Effects of Damp on Property Structures

In my last article Damp Dangers I talked about the effects of damp environments on people's health. Here I want to switch the focus to the building structure itself. When buildings suffer damp, either by way of rainwater penetration or through rising damp from the ground, the materials the structure is comprised of may become compromised. This damage may show itself both externally and internally. In the very worst of cases it could cause the property to become unstable and therefore dangerous to live in.

 

External damp damage

As most damp problems originate from outside the building, damage to external walls tends to become evident before any effects are detected internally. Usually, damp penetrates through defective brickwork, pointing and stonework. If brick faces are decayed because of long-term exposure to the elements, they will allow moisture to enter the brickwork and take up residency in the property's structure. As well as the obvious entry points for moisture in the walls -- i.e. cracked or broken bricks / stones / render -- look out too for rebated mortar joints; blown, cracked and shelled brick faces, and algae attaching itself to the surface of brickwork. These are all sure-fire signs that moisture is entering the property structure.

 

Once inside the walls moisture begins to eat away at the integrity of the structure. Freeze-thaw of moisture in the wintertime is a particular problem as water expands in volume when frozen. Repeated freeze-thaw systematically destroys external walls, widening the gaps in which moisture can enter the building, so helping the damp to drive inwards to internal walls.

 

Internal damp problems

The first sign of damp trouble inside a property is normally found on the inside of westerly and southerly facing external walls - in our parts of the world, which is in the Northern hemisphere. Rainwater driven in from outside penetrates to the inner wall, often breaking down plaster into cracks and flakes and allowing mould to develop on the internal wall surface. When this happens you know you've got a problem!

 

High humidity coupled with poor ventilation promotes mould growth in damp areas of a property. In the winter, when the room temperature is high, particularly in smaller rooms or spaces that do not have windows to allow fresh air flow, mould takes hold quickly, discolouring and damaging the surface on which it grows. Remember: fungus likes damp, dark places where it can grow safely, as exposure to air for long periods it cannot dry out easily.

Independent of penetrating damp, but just as much of an issue is condensation, which again thrives in poorly ventilated rooms with moisture sources. WCs are particularly vulnerable here. For example a WC with a double radiator installed and no window is a recipe for disaster. Why? Because the cold water pipe from the mains, which passes through this room, creates a clash: the warm air hits the ice cold pipe, causing the air to condensate. If this happens around the clock, you will see a wet pipe with a puddle on the floor. Eventually the walls near this pipe will start showing signs of mould; plaster starts becoming powdery, paint peels off from the pipes and/or the wall - which turn a green colour - and water seeps through the wall underneath wall tiles.

 

Condensation affects other rooms too. Kitchens are especially vulnerable, as are bedrooms (if not ventilated) and any room in which clothes are hung to dry, particularly if they are hung over radiators to dry. You may notice in these rooms plasterboard becoming 'blown up', and chipboard starting to "rise".

 

Protecting your property from the effects of damp

All buildings must be allowed to breathe. This means ensuring rooms are well ventilated, have low moisture content and do not have moisture 'sealed in' to the walls courtesy of non-breathable surface coverings.

 

So, what action should you take? In the first instance, landlords and homeowners must be proactive in checking external walls for signs of damage. Regular checks and preventative / repair work should be carried out to keep brick faces and mortar free from penetrating moisture.

 

Inside the property, homeowners and tenants must take responsibility for controlling condensation. For example, in small rooms, radiator valves should be turned down and doors left open to keep the air from stagnating. Where possible, open a window or skylight to promote better movement of air around the rooms. You could also consider installing dehumidifiers in some of the worst affected rooms.

 

If the problem occurs in larger spaces, check if there is a window / skylight that has been left open or is not properly sealed. A continual supply of cold air could be interacting with the warm air created from the radiator and together they "stick" to the cold water pipes and surfaces in these rooms.

 

To deal with condensation problems in larger spaces, turn the radiator(s) in the rooms down to a minimum and fit lagging to the pipe. For our purposes, lagging a pipe means to wrap a pipe that conducts hot or cold water. The material is a rigid foam available from your local DIY store. It is tubular in shape and is scored across its length. The score opens up to a slit, which then allows you to insulate the pipe. This protects the pipe from coming into contact with air at different temperatures and with different moisture content.

Gas Safety for Landlords and Homeowners

Millions of households across Britain rely on natural gas for heating and cooking. It is a fuel that is often perceived as a cheap alternative to electricity; some even prefer to use it instead of electricity. But for all the convenience it brings, we should remember that gas has a deadly side to it. Not only can it bring about carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of gas appliances not burning their fuel efficiently, but a build up of gas can also cause an explosion due to its high level of flammability. Great care must therefore be taken in installing and maintaining gas appliances, and also in their use.

 

Gas in the home

 

The Health and Safety Executive recommend that domestic gas appliances in the home be checked for their continued safety once every 12 months. Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, only Council of Register Gas Installers (CORGI) engineers are allowed to service and maintain gas appliances. In fact it is now illegal for an unqualified person to interfere with the gas supply into a property, or work on or install a gas appliance. Anyone installing a gas cooker for example must be CORGI-Registered. Homeowners with knowledge of gas appliance installations could disconnect and/or reconnect bayonet fittings if they wanted to - for the latest rules governing this please refer to the 1998 Regulations and updates provided by the Health and Safety Executive. But the law states that a CORGI-Registered engineer MUST be the person who connects the hose / appliance to the gas supply.

 

Gas in rented property

 

Renting out property in the UK requires that landlords adhere to a mass of laws to ensure the safety of their tenants. Among them is the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Under this umbrella of legislation landlords must:

 

• 
  

  Use a CORGI-Registered engineer for installation of new gas appliances, pipe work and flues -- the flues being the pipes and vents that remove burnt gas from appliances and out of the house.

  
  

 

• 
  

  Use a CORGI-Registered engineer for maintenance of gas appliances, pipe work and flues (as above).

  
  

 

• 
  

  Arrange for annual gas safety checks at the rented property every 12 months. Checks are to be performed by a CORGI-Registered engineer. If gas installations are passed as safe the engineer will issue a Gas Safety Certificate. Should repair work be necessary, the landlord MUST (by law) enlist the services of a CORGI-Registered engineer to carry out the repair work.

  
  

 

• 
  

  Keep records of safety checks for a minimum of two years.

  
  

 

• 
  

  Provide a copy of the Gas Safety Certificate to existing tenants in the property within 28 days of issue by the engineer. For new tenants a copy of the current Gas Safety Certificate must be supplied at the beginning of the tenancy.

  
  

 

For landlords the requirements may seem like a lot of red tape, and just a further expense in running a rental property. However, the Regulations are there for a reason -- to save lives.

 

The importance of gas safety checks

In September 2005 52-year old Charles Cook from the Middleton area of Greater Manchester suffered serious burns after a gas explosion at his home in the early hours of the morning. The blast, thought to have been caused by a gas leak, destroyed the property and damaged neighbouring houses. Mr Cook was taken to hospital and spent time in intensive care to recover from the ordeal. Sadly, Mr Cook's experience is repeated all too often in homes around the country where regular safety checks on gas appliances have been absent. In some cases the blasts are fatal resulting in a tragic loss of life from situations that might have been avoided had safety checks been implemented.

 

What to do if you smell gas

 

While gas safety checks are designed to keep you safe long-term, there is still the chance that a gas appliance might malfunction, or that a gas leak develops in the pipe work between annual safety checks. If you smell gas, this is what you need to do:

 

1. 
   

   Call the National Grid's Gas Emergency number immediately. It is a freephone number -- 0800 111 999

   
   


2. 
   

   Open all doors and windows to help gas escape. DO NOT use light switches or handle a naked flame. Both could ignite the gas.

   
   


3. 
   

   Shut off the gas supply. This is done at the meter cupboard by operating the shut-off valve. For your peace of mind and for your safety it is a good idea to locate and practice operating the shut off valve. By doing so you'll have practical experience to call on in the event of a real life gas emergency.

   
   

Information about CORGI

CORGI started life as a voluntary organisation in 1970 following a gas cooker explosion in a block of flats in London that caused part of the building to collapse. Some 4,000 gas operatives joined the scheme initially, and by 1991 it became a statutory requirement for anyone working with gas to gain CORGI registration. Today CORGI has some 110,000 engineers operating in the UK. Their work is regulated in the field by CORGI inspectors, each CORGI engineer being required to prove their competence with gas once every five years.

 

 

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Gearing up for Climate Change

Climate Change - or as it is currently called Global warming - is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation. Simply put, when you hear terms like emissions, pollution, carbon dioxide, greenhouse effect or ozone layer - all of these terms, which you may have recently heard about in the news - form part of the global problem called Climate Change.

In the beginning of December 2007, government representatives from 190 nations met on the Indonesian island of Bali. Their (e)mission was to agree a new climate deal to replace the ageing 1997 Kyoto Protocol (named after the town in Japan that hosted the original symposium) a pact that the United States refused to ratify. The Bali conference was hailed a success. Last minute negotiations brought the United States reluctantly onside with a commitment to participate in the Bali Road Map - a framework deal to establish a new climate treaty by 2009.

The message that came out of Bali was clear: Climate change is real and it is happening right now. What's more, the UK will likely be one of the first nations to suffer the consequences of a warming world. An example of what could happen in England: rivers across the country could alter their flow rate, due to the effects of changes in rainfall, temperature and other causes that are directly linked to atmospheric variations.

Property owners in the firing line
Did you experience the Great Storm of 1987, the worst storm to hit England since the Great Storm of 1703 - or perhaps the Burns Day storm in 1990, when one of the strongest storms on record charged over Northwestern Europe? If you did you'll remember the devastation they caused. Both wrought extensive damage across large tracts of the countryside and inner cities. Roofs were torn clean away from tens of thousands of buildings, hundreds of thousands of trees were uprooted - many of which smashed into homes and destroyed vehicles. These storms were catastrophic events, meteorologists at the time claiming them to be once in 250-year events.

But the climate is changing, at least according to scientists. A mass of scientific evidence collected over the last two decades shows, unequivocally, that our world is warming. In a warmer world more energy will exist in our atmosphere. This is expected to give rise to stronger and more frequent windstorms rolling in off the Atlantic across the UK. Scenes reminiscent of 1987 and 1990 could become commonplace, properties in the UK being subject to a higher incidence of storm force winds.

Conditions are expected to be wetter too. Flash floods of the likes seen in Boscastle and Crackington Haven in Cornwall during August 2004 are projected to become a regular occurrence - and there is no guarantee as to where it will hit next. Combine this with the accelerated ice melt in the Arctic leading to more extreme coastal flooding events and the outlook is rather grim. All in all it's bad news for property owners, many of whom could find themselves faced with higher property repair bills and insurance premiums as climate change tightens its grip. The question is, are you at risk?

Assessing risk to property from climate change
Climate change poses a risk to all of us. However, some property owners are more vulnerable than others. Properties located in the north and west of the UK are likely to endure the worst of the strengthening windstorms. Exposed elevated locations will be most at risk from wind damage. But even in the cities, such as Manchester for example, damage to property from high winds may become more of an issue.

With more intense rainfall forecast to drop from the storms that cross the UK, city dwellers everywhere are going to be at a higher risk of flash floods. The problem is that our concrete cities cannot absorb rainfall in the same way as fields and soil are able to do in the countryside. The only way rain can escape is via storm drains - and these struggle to cope even now. With a higher incidence of intense rainfall events predicted there's only one outcome to expect -- more flash flooding.

For London and coastal locations the news gets worse. Rising sea levels mean that dwellings on tidal rivers and close to the coast are at a greater risk of flooding by the sea - especially in storm surge conditions as we saw last month down the East Coast. Sea flooding is a serious issue for property owners, not least because of the effects of saltwater on the property's structure.

What can you do to fight climate change?
If you think that your property is located in a vulnerable area - i.e. one that could easily be flooded, either by river or sea, or be exposed to high winds - what should you do to protect yourself? Well, short of moving to or reinvesting in a less vulnerable location, your options are rather limited. Your best course of action really is to tackle the root cause of climate change - the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the chief greenhouse gas pollutant responsible for causing global warming. Basically, using Gas or Oil-fired Boilers, Petrol powered vehicles or consuming electricity - all contribute to the Greenhouse effect. By changing our lifestyles and activities to reduce the amount of CO2 that we are personally responsible for releasing, either directly or indirectly, into the atmosphere, the greater our impact will be in the fight to stop climate change.

How can this be done in practice? The answer is to use less electricity, petrol and gas! For example, power stations pump massive amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. By saving energy through better home insulation, switching off lights in rooms that you are not using and changing light bulbs to energy saving ones - or cycling to work once a week - you can save on the amount of CO2 you use.

If we all took up the challenge we could collectively make a very big difference to CO2 output in the UK, and make a real stand against climate change. You will then appreciate and better understand the much uttered term "Carbon Footprint".

A NICEIC Inspection saves lives

It is very easy to take electricity for granted. For many of us, the invisible force that lights our homes, helps us cook our meals and powers our computers and home appliances is only ever noticed when it is not there. A power outage, for example, underlines the true impact that electricity has on our lives. The same could be said of electrical hazards -- it is often not until we hear or read about the dangers of electricity, or experience for ourselves an electric shock, burn or even a fire caused by faulty electrical equipment or wiring, that we become appreciative of just how harmful electricity can be.

Faulty wiring kills

In Britain around 10 people die each year and approximately 750 are injured, some badly so, when they come into contact with faulty wiring in the home. Newspaper archives reveal their stories. Some have suffered severe burns; others have had limbs removed to save their lives - and these are the lucky ones. Baroness Tonge, former MP for Richmond Park in London, lost her daughter, Mary Wherry, when she was electrocuted by a metal plate rack fixed to the wall. The rack was in contact with unsafe wiring in the wall, rendering the rack live. Electricity really does not discriminate.

First Aid

 

Should you be first on the scene to someone who has received an electric shock, great care must be taken in administering first aid. If the injured person is still in contact with the electric current they could be 'live', and could pass that current through to you if you touch them. Your priority then is to make the situation as safe as possible before helping the victim.

 

First, if it is safe to do so, turn off the power at the mains. Next, separate the injured person from the faulty appliance using a non-conductive item, such as a wooden broom handle. This is important as even in situations where the power is off there could be enough residual current in the injured person's body to shock you.

 

Once you are confident that there is no further danger to you, check the victim for life signs and call for an ambulance. If the victim is not breathing, start resuscitation. Should the person be conscious keep them calm and attend to injuries where possible. For burns, look to cool them with water -- NEVER use ointments or oils on the burns. Stay at the scene with the victim until the ambulance crew arrive and explain to them what happened. The ambulance crew will do the rest, whilst you should then start praying for the injured.

 

Preventative measures

 

Electric shocks arising from faulty equipment and wiring are largely preventable. To reduce the risk in your home all you need do is schedule an inspection of your electrical installations by a NICEIC registered electrician. The electrician will inspect all electrical fittings and circuit wiring in your property to ensure it is safe. They will produce a report, known as a "Periodic Inspection Report for an Electrical Installation" or NICEIC Certificate in short, which will detail the results of their findings. If an electrical installation is found to be unsafe the electrician will notify you of the problem and provide you with an estimate to correct the fault.

 

For fault correction (and new electrical work) in your property you are now required by law to use a competent person or firm approved by the government under Part-P of the Buildings Regulations. By opting to use a suitably qualified contractor who is registered with the NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting) you'll comply with these requirements. It'll afford you peace of mind too -- NICEIC registered electricians guarantee that their work meets approved industry standards and they'll provide you with up to a six-year - and in case of new-build, up to a ten year - warranty as well. What more could you ask for?

 

NICEIC inspections are available to homeowners and landlords alike. However, whereas homeowners can decide for themselves whether or not to check their electrical installations, landlords have a duty to ensure the safety of their tenants, and so must carry out periodic checks. This is normally done whenever there is a change of tenant, the reason being that the departing tenant may have altered, installed or damaged electrical installations without notifying the landlord, or even worse, commissioned unqualified workers to carry out those alterations. Periodic NICEIC inspections help landlords comply with the law here, keeping tenants safe from potentially dangerous electrics that might be present in the property.

 

 

 

Dealing with asbestos on your property

The Health & Safety Executive claim it to be the greatest single cause of work deaths in the UK, and according to the British Medical Journal it kills more than 3,000 people in Britain each year. With a billing like this there’s little doubt that asbestos is something not to be trifled with. Since the introduction of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, the government agrees. Employers who handle the substance in any one of its forms are now required by law to hold a special licence that permits them to work with asbestos.

 

The dangers of asbestos are, of course, nothing new. Blue and brown asbestos were banned from use in the UK during 1985. This was followed sometime later by a ban on the use of white asbestos in 1999. The 2006 regulations continue to enforce these bans, and bring a new level of control to the people who work with asbestos in a professional capacity – plumbers, electricians, demolition contractors and asbestos removal firms among them.

 

With the asbestos bans having been firmly in place for several years now, it might seem peculiar to some that new regulations as recent as last year are needed at all. While it could be viewed in some quarters as health and safety ‘gone mad’, the government view it as an apt precaution. The problem is, and has always been to be honest, that many thousands of properties across Britain still have asbestos in them. These are generally properties built between the 1950s and the early 1980s when the building trade used asbestos extensively in materials ranging from concrete and bricks to bath panels and pipe lagging.

 

Why was asbestos used? The answer is in the material’s unique properties. Asbestos you see, when mixed in with a host material, provides that material with greater rigidity and improved fire resistance. Only in the late 1970s did it emerge that asbestos used in this way could be detrimental to our health.

 

Health impacts of asbestos

Buildings with asbestos in them – so long as the asbestos remains undisturbed – are not a health hazard. The problem comes when people have work done to their homes, or turn their hands to a spot of DIY. Disturbing the material can release asbestos dust and fibres into the air, potentially bringing a whole host of health issues home to roost.

Inhaled asbestos fibres for example lodge in the lungs and produce scarring. Known as asbestosis the scarring – a form of fibrosis - causes the lungs to shrink, making it difficult to breathe. Asbestos exposure also brings about pleural thickening of the lung – a condition that restricts the expansion of the lungs during the breathing process. When combined with asbestosis, sufferers find it almost impossible to breathe normally.

 

But, without a doubt, the most serious side effect of asbestos dust and fibre exposure is cancer. There are two forms – mesothelioma and lung cancer.

 

Mesothelioma begins as a malignant tumour in the pleura membrane that surrounds the lung and is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. Once developed the prognosis is not good. Statistics show that around 75% of people who contract the cancer die within a year. Long-term, very few live on.

 

As for lung cancer, the risk of contracting the disease is greatly heightened by prolonged and heavy exposure to asbestos dust. When combined with smoking the risk becomes phenomenally high. However, for smokers who have been heavily exposed to asbestos but then stop smoking, the risk decreases significantly.

 

Asbestos in your home

 

If you discover asbestos in your home the first rule is not to panic. If it remains undisturbed or is covered by a membrane, such as a non-permeable paint, it won’t be a health hazard. The main problem comes if you sand, drill or saw through it as you risk releasing asbestos dust and fibres into the air that could affect your health. Therefore, avoid attempting to remove and dispose of asbestos yourself. It is much safer to bring in a qualified and trained professional rather than run the risk of exposing yourself and your family to a potentially very hazardous substance.

 

Your best course of action then is to first contact your local authority and request an asbestos inspection. The council inspector will be able to identify if asbestos is present and the risk it poses to you. Once identified the council will advise on how to have the asbestos safely removed from your property. You can then make the arrangements with a specialist contractor, leaving you free to get on with your life.

 

 

 

 

 

HMO Fire Safety Laws

In the last article I touched on fire safety in HMOs -- Houses in Multiple Occupation. These are buildings, such as individual houses, flats and maisonettes, where three or more tenants occupy the building, but in two or more household units within the property. So, for example, a house rented to three unrelated students would be an HMO, as would a larger property that has been split into separate living accommodation and rented out to multiple individuals or families. It should be noted however that properties consisting entirely of self-contained flats are, in general, not classed as HMOs provided that the conversion of the house to flats fully complied with the 1991 Building Regulations. If the flat conversions failed to meet these regulations then HMO status applies -- but only in circumstances where more than one-third of the flats are in use by tenants on short term tenancies.

 

For HMO properties certain laws apply to safeguard the welfare of tenants occupying the premises. These include stringent fire safety laws. So, landlords and tenants, it's time to listen up. It matters not whether you are an experienced landlord with HMO properties or a seasoned HMO tenant, this article is for you and for all the landlords and tenants out there who are new to HMOs and the regulations that apply to them. What is contained in this article could save your life and, quite conceivably from the landlord's point of view, spare you from serving a prison sentence!

 

You and the law

On October 1, 2006 new fire safety laws came into force. For HMOs it requires that a fire risk assessment of the building be conducted, and that adequate provisions are made for fire detection, fire fighting and escaping the fire. These elements are outlined below.

 

Fire risk assessment:

Landlords are responsible for conducting regular fire risk assessments in their HMO. The assessments can be performed by the landlord themselves, or by a responsible and competent person operating on behalf of the landlord. No official fire safety certificate is required from the assessment -- it is purely an exercise in identifying and managing risks.

 

Government guidelines suggest that fire risk assessments be approached in five steps…

Step #1 - Identify fire hazards. This requires the assessor to pinpoint sources of ignition, fuel and oxygen - the three components needed for a fire to start.

Step #2 - Identify the people at risk. This includes those living in the accommodation as well as neighbours who may be affected by a fire at the property.

Step #3 - Evaluate, Reduce, Remove and Protect from risk. Evaluate the risk and take action to lower the risk based on your findings.

Step #4 - Record, Plan, Inform, Instruct and Train. Keep a record of your fire assessments and the actions that you take as a result. Put an emergency plan in place so people know what to do in the event of a fire.

Step #5 - Review. Keep your fire assessments under constant review. Plan regular inspections and update your actions and emergency planning to take into account changes in the property and in the fire safety laws.

 

For further details on how to conduct a fire assessment do go and speak to your local council or fire service.

 

Fire detection and warning:

The new fire safety laws require that you deploy adequate fire detection and warning systems in HMOs. In some instances, battery operated smoke detectors won't cut it. You may instead find that you need an automatic detection and warning system hard-wired into the building, and which is operated from a central control panel. If you are in doubt as to which type of detection system best suits your HMO you should consult your local council or fire safety officer.

 

Fire fighting equipment:

If a fire is detected HMO tenants need adequate equipment available to tackle the blaze. Serviced and operational portable fire extinguishers must be located on each floor of the property, and in sufficient number. Hose reels and sprinkler systems may also be considered in larger HMO premises, as should access to the building and its floors by the fire brigade. Other installations needed for good fire control are self-closing fireproof doors that can withstand up to 30 minutes of heat.

 

Fire escapes:

The landlord is responsible for the provision of internal and/or external fire escape routes in the HMO. This could be one or more set of external stairs, internal stairs, corridors or walkways. All escape routes identified as such will need to be fireproofed. The landlord is also responsible for providing adequate signage on where the escape routes and fire exits are located, and how they are to be reached in the event of a fire.

 

For HMO tenants

If you are a tenant residing in an HMO you should make it your responsibility to ensure that your landlord complies with current fire safety laws. If you think that your landlord is not fulfilling their obligations you should first speak, or better write, to your landlord to inform him/her of your concerns. Ask for a response and for a commitment to addressing the issues raised. If no positive action is forthcoming do contact your local council or fire service. They will inspect the property, and in circumstances where
there is non-compliance with fire safety laws, they can take steps to remedy the situation. In some circumstances the council may bring prosecution proceedings against the landlord.

Safety Tips for tenants

• Leave a door key accessible at a low level - where smoke will not initially reach - or in the front door, and make sure all occupants are aware of its location. This will make it easier to escape the building in the event of a fire.

• Where old sash windows were replaced with double glazing and only the top part can be opened it is a good idea to leave a hammer close by so that the glazing can be broken and an escape made.

Fire Office Contacts

London: The London Fire Brigade is run by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA). Each London borough and the City of London has its own fire safety centre. To contact your local centre telephone LFEPA on 020 7587 2000.

Manchester: The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service covers Bury, Manchester, Salford and Stockport. For details of your local fire safety office you can contact the main switchboard on 0161 736 5866.

 

Most importantly, be sure to have your Mezuzos checked at least twice in seven years, after all it's your safety which is at stake.

 

Damp Dangers

Mould around windowsills, which is sometimes caused by condensation, and on walls and ceilings is a familiar sight to homeowners up and down the country. Like a virus this black-grey and green mass seems to spread into our rooms, resisting our increasingly desperate attempts to shift it with the latest cleaning products that promise much but deliver little. Without a doubt, it is an eyesore - and an embarrassment when you've invited guests around to stay. But did you know that mould is also a hazard to your health and to the health of those who you invite into your home?

 

Mould health hazards

 

Indoor moulds are fungi that develop in damp / moist areas of the home. When conditions are right for mould growth (but wrong for us) the mould releases high levels of spores into the air in its efforts to reproduce. These spores, which are invisible to the eye and are often odourless, can cause respiratory illnesses in people who are exposed to them.

 

Most at risk are allergy sufferers. When mould spores are breathed in they irritate and inflame the airways. Allergic rhinitis, bronchitis and sneezing are common ailments that result from exposure. Children with soft lung "linings" and asthma sufferers too may find their breathing compromised by mould spores - a situation that could bring about a sudden asthma attack.

 

But being an effective allergen is not the only way mould can affect our health. When the environment is right, some types of mould, such as stachybotrys - a common indoor mould that thrives in damp spots and takes on a black slimy appearance - excrete gaseous compounds as part of their life cycle. Known as mycotoxins these odourless releases are poisonous and will cause harm, especially to people living with them 24/7. If the level of mycotoxins goes unchecked long-term exposure could end up being lethal.

 

Tell-tale signs

Recognising the signs of mould growth is the first step on the road to solving your mould problem. Around windowsills look out for the appearance of dark spots and patches growing in, on or under the sealant around the frame. Look too for furry mould growth on seals that edge the window glass. Peeling paint on walls and ceilings is a sure sign of damp - the precursor to mould growth. If your wallpaper becomes discoloured and begins to peel check that too for dampness. Detecting damp conditions that aid mould growth on floors can be difficult if your floors are carpeted. Look carefully at the condition of the carpet and check for moss, lichen and algae growths. For wooden floors the same applies. Woodworm damage too is a sign that you could have a damp problem.

Solving the problem

 

If you have a mould problem in your home you'll need to urgently identify the source of the mould. For mould to grow it needs a water source. This could be something as simple as water running down brickwork from a leaking gutter, or it could be something more serious such as rising damp. For leaks emanating from your roof consider enlisting the services of a roofing specialist. They can help you track down even the smallest of breaches in your roof that could be letting rainwater seep in. If the problem is on the ground level you may want to bring in a specialist damp coursing company to evaluate if there is an issue with your damp proofing. Should they identify this as the root of your problem they will use injection equipment to put in place a new damp proof barrier under your home. Reputable companies will provide a long-term guarantee for their work.

Whatever the cause, once you've identified it, you can take steps to remedy the situation, cutting off the mould's moisture supply.

 

Next, remove the mould growth that you have in your home. Use a fungicidal wash to do this. The most reliable washes are those that carry Health & Safety Executive approval. Follow the product's instructions and then redecorate the areas affected with a fungicidal paint or polystyrene-backed wallpaper to prevent mould reappearing.

 

Finally, take steps to better ventilate your property. Condensation, even though you may find it not to be the primary cause of your mould problem, certainly does not help your situation. If condensation is bad it could reawaken mould growth in those problem areas or it could introduce mould to new areas of your living space.

 

Dehumidifiers are an excellent way of controlling indoor moisture. They are frequently used as a way to reduce incidences of condensation. You should also think about your property's insulation. The less the air temperature in your home swings around, the better protected you'll be from any recurrence of a mouldy nightmare!