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Mould Is A Major Problem In Many Homes In British Columbia

April 14, 2011 By

The damp climate in British Columbia is ideal for mould growth. It is recommended that homeowners or property managers regularly check their buildings for mould growth or water damage in order to correct the problem before it gets out of hand. For people looking for homes to rent or buy, it’s important that you check for signs of mould before moving into a place and take every step possible to prevent mould in your home. Some of the activities that may lead to mould growth include cooking, washing clothes or showering without venting out the moisture. As for tenants, finding mould may not be reason enough to break a tenancy agreement and move out of a place early. Furthermore, your landlord may blame you for causing the mould problem if mould growth was due to your lifestyle.

How To Control mould Growth

  1. Reduce Indoor Humidity By:
    • Venting showers and other moisture-generating sources to the outside.
    • Controlling humidity levels and dampness by using air conditioners and de-humidifiers.
    • Providing adequate ventilation to maintain indoor humidity levels between 30-60%.
    • Using exhaust fans whenever cooking, dishwashing, and cleaning.
  2. Inspect the home regularly for signs of mould, moisture, leaks, or spills. The following suggest possible mould growth:
    • Mouldy or musty odours.
    • Water stains or discoloration on ceiling, walls, floors, and window sills.
  3. Respond promptly when you see signs of moisture and/or mould, or when leaks or spills occur:
    • Clean and dry any damp or wet building materials and furnishings within 24-48 hours of occurrence to prevent mould growth.
    • Fix source of water problem or leak to prevent mould growth.
    • Clean mould off hard surfaces with water and detergent, and dry completely.
    • Absorbent materials such as ceiling tiles, that are mouldy, may need to be replaced.
  4. Prevent moisture condensation:
    • Reduce potential for condensation on cold surfaces (i.e., windows, piping, exterior walls, roof, or floors) by adding insulation.
  5. Frequently clean floor and carpet :
    • Remove spots and stains immediately, using the flooring manufacturer’s recommended techniques.
    • Use care to prevent excess moisture or cleaning residue accumulation and ensure that cleaned areas are dried quickly.
    • In areas where there is perpetual moisture problem, do not install carpeting.

If you live in British Columbia and have a mould problem, contact our office at 604-435-6555. We may be able to help you or direct you to people who can help.

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How To Get Rid of Mold Growth

September 11, 2006 By

One of the questions commonly asked by homeowners is how they could get rid of mold growth on ceiling tiles, carpet, walls and basement. To get rid of mold completely is difficult but we can control mold growth. For us to control mold growth we need to know the factors or conditions necessary for mold growth.

For mold to grow indoors:

  • There should be a source of viable spores or hyphal fragments of the mold that can regenerate into new mold growth. The main source of spores indoors is the outdoor. Building materials may also get contaminated with mold. Spores that have settled on surfaces may remain viable for many years. Once moisture is available these spores germinate and if the moisture is not eliminated, growth continues and more spores are produced which contribute to more mold growth. Settled dust is generally a reservoir of mold spores.How to get rid of mold growth
  • Like any other living organisms, mold require nutrients for growth. Dust, dirt, and some components of building materials are contain or are nutrients for mold growth.
  • For rapid growth optimal temperature is required. Generally molds can grow under a wide range of temperatures but at suboptimal temperatures growth is slow. The optimal temperature for most indoor molds is the temperature usually maintained in houses or offices for human comfort.
  • There should be adequate moisture to support growth. Moisture is the most critical factor. The level of moisture (together with other factors) determines the types of mold that will be more prevalent/dominant in the environment.

By manipulating anyone of the factors outlined above, we can control mold growth. However, we may have very little control on spores since spores infiltrate into our houses from outdoor all the time especially when we open the doors and windows. Also, although we can set the temperature in our houses to the level we want, mold can grow over a wide range of temperatures and therefore it is practically difficult to use temperature to control mold growth…unless we want to turn our houses and offices into freezers. Moisture is the ideal factor to control. Maintaining indoor humidity levels between 30-60% would effectively control mold growth. In addition to controlling moisture, we should also provide adequate ventilation. As mentioned above dust is a reservoir for spores. Therefore, regular vacuum cleaning would help reduce the spore load in the building and hence reduce the level of mold growth following a moisture problem.

If you have a question on how to get rid of mold growth, please call us at 905-290-9101.

 

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Can You Paint Over Mould On The Shower Ceiling?

March 29, 2006 By

Recently we were asked whether it would be OK to paint over mould on the shower ceiling. Painting over existing mould is probably not a good idea because the mould may continue growing beneath the paint film and subsequently the paint would start peeling off. The best solution would be to clean the mould following current mould remediation guidelines such as CCA 82 – Mould Guidelines for the Canadian Construction Industry and then find a way of reducing condensation in the shower. Painting after the mould has been cleaned and the condensation problems fixed would be OK.

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