These winter months are long…
By Rebecca Jenkins
As we head into this chilly season, it’s hard not to feel the cold creeping in! While we’re all eager for Spring to arrive, those cold snaps just keep rolling in.
As a Building Surveyor there is one property ailment that is so common at this time of the year… the dreaded black mould! If you’ve never had to deal with it then that is wonderful for you but many households struggle with this over many months every year.
What is black mould? Why does it appear?
In short, it’s fungal growth which has occurred due to high levels of moisture being present and unable to escape. This moisture may be present for many reasons; steam from cooking/showering/kettles, a leak, too many people living in a small space and/or inadequate ventilation.
When this moisture can’t escape it condenses on cold surfaces. The combination of warmth and moisture give the perfect opportunity for fungal growth. Common places to find black mould are: behind furniture, corners of room, ceilings and on seals around windows.
What can you do about it
You may have heard it said that if you’ve got mould you just need to ventilate more. This isn’t strictly true as the true aim should be to balance your heating and ventilation so they work together to create a comfortable and healthy home. Here are some quick tips that will help you to manage mould in your home:
- Ventilate! Keep windows open a crack for long periods of time, 24hours if possible; use trickle vents if possible! Additionally, extractor fans with a ‘run off’ timer fitted in bathrooms and kitchens will help to remove large volumes of moisture and stop it from moving to other areas of your home.
- Heat your home! We are all aware of our rising heating bills. Central heating systems are the best for consistent heating and the balance is harder to achieve with other methods such as convectors or night storage heaters. The aim is to keep the walls of the property warm to reduce the areas in which vapour will condense.
Insulate! It’s hard to keep a home properly warm without adequate insulation. If you’re a tenant, this is likely a Landlord responsibility so check it out! - Clean! Use a specialist mould cleaner. Don’t use soap and water and don’t leave the area damp. The aim is to kill the mould spores to prevent spread and reduce the moisture levels!
If you’re struggling with mould it can be really frustrating (and expensive) to keep battling it year after year. Contact us to find out about the solutions we can recommend in a timely and affordable manner. Feel free to get in touch for some advice or a chat and let’s see if we can help!
