The damp inspection report from Maystone
Many of us in the UK have condensation problems in our homes. It’s one of the most common issues reported to landlords. Caused by excessive humidity trapped inside your home and resulting in unsightly black mould, condensation is all too often mis-diagnosed as other issues such as damp course failure or structural problems. What is certain is that it is unsightly and damages plaster, wallpaper and furniture.
The tenant in the property we visited in Heaton Mersey, Stockport had been struggling with black mould spreading throughout the building. It had been decorated, but the damage kept recurring even after the building had been redecorated. Air bricks had incorrectly been advised and installed to manage the moisture levels within the home, but they inevitably made the problem worse. It meant that we had to go back to the basics and see if there were any other underlying problems which were adding to the damp symptoms.
Why does the black mould keep returning?
The most common of the damp related jobs we receive is condensation, which usually results in black mould. Moisture in the air in our homes is something which is a byproduct of our lives; we have indoor bathrooms, cook indoors, we even dry our washing in our homes sometimes too. This means we constantly add to the moisture in our homes, the gas reverts back to water and settles on the cold surface, this is the process of condensation. This creates an ideal environment for black mould to grow and damage plaster, wallpaper and soft furnishings. No one wants that.
What’s the situation with damp in the building?
As always, we inspected the property to see if there was anything that could be causing a problem, in these instances we usually inspect the roof and outside first, in this case both were sound, they didn’t indicate any damp risks and the brick pointing outside was passable. Inside the house we found a recently decorated interior in which we could see mould growing back. Air bricks were installed and there was no central heating or enough mechanical ventilation in either the kitchen or the bathroom – two of the usual moisture problem areas in houses.
The building, being an older property, we expected it to be lacking in insulation which was confirmed. Insulation in a building is important not just to reduce the escape of heat from living areas, but to maintain the temperature on surfaces too. When moisture condenses on to cold surfaces, it creates a perfect environment for mould to grow. Keeping a home warm and ventilated ensures that you remove two of the causes of black mould in a house.
Recommendations
There are a few things that can be done to help to remedy condensation and black mould in a building and it doesn’t have to be an inevitable part of life. With some work, removing the moisture and creating decent ventilation can bring air quality back to a level where mould growth can be inhibited. In this case we recommended the installation of baffled passive air vents in place of the current air bricks which would never have helped manage the moisture levels. In fact, the air bricks made the condensation problem worse by cooling the air and surfaces rapidly which results in condensation. These baffled types of air vents work by making use of the buoyancy of warm air – it rises, and air currents encourage it to disperse through the vents. The design of the ones we suggested also slows the access of cold air too which helps to slow any cooling in the building.
Targeting the parts of the building where moisture is at its highest is important. We recommended the installation of constantly running mechanical ventilation in the bathroom and kitchen. This means that any damp air being generated by cooking and bathing can be managed at source and reduce the overall levels of dampness in the building.
Finally, dealing with the decoration. To ensure that the mould spores don’t regrow in the apartment, the wallpaper and plaster work needed to be removed or treated with mould killer. Insulated plasterboard was recommended for the ceilings and plaster skimming. Warm wall paint can be used on surfaces usually affected by condensation – these work by reflecting heat and can take almost twice as long to cool down. The benefit of this is that it inhibits the production of condensation because the surface isn’t cold.
Managing the production of moisture in a building and its means of escape means that mould doesn’t need to be an eyesore or problem.