Damp, condensation and mould are unsightly aspects in a building, but did you know they are only ‘symptoms’ of a problem, and finding the root causes is key to rectifying them
David Bly, director of Cornerstone Management Services Limited, an independent expert surveying company providing damp, mould and ventilation related surveys across the UK for typically Social and Local Authority housing, NHBC, Care Homes and Hospitals, explains their findings and how recognised outcomes have served to provide cost-effective solutions across the industries they serve.
The UK has the most varied housing stock types in the whole of Europe and recognises that our everyday lives also vary from home to home.
These two key aspects can, of course, introduce damp and mould into a myriad of dwellings and align with changing our approach in order to deliver bespoke root cause assessments and effective remediations.
Knowledge on damp, condensation and mould
One key solution is indeed available to all aimed at investigating, reporting and repairing the root causes of damp, condensation and mould-related problems… knowledge!
In the absence of this, there remains a continued annual issue due to a breakdown in detecting root causes, their contribution and indeed their ultimate impact.
For example, did you know…?
- Drying clothes internally introduces 4-5 litres of moisture into the atmosphere, with a key alternative being the bathroom – window open & door closed.
- Mould on contents is indicative of elevated atmospheric conditions and not structural moisture.
- Inadequate ventilation can result in prolonged internal pollutants with VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) released from everyday activities.
Inadequate ventilation can result in prolonged internal pollutants with VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) released from everyday activities.
Cornerstone recognises that damp and mould are separate issues, with the former showing itself as cracking, blistering, spoiling, etc., whereas mould is a symptom of a problem and has more than one contributory measure.
Therefore, the initial data gathering process is key to determining all contributory aspects. For example, mould takes time to develop, such that support conditions must be prevalent for a prolonged period. A key derivative is to define periodic trends that, if left undisturbed, result in visual evidence on surfaces and personal items and can be accomplished in the absence of blame, replaced by guidance.
Therefore, sharing knowledge about all fundamental aspects attributed to damp, condensation and mould in order for early interventions and a proactive action plan is a key consideration.
Cornerstone SMART Knowledge App for Property Health
With experience embraced by a host of clients across many sectors, Cornerstone have developed a unique SMART Knowledge App for Property Health related issues with a key goal to share awareness serving to deliver timely guidance for the problem alongside why & where the problem is plus what can be undertaken in a recognisable timely process.
Alongside an embedded Knowledge Base, those entering the App are met with simplistic step-by-step reasoning, likely causes and effective immediate solutions, resulting in key guidance for removing mould with suitable products, for the long term.
Being able to readily embrace knowledge in a 24/7 manner can uphold the need for a timely intervention of such issues whilst providing SMART guidance for future healthy living, working, learning and personal welfare locations.
By definition, a Healthy Building should be one that does not experience any defects contributing to its comfortable environment, with elements installed to manage the internal atmosphere being operational and ‘adequate’ in their delivery.
However, many aspects are either broken, isolated or simply too noisy to operate, leading to periods of non-use, which is a key initial recognition for a suitable long-term solution.
Cornerstone has witnessed many problems of varying levels of impact and has always sought to investigate which aspects led to its creation to ensure a credible long-term solution, not a ‘sticky-plaster’ repair.
For example, why is mould in one area of the ceiling and not in others? In simple terms, if an area of the structure is not at the same temperature as the remaining areas, when warm, moist internal air comes into contact with the colder surface, at certain times of the day, beads of condensation can occur, being a key nutrient for mould development, aiding spores that will already be in the atmosphere.
However, painting over it or washing it off does not deal with the root causes, and it will likely redevelop within a quicker timeline.
What is ventilation adequacy?
Recognising ‘wet’ rooms are key areas of moisture production, in the absence of ventilation adequacy, the vapour pressure differential will and does result in warm, moist air circulating in a building, leading to visual ‘secondary’ issues elsewhere in the dwelling.
There are a number of key elements necessary to ensure ventilation adequacy, and the Property Health App serves to assist in determining this process with defined algorithmic detailing linked to a recognised outcome for SMART cost-effective outcomes in line with understanding their operational necessities.
As a company that provides advice for landlords, tenants, homeowners, and all building occupants in a language that supports their understanding, we encourage the delivery of queries that will be answered in a recognisable format for immediate attention.
Specialist services available:
CPD Damp & Mould Training
CPD Ventilation Training
Expert Independent Damp & Mould Surveys
Expert Independent Ventilation Adequacy Surveys
*Please note that this is a commercial profile.
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