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Mould is a kind of fungus that develops from airborne spores. It can grow anywhere in homes from walls, pipes and ceilings through to carpets, clothing and paper with mildew and black mould the telltale signs. Not only can this impact the air quality in your home, it can have a detrimental effect on health too. The young, the elderly and those with respiratory issues are particularly at risk. We take a look at mould prevention and what you can do to help ensure it doesn’t develop in your home.

Find and eliminate moisture sources

Mould grows wherever there is moisture with any signs of damp a result of condensation and rising or penetrating damp. Initially, you should do an audit of your property to identify any problem areas. You could also check your home’s humidity level with a hygrometer.

Ventilate the bathroom…

Moisture builds up quickly in the bathroom so it’s important it’s sufficiently ventilated. If it’s possible, keep the window ajar and the door open. Moisture can develop in the air but also on the walls too so where possible wipe down the walls to lessen the risk of mildew appearing.

…and the kitchen

Similarly, your kitchen is another room at risk whether you’re boiling the kettle or cooking a meal. Make sure you use your extractor fan if you have one. If you don’t, keep the kitchen door closed to contain the moisture and open a window afterwards. This will help stop condensation settling on the wall and ceiling.

Clean up spillages

It doesn’t take long for mould to develop on wet work surfaces or floors so make sure any spillages are cleaned up swiftly.

Check your appliances

Kitchen appliances like fridges all have drip trays and these need to be checked regularly to ensure they’re not leaking, spilling or collecting mould.

Don’t overfill bedrooms

Bedroom wardrobes can be a breeding ground for black mould as it prevents air from circulating. Likewise, make sure there is space around your bedroom furniture and it’s not leaning up against an external wall.

Dry clothes outside where possible

Drying your clothes on a radiator is another way to create condensation in the home. Of course hanging clothes outside isn’t an option in the winter months so instead keep these aired in a well-ventilated room. Ideally with the window open. If you’re using a tumble dryer, make sure the room is vented correctly so that the moisture is outside your home. Don’t leave wet clothes lying around either as mould can spread quickly.

Check your houseplants

Mould loves house plants and the moist soil provides a great breeding ground. Make sure you keep the soil clean and add an anti-fungal to it that acts as a deterrent.

Keep ground water away from your home

As well as checking the inside of your home, you should also do an audit of the outside. Check there is no ground water collecting around the brickwork of your home.

Clear guttering

Leaking guttering and roofs can be causes of mould too. Have these checked and inspected for damage on a regular basis and keep an eye out for stains inside that can be a sign there is a leak outside.

If you’re looking for a sure fire way to prevent mould, however, damp control specialists Schrijver has a chemical-free damp treatment that’s eco-friendly. The Schrijver System reduces moisture from external, rather than interior, walls and it’s guaranteed for life. All the work is undertaken from outside your property as the system uses natural airflow to reduce moisture levels in the external brickwork. This results in lower humidity levels and continuous protection from damp.

If you’re experiencing damp in your home, it’s a lot more common than you think. Even in buildings that are known to be dry, you might be surprised to know that these walls can hold a serious amount of water in the materials they’re made from. A lot of the time this doesn’t cause any hassle, however, if damp does take hold, it can cause a lot of problems. Both from an aesthetic point of view and also becoming hazardous to your health.

Damp can be easily spotted in your home. There are certainly several signs to look out for. First of all, you may have noticed a musty smell. You might have found wet patches on your walls, ceilings and floors. Or possibly the paint has blistered. Or your walls are bulging. You might see a white substance on your brickwork. And certainly, if you’ve spotted black mould on any surfaces or fabrics like your curtains, this will give you a definite indication that you’ve got damp that needs treating.

So if this is the case in your home, it’s time to tackle the damp and find out exactly where it’s coming from. Here are some possible causes that could be contributing to your problem:

Condensation

You may find that this happens more regularly in autumn, winter and spring. It’s actually caused by poor ventilation and/or a lack of heating. So kitchens, utility rooms or humid bathrooms can be prime examples if there’s nowhere for the humidity to escape from.

Condensation occurs when the moisture produced by cooking, cleaning, breathing and washing can’t be dispersed from the property due to a lack of adequate ventilation. Moisture is retained in the atmosphere until the air temperature cools. And it’s at this point the airborne moisture condenses onto the wall surfaces, which can result in unsightly mould growth in your home.

Traditionally, properties used to be less ‘airtight’ and were difficult to heat. However, draughts would dilute the high humidity so condensation was less likely to happen. Unfortunately, our modern lifestyles have contributed to the problem in lots of ways. Smaller rooms and reduced air leakage of modern homes, plus the fact that many properties remain empty during the daytime and energy saving measures such as reduced ventilation and double-glazing, all combine to provide the perfect environment for condensation to rear its head.

And as warm, moist air from kitchens and bathrooms travels to colder rooms, such as bedrooms, it then forms condensation on cold unventilated surfaces, such as external walls, within wardrobes and behind furniture etc.

Construction moisture

Have you had building work completed in your home recently? Concrete, plaster and mortar can hold a lot of water and take a long time to dry out. And if your builder hasn’t put proper protection in place for when it rains, you may find that water can get in and cause damp.

Leaking pipes and roofs

When it comes to your roof or your pipes, even the smallest leak can create a major problem. And it’s not always at the site of the leak. You might find that it can cause damp problems further away. And don’t forget your gutters too. They can easily become blocked, with pools of water unable to escape. Any entry of water will, at some point, create a problem with moisture which will then cause water damage to your home. Which is why it’s very important to keep your property in a dry and waterproof condition and adequately maintained.

Rain penetration

If you’ve got problems with your brickwork or rendering, it can become a prime target for major damp issues. Any broken or missing pointing, cracked or missing rendering, frostbites to the brickwork etc. will cause a collection of rain water and ultimately you’ll soon be looking at a damp problem.

Rising damp

More than just the name of a TV programme, rising damp can cause real problems in your home. This is where water seeps in from the wet ground. You can easily spot it by the horizontal tidemark that can appear on your wall. This will happen in old properties built without the original damp proof course or in any property where the original damp proof course is failing. However, the old horizontal slate damp proof courses can also break during the property movements – all likely to be caused by passing time, increased traffic and subsidence.

There are other causes of damp that can easily happen in your home from spillages and instances where water simply can’t get away. Don’t let it become an issue in your home. Get in touch with the team here at Schrijver and we can help your home become a damp-free zone. All using our fuss-free and eco-friendly damp control system.

Mould and mildew are types of fungus that appear as a result of high moisture levels. One of the biggest causes is bathroom condensation although mould can be an indication of rising damp too. Extensive rainfall can result in increased humidity or there could be a weakness in external walls or guttering. It’s essential to identify the type of damp so it can be treated quickly and effectively. Children and the elderly are most at risk, particularly those with skin conditions or respiratory issues. It’s important to get rid of any mould if it appears as spores can spread swiftly.

• Use a specialist mould cleaning spray to remove the mould. Follow the instructions for use as per the packaging.
• Clean mould using a disposable cloth. Keep the doors of the room you are cleaning shut as the spores from the mould will become airborne when cleaning.
• Repeat this in all the rooms affected, throwing away the cloth each time or you could spread the mould.
• If there is no re-occurrence, anti-mildew paint can be used on affected walls.
• An electric dehumidifier might help with short-term mould prevention.

To ensure mould does not return to your property, you need to identify the cause. The issue might be the result of condensation, which can be remedied by tackling humidity levels ventilating the property and using an extractor fan in the kitchen whilst cooking. For blocked guttering, leaking pipes behind a wall and rising damp, contact the experts. Damp Control specialists Schrijver has a chemical-free solution that’s also eco-friendly.

• The Schrijver System reduces moisture from external walls
• Guaranteed for life, no harmful chemicals are used – just natural processes.
• All work is undertaken from the outside your property.
• The Schrijver system is more cost effective than traditional damp treatments that require redecorating and replastering.
• The system uses natural airflow to reduce moisture levels in the external brickwork
• Results in lower humidity level and continuous protection

Our industry sometimes comes under attack with attempts to discredit many companies selling and installing damp proofing treatments or products. This is understandable because the problem of structural damp has many causes, some of which can be interrelated. This means that the reasons for damp being evident can be easily misdiagnosed and the wrong method of management recommended.

You may have even heard some say that “true rising damp is a myth”. This statement is often attributed to Stephen Boniface, who was a former chairman of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

However, he clarified this statement later in a post made on the Surveying Property website saying;

“Whilst I have often been quoted as stating ‘rising damp is a myth’ the only time I have ever said that phrase (or similar) is once when delivering a paper at a conference and then using the intake of breath as a cue to then develop the argument further and explore the issue of damp. In other words, I used the phrase provocatively (it usually worked).”

In many situations, it is clear that the signs of damp such as rotting skirting boards, stained walls, blistering paper or paintwork, black mould, rotting floor boards or the unpleasant odour are caused by moisture finding its way into your walls. If this water is rising from the ground then rising damp is what you have to deal with.

Damp Proofing Methods

The options you have to consider are:

• Replacement of a physical damp proof course
• Land drainage
• Injection of chemical damp proof course
• Damp-proofing rods
• Electrical-osmotic systems
• Natural evaporative system

The first two options are often impractical or impossible, the second two involve the use of harsh chemicals and usually require lots of disruptive and expensive internal re-plastering and decorating work. Electrical systems have little evidence to support them.

Environmentally-friendly damp control

Natural evaporation is the principal of the Frank Schrijver System and offers the most straightforward installation, entirely fitted from the outside of your home, no fuss or mess inside. No wiring, no chemicals, no plastering, environmentally friendly and guaranteed for life. The system simply facilitates and augments natural evaporation leaving your walls dryer, permanently.

See how it works

No ‘snake oil’ or ‘smoke and mirrors’. The Frank Schrijver System uses a natural evaporative process, for more explanation take a look at how our system works. For further reassurance take look at our scientific test to measure results in Proven Research.

The Damp Specialists

The first step is to have your damp problem assessed by a damp specialist. Your Frank Schrijver Damp Specialist will only recommend the system if it is appropriate, we value our reputation and have installed in over 25,000 properties.

Want to find out more about how Frank Schrijver can help you with your damp problems?

Please call us on 01689 800101 and ask to speak to a Damp Specialist.

Check out our 9.64/10 rating on Checkatrade