Understanding Mould And Health Issues
Visible mould is a result of four things.
Mould Spores
From around 2020, the quantity of mould spores increased significantly and there is now an epidemic in the UK. This was caused by new factors post Covid – lockdowns, working from home and a change of tenant behaviour from a significant increase in the number of tenants from overseas.
Lockdowns and working from home increased the use of houses during the day, resulting in higher levels of moisture content in the air. If houses are allowed to be unoccupied for periods of time then there will be some natural ventilation and the moisture content of the air will reduce, making air saturation and condensation less likely. Using properties constantly puts pressure on their ability to ventilate, and very few properties in the UK are designed for continuous use. These behaviour changes have resulted in an increase in the number of cases of mould, even in properties which have not suffered from mould previously.
Suitable Food Sources
Mould will grow where there is a food source. Mould cannot grow on ceramics, such as glass or tiles, or polymers such as uPVC windows or trims. Their preferred food is silicone sealants, paint, wallpaper, fabrics and tile grout. Most of these materials are now available with a mould-resistant additive.
Removing the food source is an important part of mould prevention. It is difficult to prevent spores entering properties and to remove all clean water.
Clean Water
Mould will only grow in CLEAN water, and the most desirable is CONDENSATION. Condensation is pure distilled water with no impurities or other particles. Also, at the point of condensing from a vapour to a liquid, heat energy is released. Mould can grow in other environments, but dense, highly-populated, mould cultures are invariably found on condensation.
Heat
Mould will only grow in CLEAN water, and the most desirable is CONDENSATION. Condensation is pure distilled water with no impurities or other particles. Also, at the point of condensing from a vapour to a liquid, heat energy is released. Mould can grow in other environments, but dense, highly-populated, mould cultures are invariably found on condensation.
Mould Prevention
To prevent mould, just one of the three ingredients needs to be removed – spores, food, clean water.
1. Remove spores
It would be close to impossible to prevent spores from entering the property as there is an epidemic of mould in the UK, with external air already holding large quantities of spores ready to settle. What can be controlled though is the spread of those spores in a property. As soon as mould becomes visible, it should be cleaned.
2. Deny food
Any location where mould has been noticed therefore has a surface which is a source of food for mould. Once the mould has been cleaned, then the surface which was edible needs to be replaced. This will be by replacing sealants, grout and paint with mould-resistant options.
3. Deny clean water
Clean water from bathing and cooking activity can be wiped down and removed where it is visible. This source of clean water is easy to manage and is only evident around bathrooms and kitchens, mostly the tops of baths and the tops of shower trays. This will only be a problem if the mould can find food which, in this case, can only be silicone sealants and tile grout. All other surfaces which get wet during bathing are not edible by mould. If the source of clean water is a leak, then this clearly needs to be repaired. The most problematic source of clean water is condensation. Condensation is a sign of poor property ventilation design and a full re-design is required based on AIRFLOW CONTROL involving CONTINUAL EXTRACTION, CONTINUAL SUPPLY and free flow paths.
What Next?
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