Why is damp, condensation and mould still an issue and how do I know if my building is healthy?
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 cause is key to rectifying them?
David Bly, director of Cornerstone Management Services, an independent expert surveying company providing damp- and mould-related surveys across the UK for typically social and local authority housing, NHBC, care homes and hospitals, explains their findings and how their reported transparent outcomes have served to provide cost-effective solutions across the industries they serve.
“To date, of circa 6,000 surveys undertaken, 92% were healthy buildings, ie the structure was dry and not displaying any clear defects. Aligned with the reported complaint, our detailed fact-based findings suggested a ventilation adequacy problem,” he says.
Image courtesy of Cornerstone Services Management
“Therefore, there is a greater emphasis on determining how everyday atmospheric moisture generation is managed in order to achieve ventilation adequacy. While we are transparent in determining what root causes may be, our clear understanding serves to provide key knowledge in a recognisable format that removes blame and replaces it with ‘did you know?’ .”
Because although how we live our everyday lives may vary from home to home, many activities, while they may generate significant internal atmospheric moisture, can become less frequent and less of an inconvenience when supported with guidance and knowledge in a recognisable format. Evidence has shown this approach has demonstrated occupant interaction.
Drying clothes internally introduces four to five litres of moisture into the atmosphere.
An option is using the bathroom with the window open and door closed.
Mould on contents is indicative of elevated atmospheric conditions and not structural moisture.
Inadequate ventilation can result in prolonged internal pollutants with VOCs (volatile organic compounds) released from everyday activities.
Image courtesy of Cornerstone Services Management
So, how do we assess, interpret and manage damp, condensation and mould problems?
In general, these issues take time to develop. For example, mould can take a number of days to germinate, with penetrating damp also taking time for it to absorb into the structure. Therefore, in many cases, the problems are driven in the main by periodic trends that, if left unnoticed, can result in visual evidence on surfaces and personal items.
There is, therefore, a desire to share more knowledge about the fundamental aspects attributed to damp, condensation and mould in order for early interventions and a proactive action plan. But what is the start point?
Cornerstone offers a variety of safety solutions
Cornerstone recognises the introduction of IoT electronic sensor devices can provide the sought-after early warnings. However, recognising the cause of an alert is key to determining a viable solution and what was the property condition prior to their install?
With experience embraced by a host of clients across many sectors, Cornerstone has developed a unique SMART Knowledge App for property health-related issues that serves to deliver timely guidance for the problem, why and where it is, and 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 by providing key guidance for removing mould with suitable products, for example.
Being able to readily embrace knowledge in a 24/7 manner can uphold the need for a timely intervention of such issues while providing SMART Knowledge for future healthy living, working, learning and personal welfare locations.
Image courtesy of Cornerstone Services Management
By definition, a healthy building should be one that does not experience any defects that could contribute to its comfortable environment with elements installed to manage the internal atmosphere operational and adequate in their delivery.
It is recognised certain aspects are either broken, isolated or simply too noisy to operate leading to periods of non-use that, alongside ‘normal’ contributory factors, including everyday breathing, cooking, bathing, washing etc, can lead to noticeable issues that are not readily understandable.
Cornerstone has witnessed many problems of varying levels of impact and it has always been its goal to investigate what aspects led to its creation for a credible long-term solution and not a ‘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, it can act like a magnet for warm, moist internal air whereby when it comes into contact with the colder surface, at certain times of the day condensation can occur and is a nutrient for mould spores that will be in the atmosphere. Hence, mould in one location can readily release spores to travel through a building.
Enquire now to try it!
Image provided courtesy of Cornerstone Management Services
As a company that provides advice for landlords, tenants and homeowners, alongside 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:
Property MOT®
Ventilation MOT®
CPD damp & mould training
CPD ventilation training
*Please note that this is a commercial profile.
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