Getting rid of mould and damp isn’t an easy task and it is one that is on the increase with the desires to seal up our homes to prevent energy loss and saving money. What we are doing is creating environments suitable for mould and damp to grow and develop, they love these warm and humid environments! We are creating and adding to our own problems with the constant need to save money by reducing energy loss. Often the answer is as simple as installing some form of ventilation to allow the air to flow around your home, reducing the chances of mould and damp to develop.
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How To Get Rid Of Mould Damp
You must identify the source of the damp and the mould, this is crucial as it will depend on how you treat the problem. Some moulds are dangerous to your health and knowing what mould is present, is going to determine the course of treatment that you need to take.
If there is a problem with the structure of your home you are going to need to get professional help to sort out the source of the problem, then you need to address the issue of the actual mould.
Some problems that can cause mould and damp in the home are:
- Broken tile on the roof or a hole in the roof structure
- Damaged drain pipe
- Structural damage to the walls
- Poor ventilation
Tackling The Mould
If you rent the property it is a good idea to talk to your landlord to assess the problem and to see if they need to address any building maintenance.
Be careful when cleaning mould, the spores are very tiny and it is easy to spread the problem rather than cleaning the mould away. There are some recommendations as to what to do with the cleaning cloths, with some recommendations of throwing them away once you have tackled the mould.
It depends on the cloths I am using, I have just soaked them in a bucket of strong bleach and then hand washed them, drying them outside in the sun, killing off any potential remaining spores.
How to clean the mould is important, as to what you use to remove it from its home. Some cleaners, unfortunately, don’t actually kill the mould and it will just return.
I wrote an article on Tackling Mould On Window Sills, and in this article, I pointed out the cleaning options you can use to get the best results. Tea tree oil is the best cleaning product, it kills the mould, including the roots, where other products just wipe away the surface mould and leave the roots behind and able to regrow.
There are some paints that you can purchase that should prevent the mould from re-growing. I have used these before and they do work well, just remember to follow the instructions on the paint to give the best chance of success.
Preventing Mould And Damp Regrowth
You need to address the situation, work out why you have mould growth, if you have the mould in an area of your home that isn’t due to damage or from water getting entry into your home, then you need to work out what is causing the problem.
If you have mould on your window sills, this tends to form because of poor circulation in your home. There are so many recommendations for sealing up our homes that we forget that we need an air flow around our home to prevent mould.
One solution is to open windows regularly, this helps to allow an air flow around your home. You can also have vents in the frames of windows and this allows some air flow and reduces the mould on the window sill.
There are other solutions, we have an extractor fan on our wall in the kitchen, this pulls the warm air outside and allows outside air back inside. This has made a fantastic difference in the condensation which we would get in the back of our home.
It is important that if you want to prevent mould and damp developing from damage, then you must make sure that you do regular checks of your home looking for any potential problems which you need to address.
Ideally, you should check out your home as each season changes; this takes into account the different seasons and the potential for weather changes that can affect the repairing of items when the weather is less favourable.
Why Tackle Mould In Your Home
Mould is not healthy to have in your home, it can cause health problems for your family, including asthma and other breathing problems.
Keeping any form of mould and damp away from your family is the best option, if you rent your property you must take this situation up with the landlord, it isn’t good to live in a property that is growing mould.
If you own the home it is still imperative that you take action to eradicate the mould.
Therefore, mould and damp aren’t easy to deal with once you notice it growing, but there are ways that you can take action to prevent mould growth in the future. Don’t let mould go untreated as this will have a negative impact on your health and the health of your family.