How to Reduce Black Mould In Your Home
If you are looking at how to prevent black mould within your home, there are a variety of options that can help including Air Conditioning, PIV Systems, and Dehumidifiers.
Sufficiently ventilating properties in the UK has changed dramatically over the last few years. In the UK our summers have been getting noticeably hotter and more humid. With improvements in double and now triple glazing being installed in older homes, ventilating a room with higher humidity has become harder.
Black mould forms when excess moisture accumulates and provides an environment for mould spores to grow. This leads to the formation of black mould on walls, windows, behind furniture and on ceilings for many property owners and tenants.
How Black Mould Forms
This black mould typically forms from:
- Condensation – when warm air in the home meets cold surfaces such as glass and window frames, it causes droplets of water to form.
- Poor ventilation such as not having air vents on windows or vents closed.
- Leaks and damp – there could be structural issues like leaking roof, plumbing leaks or rising damp in rooms.
- Daily activities – such a cooking, in kitchens, showering in bathrooms or drying clothes on radiators through the house contributing to moisture levels rising in the property.
How to Reduce Black Mould In Your Home with Air Conditioning, PIV Systems, and Dehumidifiers
A structural survey should be completed to identify any structural or plumbing problems. However PM Coppack provide other solutions to support to reduce the build-up of moisture leading to black mould and a healthier air environment including:
Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) Systems: Fresh Air Circulation
PIV systems are an excellent long-term solution for preventing black mould in homes with persistent damp and condensation problems. A PIV system is typically installed in the loft or an internal wall and introduces a continuous supply of fresh, filtered air and forcing out stale, moisture laden air. By creating positive pressure, PIV systems prevent condensation from forming, removing the conditions that cause black mould to form.
A PIV system is an energy efficient system and typically uses less energy consumption that running a dehumidifier daily. It also supports air circulation across multiple rooms and filters out pollutants and allergens.
Dehumidifiers: Portable
Using a dehumidifier is an immediate and short term cost effective way to check for excess moisture and remove from the air to reduce the ability for black mould to form.
Dehumidifiers extract moisture from the air and reduce the humidity level. This supports to dry out moisture that has already formed and reduces condensations forming on walls, windows and ceilings.
A dehumidifier is a smaller system and can be lifted and moved from room to room. As the moisture is taken from the air, you can see the water that is collected in the tank of the portable unit. You should then regularly empty the collected water from the tank, but you can also get dehumidifiers with a drainage system. The size of unit required would be determined by the size of the room it is in.
Air Conditioning Systems: Long Term
An air conditioning system is a permanent and highly effective way to regulate the humidity and air conditions within your home, thereby improving air circulation on a permanent basis.
More people are spending more time in their homes, particularly through work and learn from home trends following Covid-19. Air conditioning systems are now even more cost effective, affordable and accessible. Their designs have also improved, meaning they now aesthetically blend into your home decorations with a wide range of colours and sleek unit designs available.
Air Conditioning systems extract humidity from the air, reducing condensation and preventing damp conditions to form. By continuously circulating the air and providing temperature control functions and automated timers, they remove the chance for stagnant air to form, leading to black mould. Air Conditioning units also contain air filters that trap dirt and pollens that can be cleaned.
To work out which solution is best for your home, get in touch for to book a free on-site survey and we can talk you through your options, both short and long term.
Call 01706 879336 to find out more.
