Mould removal is only one piece of the puzzle. If the problem of excess moisture isn’t solved, then mould will grow back. The only way to permanently prevent the growth of mould is to reduce condensation and ensure your home is adequately ventilated and equally balanced with heat.

Ventilation is important in order to breathe in fresh air to replenish oxygen levels, and to breathe out the stale air in order to evacuate CO2, excess humidity and pollutants in the same process.

Therefore ventilation is a 2-way flow of air (fresh air in, stale air out).

Mould Solutions preferred ventilation option is natural ventilation.

We core drill into the external wall of your property to fit a natural vent hole to the room, these can also be called air vents for houses, air vents in bathrooms, room vent and so on. These cored holes allow for natural room ventilation.

Core drilling is where we use a specialised tool to create a hole into the external wall of your property. We drill from the inside out, leaving little to no mess or dust. We then fit a louvre vent to cover the hole on the inside and same on the outside, an exterior louvre vent cover.

All rooms in your home should have adequate air vents, from the bathroom vent to bedroom vent to living room and kitchen vents.

Permavents fixed into your windows are not always enough to provide adequate ventilation.

Bathroom Ventilation

Bathrooms and the use of showers create lots of steam that needs to escape. Mould Solutions supply and fit wired, timed extractor fans to your bathroom. These units are fit for purpose centrifugal fans aimed at extracting moisture from the air. This also reduces condensation which can build type on windows or other areas in the room. Condensation can lead to damp walls and black mould and that is time to call in Mould Solutions, the damp specialists. Condensation can also lead to a build up of black mould. Mould Solutions ensure ventilation / extractor fans are fitted in the correct position for your room and ducted correctly to the exterior, either via your soffit (fascia board) in the attic or via a vent tile in the roof space, or a cored natural ventilation hole to the exterior wall, all to ensure maximum extraction. Call us for more information on extractor fan installation.

Attic Ventilation

Attics need ventilation also. We don’t often see mould or condensation up there as it is not a space we are in regularly. They are also typically used a storage space so there can be lots of clutter. The space needs to breathe.

A simple solution is to retro fit a Roof Vent Tile or a Roof Slate Tile.

We are often asked how many roof tiles should be fitted. This is a bit like how long is a piece of string. If you have ventilation by other means like soffit or eaves vents and have not condensation or mould problems then you may not require any vents.

However if you have bad condensation, then in a typical 3 bed semi-detached house we recommend 6 to 8 vent tiles.

Principles for choosing the right ventilation

When planning your ventilation strategy you need to aim for achieving the right balance between the following requirements:

• Provide sufficient air renewal to achieve good indoor air quality (IAQ)
• Reduce heat losses associated with the air flow during cold seasons – external cold air typically displaces internal warm air.
• Reduce capital costs (renovation etc) and ongoing maintenance costs
• Keep it simple and easy to operate

Mould Solutions can advise you on the best ventilation options for your property.

Controlling condensation and mould

The main ways of controlling condensation and mould include:

• Ventilation
• Heating
• Insulation
• Removal

Remember to keep the air circulating – open a window!

This airs the property and reduces humidity levels

Heating

When it comes to your heating, always remember this simple tips;

• Aim to keep indoor moisture as low as possible in your property by using dry heaters or dehumidifiers if necessary
• Maintain low constant heat when weather is cold or wet. It is better for your property to keep continuous balanced heating as opposed to short blasts of heat.
• Ensure your bathroom has adequate heating
• Insulate hot and cold surfaces such as water pipes

Condensation and Mould In Houses and Apartments

Apartment buildings in particular are often prone to developing mould due to their concrete design and construction. The concrete structure often dissipates temperature, reducing the dew point and encouraging condensation to develop. Often occupants will find condensation developing on the windows of the property, be it in your house or apartment windows, and this is a a strong indication that ventilation is required because the dwelling is at risk of developing mould. Condensation will also present as damp walls or mould, or streaks of wet lines. Bedrooms create a build up of natural moisture overnight as we breathe in the room and so in the mornings windows can show signs of condensation, you need to open the curtains, or pull back the blinds and open the window to allow the moisture build up from the night to dry out. We recommend ventilating daily by opening windows and internal doors, to create a draft, to allow air to flow and in turn allow excess moisture to egress.