Mould on Walls - How To Stop Mould & Condensation

Mould on Walls - How To Stop Mould & Condensation

Many houses suffer with condensation and mould. Damp houses provide ideal conditions for mould to grow, particularly if there's a lot of surface condensation. The air is full of mould spores but for mould to germinate, it needs nutrients, oxygen, a suitable atmosphere and moisture. There are plenty of sources of nutrition in buildings, and the indoor environment provides a suitable temperature for growth. With oxygen freely available, curtailing mould growth is primarily about controlling moisture levels, once existing mould has been removed (using a simple bleach solution). Mould does not need water – moisture alone is enough, if the relative humidity of a surface rises above 80 percent (whereas 100% relative humidity is required for surface condensation to occur).

However, if you get rid of the moisture, the mould will be unable to grow. As such, ventilation is key in the fight against mould. A simple and cost effective way to ventilate is to use the RUK passive air vent. This unit has a vapour permeable membrane that allows vapour out the building without letting draughts come inside. For problem rooms you may find you need an extra boost and in this case the Kair single room heat recovery ventilator is the best solution. This ventilator with its humidity sensor provides a continuous air change, replacing stale moisture laden unhealthy air with fresh filtered warmed air from outside the dwelling, thus controlling the humidity. When the humidity is controlled then condensation and mould is also controlled.

If mould has already taken hold of your home, clean it thoroughly. Pay particular attention to areas without much air flow, behind kitchen units, cupboards and other furniture. Remove any mouldy items, being particularly careful about checking any porous items that may have absorbed moisture such as curtains, carpeting (and underlay), wood, textiles, leather, clothing, insulation plaster, ceiling tiles, furniture and furnishings. Items in unheated cupboards or wardrobes placed against external walls are particularly vulnerable. Anything porous affected by mould should be put in plastic bags and disposed of. Non-porous materials can be cleaned thoroughly and returned to the area once the rest of the mould has been cleaned up.

Use a mop, sponge or wet/dry vacuum cleaner to remove any excess water after cleaning, then rinse the surface before spraying with bleach. Allow this to dry on the surface. Give the area plenty of time to dry out before returning (cleaned) furniture to the room. If you are at the stage of re-decorating following your clean up, we would recommend using our anti-mould emulsion.

For further advice, please call 01509 216323 or use our contact form to get in touch.