moisture

If there are musty smells in your cupboards, bedrooms, bathrooms or in your kitchen you have mould in your home! It will only grow in areas where damp and moist conditions exist! I can identify the source of the damp conditions for you. Furthermore, I can perform a Mould Inspection and advise you on the best manner in which to remove the mould.

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THE HOME DETECTIVE » Homeowner » Mould

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