The Effects of Mould on your Health & Home
15th November 2024
Find out more about what mould is, what causes mould and the effects it can have on your health and your home.
What is Mould?
Mould is a type of fungus which grows best in damp, poorly ventilated areas and reproduces by making spores. It can be found in a variety of colours ranging from black to green to white. To prevent mould from growing indoors, it is important to keep your home clean and well ventilated.
Is Mould Harmful to Your Health?
When left untreated, mould begins to grow and spread in the home, producing allergens that can be harmful to your health. If mould spores are inhaled or touched, they can cause allergic reactions such as sneezing, skin and eye irritation, headache and even asthma attacks.
NHS UK advises, ‘If you have damp and mould in your home you're more likely to have respiratory problems, respiratory infections, allergies or asthma. Damp and mould can also affect the immune system.’
What Causes Mould in My Home?
Mould growth is a sign of condensation which is caused by excess moisture in the air. There are a variety of reasons as to why this occurs including:
- Poor ventilation in the home.
- Excess moisture in the home from daily tasks such as cooking, showering and drying clothes indoors.
- In a newly built home, the water used when the house was built has not dried out yet.
What are the Impacts of Mould on My Home?
If left untreated, mould can damage any material on which it grows. It prefers spaces with plenty of moisture and little light. Areas in the home in which mould is commonly found include:
- Around windows where condensation has built up.
- In bathrooms, kitchens and utility rooms.
- Behind furniture where air does not circulate.
- In basements, attics and other unused colder rooms within the home.
How do you remove mould?
If there is already mould present in your home, it must be cleaned in order to stop it from spreading.
- Hard Surfaces - Use a specialist mould removal product and clean the infected area. Dry the area thoroughly to prevent mould reappearing.
- Porous Surfaces - Wash or wipe the surface to remove the mould and check regularly to ensure it has not returned. If it has, you may need to consider disposing of the item.
The steps will get rid of the mould but won’t prevent it from coming back. Keep reading to find out how to stop mould from returning in your home.
How Can I Prevent Mould from Returning?
It’s important that a proper prevention method is put in place to stop future outbreaks. Introducing adequate ventilation within the home can help towards stopping mould problems for good.
A Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) unit from BEAM will help to improve the ventilation within your home and will help stop mould returning in the future.
This system provides energy efficient whole home ventilation and condensation control. It is designed to continuously and gently ventilate the home from a central position on the landing or the central hallway. Moisture-laden air is diluted, displaced and replaced with subtle fresh, filtered air, forcing contaminants out of the property through natural leakage points or extract fans in wetrooms.
Suitable for existing and new homes, a PIV is quiet running and provides a draught-free living environment.
How Much is a PIV?
Whatever the type or size of your home, we have a PIV system to suit your needs. Prices start from £440.00 + VAT (€528.00 + VAT). Larger homes may require more than one unit.
These units can be purchased directly via our online store or you can contact us to speak with one of our ventilation experts for more information and advice.