Helpful Hints on Mould around the house w/ Suzanne Commerford.

Just this week I met up with one of the friends I made at Mother’s Group. She’s in the midst of house hunting and told me how they pulled out of buying a home after our building inspection report turned up extensive mould and damp problems in the subfloor of an otherwise lovingly renovated home.  They weren’t prepared to invest in it, despite the renovations, as they have a young son with asthma already.

Mould can exacerbate various lung conditions including asthma and generally results from sustained damp conditions and a lack of ventilation or airflow.

In this case a number of factors combined like the site, environmental factors and the construction of the home itself which meant the only real solution would be to run mechanical, powered fans for ventilation to dry the subfloor out on an ongoing basis.

That’s a pretty severe situation with significant upfront and ongoing costs to rectify it.  Most often basic changes like improving ventilation around the base of the house (uncovering those old grates) and diverting storm water or site water run off to appropriate drainage can help dry out a subfloor and prevent mouldy conditions developing.  Adding additional ventilation points to improve air flow can also assist.

If you are concerned about damp conditions or mould you can check it out yourself by peeking under your own subfloor this weekend. Feel the soil, is it damp?  Is there a stale smell and little air movement.  You may also see mould or fungal growth as well.  Try walking around your home to identify all points of subfloor ventilation and ensure they are uncovered and unobstructed.

If you have questions or would like us to inspect your home fully contact Jim’s Building Inspectors on 131 546.

We also recommend systems like HRV Direct Home Ventilation.

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