Gathering Evidence of Mould Toxins
As we described in our previous article; mould grows in warm, damp conditions such as when there is evidence of rising damp. When dampness in buildings is combined with humid weather it can cause mould to grow quickly. The contentious phrase; “Toxic mould” is in the public arena these days and especially in the USA there is a thriving litigious industry fuelled by Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. The concerns are over the harm these toxins are supposed to cause to people who are living in damp accommodation. This often alarms the general public into believing they have serious health conditions which is caused by the mould on walls that they can see and that comes about from general dampness in buildings.
So there needs to be some form of scientific testing that will hold up in a court of law and, perhaps more importantly, that also reassures the property dwellers that it isn’t the mould that harms their health but the wet, humid conditions in which they live.
The levels of toxins in mould found in buildings suffering from rising damp or from water remaining after a flooded house has been pumped out, is so low that it poses an almost negligible health risk to people who are in general good health. As with any potential health hazard, those with suppressed immune systems are at greater risk than fit healthy people. However the risk, even in those cases, is far lower than the general public generally perceives. Mould is the sign of dampness in building and it is living in damp, humid, unventilated conditions, that causes health problems. And also mould on walls!
Testing for Toxins
Insurance restoration companies and building reinstatement companies worth their salt will be familiar with data logging equipment. A minimum of three devices are deployed in a property under investigation for the causes of mould and dampness in buildings: The first is outside the building and at least two further devices will be deployed inside the building, each logging the internal ambient temperature and humidity every 30 to 60 seconds. The results are then analysed and measured against industry data and software graphs. There are already established British Standards of measurement against which the results can be compared. There is even a demarcation line above or below which the building will be classed either a ‘wet’ or ‘dry’ occupancy building. Deployed over a two week period, experts can tell from the results, what the likely activity has been by the occupants such as when they had a shower, put the kettle on or opened the windows.
The results can be very reassuring for occupants and gives them peace of mind that there is no inherent damp problem in the building. Good building restoration companies can identify all causes of dampness in buildings, those that understand data logging are very few. Property professionals often find this skill invaluable in repudiating claims for damp buildings, the science proves internal human behaviour often causes the high humidity which causes the mould to grow
Based in Central Scotland, Paradigm Reinstatements is one of the leading specialist building restoration companies specialising in mould on walls and rising damp. They are chosen by many of the UK’s leading insurance companies to deal with flood damage, fire damage and building reinstatement services, including mould and the causes of mould and dampness in buildings.
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