What is mould?
Mould will grow and reproduce in damp, unventilated areas around your house. Mould is a type of fungi. Mould, which is a part of natural environment, are not able to grow without having water or moisture. You can see that the common colours of mould are grey, black, white and green.
Where can you find mould?
Mould can grow anywhere in the house such as spoiled food, clothing, carpets or walls and above ceiling tiles.
Conditions for mould to grow:
- Mould spores
- A food source (e.g. wood, drywall, cotton)
- Darkness is a good environment for mould to grow
- Warmth (mould can't grow in freezing temperatures)
- Humidity causes mould
- Enough time (most moulds can begin to grow in 24-48 hours if the conditions are right)
What causes mould in houses
One of the most common causes of mould growth is the water leaks from pipes. Normally, water leaking is one of the reasons causing mould. The worst case is that you cannot detect the water leaking because it leaks inside the walls. By the time you discover these leaks mould has usually started to grow already.
Poor ventilation is also a reason causing mould. Steam and water evaporating into the air creates humidity inside which then needs to be circulated outdoors through windows to keep the moisture level balanced. Poor ventilation also means wet surfaces dry out more slowly. Ventilation is especially important in rooms such as the bathroom and the kitchen where there is a lot of steam.
Last but not least, If you leave clothes wet for a long period of time in your house mould can grow on them as well as on other surfaces due to the moisture wet clothes release into your home.
Impacts caused by mould
The exterior surface of houses and buildings can be damaged by mould because of discolouration. When mould grows under the floor, strong musty odours can find their way inside the home . In addition, mould can affect the interior of your home in hidden areas. For example, mould can appear on the back of wallpaper, inside closed cabinets, near exterior doors, on window surfaces and on ceilings. Mould will continue growing until it is treated and eliminated correctly.
More importantly, mould can cause serious issues to the health of people living in the house such as asthma, eye irritation and skin problems. It can have a severe impact on the elderly, pregnant women and infants .
Some symptoms from mould are respiratory mould problems (shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing), eye irritation, nose or throat irritation, skin irritation.
Therefore, it is very important that you take adequate steps for mould removal and mould prevention to avoid these problems.
How to prevent mould
In the term of mould prevention,you can not completely eliminate all mould in your home. However, there are many ways to help control mould problems growing in your home.
Here are some solutions:
- Identify problem areas in your home and fix them, such as water leaks, keeping the furniture clean, drying wet areas immediately.
- Prevent moisture with proper ventilation .
- Keep indoor humidity low (ideally between 30% to 50%). Also clothing can be hung on placed outside to get fresh air and direct exposure to sunlight can eliminate mould and mildew.
- Dryers, washing machines should be vented to the outdoors as they produce moisture.
- You can also use some natural recipes such as tea tree oil, grapefruit seed and vinegar to kill mould if it occurs.
Doctor Damp: Mould cleaning and removal service
One of the most effective ways to control, limit and prevent mould growth is by managing moisture levels with good ventilation practices . The growth of mould and condensation will be reduce if the moist air is replaced relatively by dry air.
With more than a decade working in this field, Doctor Damp can identify and effectively eliminate and prevent any mould problems in your home. The first step is providing a professional to inspect the situation of mould in your house; then recommend a treatment solution at a reasonable price. Finally, they will treat the mould problems effectively making sure the mould will not grow in the future.
Doctor Damp information:
Doctor Damp
Suite 1A Level 2, 802 Pacific Highway Gordon NSW 2082 Australia
Phone: 1300 557 687
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