Do You Have Mould or Can Your Remove Mould?
After all of the wet weather and serious flooding in Queensland, there have been a large number of enquiries regarding mould. Mould is a serious issue after any disaster, especially after water damage. If not acted on quickly it can lead to health problems. The following factors have their hand in creating mould:
- Starter Spore Colony
- Nutrient Source
- Moisture
- Humidity greater than 45%
- Temperature of 20 - 30 degrees Celsius
- Bad Light
- Time
We recently did an inspection where a two story house with four bedrooms had been majorly affected by mould. The owners of the house had to vacate their premises due to the high health risk for the family. Mould was present on 100 square metres of the carpet and this was not restorable. It was removed by one of our professional staff members immediately.
Mould was present on the walls, ceiling and also on personal items. A builder had also attended the property to remove all the walls as we needed to check if mould was present on the frame work. The cause of mould was building related - the lack of maintenance on the property. Leaking pipes in the frame work, blocked gutters causing water to seep through structure and a general lack of air flow throughout the property.
If you find you have any mould growing throughout your property the first question you need to ask yourself is, "What is the source of the mould?" Also, "What is feeding the mould?" A professional can easily come and clean the mould but what is the point when the source of the problem hasn't been found and rectified?
When trying to work out what the source is, look at your surroundings. Do you have a lot of vegetation surrounding your property and thus very minimal sunlight? How much air flow do you have through the house? How often do you leave windows and doors open? Do you have whirly birds? Do you have a lot of condensation build up on the windows? (This causes mould to grow on your curtains) When was the last time you checked your roof for leaks?
Surface growth on hard surfaces can normally be restored with cleaning, however swab tests must be taken prior to work commencing. All items need to be HEPA vacuumed, hot washed, sprayed with an anti-microbial solution and then swab tested on completion to ensure no spores remain.
UV light is very useful in naturally killing certain contaminants within the air, therefore the removal of some trees around the perimeter around the home would allow further sunlight into the home. As fungal organisms require a food source and moisture to live, it is essential there is air exchange in the home to assist with preventing such growth as evident above.
If you have concerns about mould in your home or property, call a professional before it affects your family's health.
