Huge downpours have seen the number of homes afflicted with mould jump, but our efforts to get rid of the spores is making it worse!
Hardly anyone living on the east coast can’t have failed to notice the downpours we’ve been having. In some places, the sheer amount of rain have broken records. But the soggy conditions haven’t just left to annoying days caught short without an umbrella. They’ve also led to an outbreak of unsightly, annoying and potentially deadly household pest.
Much of NSW is in the grip of a mould crisis. Mould removalists and Consultancies are hard pressed to find the time to deal with the issue, while retailers have reported booming sales of dehumidifiers and air purifiers, with some completely sold out nationwide, and with most of the products being manufactured and sent from China the recent Covid-19 Coronavirus epidemic is basically making it impossible to get your hands on one residentially or commercially and companies who do have stock of these items are renting them out at exorbitant amounts to take advantage of the demand.
The cause for the blossoming mould is the concentrated but torrential rain that the NSW coast has seen over the past month, yes this rain has been a blessing in so many aspects, being that it has helped contain and reduce the amount of fires in NSW and also brought up our dam levels to 82% from 42%. The rain combined with Sydney’s humidity levels are showing that our buildings are not designed for the level of rain and have flaws when it comes to moisture and ventilation. It’s a perfect storm of conditions that led some of the 100 plus species of mould to make Sydney their new seasonal home.
Fur slowly climbing the walls doesn’t just look gross, it can also cause real harm. Mould growing in your home if not dealt with quickly can lead to sinus, skin and respiratory infections, headaches, aching joints, asthma, and fatigue and it often easily confused with general cold and flu symptoms, and unless you treat the source and kill it, it will take hold of your home and health. People can develop mould infections, usually in the lungs and can bring on an attack in asthma sufferers.
Telltale white spots on cotton shirts and leather shoes could be signs mould has materialised in your home, the first place to look for mould is timber bed slats because it is unsealed raw wood, however, by the time homeowners find mould and use the household methods of trying to battle it, the efforts are often too little , too late and without tackling the source of the mould’s cause the problem will continue on. In fact, spraying mould can make the problem worse when trying to DIY because as soon as the mould is agitated it can spit out millions more spores and you end up spreading it rather than containing it, also removing the physical signs of mould and throwing away unsalvageable furnishing and clothes is a start. Airing the home always helps too, but it’s just a Band Aid, the main thing is to islate how the water got in to your home in the first place, if you don’t, once the mould has entered your home, it can be almost impossible to evict it.
If you have concerns about mould or moisture within your property, or would like to speak to a hygienist or Indoor Environment Professional (IEP), please get in touch by emailing info@jmbec.com.au or calling 02 8339 0312.
