We Combat Mould
Do you have Condensation? Is your home damp? Damp can cause Mould on walls and furniture and make window frames rot. Damp cold housing encourages the growth of mould and mites, as mites feed on moulds and can increase the risk of respiratory illnesses in some people.
Condensation
Condensation is by far the most common cause of dampness in buildings, probably accounting for the majority of damp problems reported. It affects both old and new buildings, but it appears to be a significant problem where the building has been modernised.
Condensation is directly associated with mould growth. It is this that the occupier sees first, and it gives an indication of the potential scale of the problem. The mould is usually found on decorative surfaces, especially wallpapers, where it can cause severe and permanent spoiling. In many cases, the mould and its spores ('seeds') give rise to complaints about health, and cause the "musty" odour frequently associated with a damp house.
The obvious places for condensation to occur are on cold walls, wiondows, and floors, but it can also occur in roof spaces and in sub-floor areas where there is a timber suspended floor; in the latter case, it can lead to dry rot or wet rot developing in floor timbers.
Condensation is not the only cause of damp. It can also come from:
- Leaking pipes, wastes or overflows.
- Rain seeping through the roof where a tile or slate is missing, spilling from a blocked gutter, penetrating around window frames, or leaking through a cracked pipe.
- Rising damp due to a defective damp-course or because there is no damp-course.
- These causes of damp often leave a 'tidemark' and you should have the necessa ry repairs carried out to remove the source of damp.
If you do not think the damp comes from any of these causes, it is probably condensation.
If your home is damp for any of these reasons it may take weeks of heating and ventilating to dry out.
If your home is newly built it may be damp because the water used during its construction (e.g. in plaster) is still drying out.