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Family fear for health in damp-ridden home
A MUM of three has claimed her family are living in a nightmare after moving into a house described as a health hazard.
Amanda Kendall moved with her parter Darren Jeffries and her three children into a home owned by Rooftop Housing in Mill Avenue, Broadway before Christmas.
Miss Kendall, who exchanged from St Ives, said the semi-detached house was full of damp and had black mould in every room.
The couple viewed the house in the summer when Miss Kendall said there was no indication of how bad things would get but there was now even mould in the cupboards and her children’s clothes were getting damp.
“When you look through someone’s home you are not going to look through their cupboards, you simply do not expect a house to get into this state,” she said.
“Obviously as winter came, the weather was much colder and damper and that’s when the real problems came.
“The hallway has no wallpaper on it as it simply won’t stay on. I have black mould growing in my kitchen cupboards, on our bed clothes, our own clothes and in the bathroom.
“It is a total living nightmare.”
Miss Kendall said an inspector had visited the property and described it as “one of the worst he had seen” but subsequent visits and phone calls had ended up in arguments as she felt they did not want to sort out the problem and said they had been told to exchange again.
The 44-year-old said the health of her sons Kyran, 17, Aaron, 15, and Sunny, 3, had now started to suffer.
“Aaron suffers with asthma and Sunny has started to develop breathing problems. I’m also suffering with breathing problems,” she added.
“Our house is a health hazard.”
Juliana Crowe, director of housing and communities at Rooftop Housing Group, said they would arrange another inspection to try and help the family.
“I appreciate that damp and condensation problems can be a difficult to live with and I have every sympathy for the family concerned,” she said.
“Unfortunately, however, there are no quick fixes and we know from experience that you try the small-scale things first, such as improving the circulation of heat and ventilation.
“We also know that condensation is often a lifestyle issue and there are practical steps that householders can take to combat the problem.”
Source: Evesham Observer
Pensioner in damp ‘hell house’.
A lot of people find that after having cavity wall insulation and loft insulation installed, they start experiencing condensation, damp and mould.
There is a very simple reason for this.
Although these kind of improvements are necessary for our homes in order to make them energy efficient; insulation, double glazing etc. results in a ‘sealed up’ property.
The moisture created inside the property from activities such as cooking, cleaning, bathing, breathing etc. is now trapped inside the property.
The answer is ventilation!
EnviroVent provide a guaranteed cure to condensation and mould. To request a free, no obligation survey, click HERE
Below is another news story of insulation leading to a “damp hell house”.
A PENSIONER is living an ‘absolute nightmare’ after a scheme to make her house warmer left black mould and mushrooms seeping out of the walls.
Eileen Patefield, 62, has suffered serious health problems after the cavity wall insulation she had installed at her Burnley home went badly wrong.
Mrs Patefield, of Marsden Road, had the work done through the Government’s Warm Front scheme, but it has left her house in an ‘appalling’ state.
Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle described the property as like ‘living in hell’ and has taken up her battle for compensation to restore the house.
The work was carried out in 2004, but the problem only became obvious in the last two or three years.
Since then the company that carried out the work on behalf of Warm Front have returned to take the cavity wall insulation out, but Mrs Patefield is no closer to being compensated for the problems.
She said: “It is an absolute nightmare living in conditions like this. For a start it is a complete health hazard.
“I regularly get bronchitis because I have been breathing in the damp spores, in the last year I have had it at least three times.
“Last January when I stripped the walls and saw the extent of the problem I was absolutely horrified. All my furniture, in every room of my house, is situated in the middle of the room so that it doesn’t get damaged.
“I only have a small home so I have to weave my way through the furniture.”
Mr Birtwistle is now fighting on Mrs Patefield’s behalf to get her £10,000 compensation, so her home can be put right.
He said: “It is a complete and utter disaster of a job. She had cavity wall insulation done, which didn’t need doing anyway as the house wasn’t suitable, but it has left unbelievable damp inside the house.
“Lots of the walls are covered in black, there are mushrooms coming out of the ceiling in the bedroom.
“I have spent hours and hours on this case. We are trying to get compensation so Mrs Patefield can have it put back to how it was.
“It needs a lot of the plastering taken out and redoing and a lot of redecorating.
“They have been and sucked the insulation out, but it needs putting back to a good condition. We have it quoted at £10,000 and a loss adjustor says that is reasonable. I think it very reasonable, it could be a lot more.
“We have had problems with the insurance company for the people that did the work though, but it needs to be sorted out.
“Since it started going wrong she has lived there for two years in hell, which has caused health problems as well.
“I don’t know how she manages it, I couldn’t live there, you can’t believe how bad it is until you have been in.
“It is so appalling, something has to be done to sort it out.”
Since 2005 Warm Front has carried out work on more than 300,000 houses in the North West, and since the scheme launched in 2000 it has helped more than 2.2million households.
Retired sales representative Mrs Patefield said: “All I want is the job putting right so I can live my life. I never have visitors round and I don’t blame them, they don’t even want to step inside.”
A spokesman for Warm Front said: “Warm Front is committed to providing the highest level of customer service and we are investigating this as a matter of urgency. It is worth noting that all accredited cavity wall insulation installs are covered by a 25-year guarantee by the Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency.
“Naturally we will contact Mrs Patefield to discuss this and to address her concerns in full.
“Since 2000 Warm Front has assisted more than 2.2million households. The overwhelming majority of customers are satisfied with the level of service and are now living in homes which are warmer and more affordable to heat as a result of the help provided.”
Source: This Is Lancashire
Mould in school linked to woman’s illness
A West Quebec woman who says she got sick working in a mouldy school portable is fighting to get her medication covered by the province.
Carmen Griffith ran the after-school program at Chelsea Elementary School for more than a decade before the school board in 1999 moved her office into a portable classroom attached to the school.
After four years at the new site, she started to become ill.
“My doctor just kept giving me medication and I kept taking medication,” Griffith said. “I had puffers … a yellow, an orange — I’ve had them all.
“None of them seemed to be working for me, nothing was working for me.”
Mould found in portable walls
Her doctor said he could not figure out the problem, but in 2006, he wrote a letter on Griffith’s behalf to Quebec’s workers compensation, saying maybe the school environment should be investigated.
The next year, the West Quebec school board hired a company to test the air quality in the portable. The tests found a high number of mould spores “known to be potentially toxigenic,” reported the company, InAir.
Black mould was found underneath wallpaper covering the wall behind Griffith’s desk.
In a letter to the West Quebec School Board, InAir said the portable was a risk for the health of the students and educators.
“It would be irresponsible to return an employee that has already developed a health risk,” they wrote.
The portable shut down in 2008.
Specialists found mould in lungs
Griffith had become so ill by the time the portable was investigated that she spent most of 2007 on disability. She said she had pneumonia, a severe respiratory illness and a cough that made her body ache and was constantly tired. She retired at the end of that school year.
Lung specialists found mould in Griffith’s lungs. One of her doctors, environmental medical specialist Jennifer Armstrong, said the classroom portable likely made her sick.
“It became clear she was well before the situation and as she spent more time in [the] building, she became more and more disabled,” she said.
Armstrong said in Ontario she’s seen several teachers and students made sick by mould, but said there has been only a single successful case against an employer.
Griffiths lost her benefits after she retired but still needed prescription medication for her illness.
Workers compensation benefits denied
She has spent the last five years trying to get these expenses covered by the CSST, Quebec’s workers compensation agency.
The agency has denied the link between Griffith’s illness and the conditions in the portable and earlier this month gave her 45 days to appeal the decision.
The West Quebec School Board said it does take the health and safety of staff seriously but won’t comment on Griffith’s case.
“I’m very upset that the system let me down,” Griffiths said. “I feel the system could have done more for me, I really do. It’s maddening.”
Source: CBC News
Mother fears for baby in damp and mouldy flat
A MOTHER fears for the long-term health of her nine-month-old baby because they live in a council flat with damp and mouldy walls.
Gemma Coles, 24, said she had tried for months to get the property in York repaired, but been told the solution was to open the windows and turn up the heating.
City of York Council said the damp was caused by condensation from a tumble dryer and it was hoping to install a new ventilation unit as soon as possible. Ms Coles said the mould in the family’s bedroom was so bad it could be seen against black wallpaper and half of one wall was damp. “It’s awful. I am more concerned with having my son in there. Some reports say babies in these conditions are more likely to get asthma when they are a couple of years older. “With it being so cold you can’t keep the windows open and it’s costing me a fortune in heating.” She and her partner Carl Huggins, 25, moved into the one-bedroom flat two years ago. She said it already had damp, but no mould and they were told it was just condensation. But the problem had got worse, she said. She has regularly taken baby, Charlie, to the doctor with coughs and sneezes she believes are related to his living conditions, though the doctor has not confirmed this. Steve Waddington, assistant director for housing and public protection, said: “The tenants will be the first to trial a new ventilation unit in the property, which will help to reduce the level of condensation and we are arranging for this to be installed as soon as possible. “In addition to this, we have also advised the family on how to manage this problem, by wiping the walls and windows, opening windows and maintaining a reasonable level of warmth.” Source: York Press
Father claims mould making his home ‘uninhabitable’
A FATHER-of-four claims mould is making his council house in Nottingham “uninhabitable for humans.”
John Marshall, 35, said he has been forced to move his children out of their bedrooms because they are covered in mould, which can cause health problems.
He says he has had problems with damp in the three-bedroomed terrace house for about two years and is now desperate for action to be taken.
Mr Marshall, who is currently unemployed, said: “Me and my partner have had to move downstairs to sleep and let the kids have our bedroom because the mould is so bad.”
Mr Marshall said he is unhappy with the response from Nottingham City Homes, which manages the property on behalf of the city council.
“The house is uninhabitable for humans,” he said. “There is mould in every room and a tree growing into the wall of my son’s bedroom.
“But we have got nowhere with Nottingham City Homes. Nothing is being done, despite us being forced to sleep downstairs.
“If you were in the house yourself you would say ‘how can children live here?’”
He added: “We are not at all happy with how we have been treated by Nottingham City Homes.
“One room upstairs is completely out of action. It’s just not on.”
Martin Valentine, a spokesman for Nottingham City Homes, said the housing company had “every sympathy” for the family.
He said: “The first report of damp was logged in January 2010, so it has been a problem for a couple of years.
“We know from experience that you do not jump straight in and take extreme action – you try the small-scale things first, like anti-mould paint.”
He added: “Our job now is to sit down with the tenants and agree how quickly we can get the work done.
“On January 12 this year we did a survey on the house which revealed we will need to do around £9,000-£10,000 of work.
“This will be very, very disruptive work. It will involve taking radiators off, fitting scaffolding to three sides of the house, refitting the bath and toilet.
“It is intensive, so that is why we did all the low-level stuff before coming to this conclusion.”
Mr Valentine added: “We have every sympathy with the family and it is regrettable that it has taken us this long to get to this point, but we had to do things in stages.”
Source: This Is Nottingham
Is household mould a health hazard?
The list of infections, symptoms and conditions Robyn Bell, her partner Mathew Willmore and even their two cats suffered during the three years they lived in a mould-infested Brisbane home reads like the index of a medical journal.
Sinus, skin and respiratory infections, yeast infections, headaches, aching joints, asthma, fatigue, loss of libido, depression and anxiety were some of the problems they suffered. Their cats suffered fungal infections and constant vomiting.
“That house was killing us,” Bell says. “It just took a long time for us to connect the dots about why we were so sick all the time.”
She and Willmore have since moved out – “almost immediately we felt better” – but without most of their belongings, which they have locked up in containers because they were unable to control the mould.
“Mould has tainted everything in our lives,” she says. “Along with our health, many of our belongings, our keepsakes that were sacred to us, have been or will need to be destroyed.
“Mould is toxic, dangerous and consumes everything around it. Unless you treat the source and kill it, it will take hold of your life.”
Potentially fatal
Mould thrives in damp and humid conditions, in places which are not well ventilated. These conditions have been exacerbated this summer along Australia’s eastern seaboard due to La Niña, a weather phenomenon which brings excessive rain. Sydney, for example, has recorded its wettest summer for more than a decade.
Queensland building biologist Pauline Ferguson says she has been run off her feet since the 2011 Queensland floods and now the recent very wet summer.
She stresses the importance of not letting mould grow unchecked in your home.
“It’s toxic and can cause illness,” Ferguson says. “It will exacerbate existing illnesses such as asthma or allergies and slows healing of wounds. It damages the physical structure of your home or building and contaminates anything it contacts.
“While mould is everywhere and we breathe in spores with every breath, it’s when the concentration builds that it can start to play havoc with our health.”
Dr Peter Dingle, environmental scientist and presenter of the SBS show Is Your House Killing You?, says that in the US mould is now being referred to as the “asbestos of the new generation”.
“The effects of moulds and dampness on the respiratory health of children are comparable to the effect of passive smoking and include other effects such as asthma and chronic bronchitis,” he says. “Mould exposure is associated with catching more colds, more infections in the lower respiratory system and irritation of skin, eyes, fever and headache. In severe cases, it can cause death.”
Are you allergic?
Moulds are common allergens, with an estimated 40 per cent of people having some sensitivity to breathing in mould spores. These are the microscopic “seeds” which mould colonies produce and one colony can produce millions a day, which are then expelled into the air.
But growing research into mould has found its impact on health is far more wide reaching than just triggering asthma attacks, respiratory irritation, runny noses and allergic reactions.
A 2007 US study found a link between damp, mouldy homes and depression, while Harvard University researchers found babies growing up in damp homes where mould and mildew are present develop more respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia, croup and bronchitis.
Forget cleaners
Supermarket aisles are filled with cleaning products which profess to kill 99.9 per cent of germs and mould. But Ferguson says any chemical which could permanently kill household mould would be too high in toxic concentrations for safe human habitation. “Mould is like cat hair – you can kill it as much as you like, but unless you remove [the source], it will still be there, and it will still make you sneeze and get sick,” Ferguson says.
She recommends removing basic mould with a concoction made with seven parts naturally brewed vinegar and three parts water applied with a microfibre cloth. If mould is entrenched, she recommends professional help.
“According to mycologists [scientists who study mould], 98 per cent of the effective removal of mould is mechanical – that is, physical action, with cloths, vacuum cleaners, brushes and high-pressure cleaners,” she says.
Shannon Lush, co-author of Household Wisdom (ABC Books), urges people to avoid using chemicals such as bleach or ammonia because they won’t work against mould.
“Bleach merely bleaches mould so you can’t see it, but it’s still there,” she says. “It doesn’t kill the root system and the mould will grow back in weeks.”
She says a formulation of oil of cloves and water is the best way to remove mould once and for all. “No matter what the bottles of chemicals say, they will not kill mould and the problem will get worse.”
Shannon Lush has these tips for killing and preventing mould
- To kill mould on hard surfaces, fabrics and upholstery: A quarter teaspoon oil of cloves (available at pharmacies and supermarkets) mixed with one litre of water, then lightly sprayed on to the mould.
- To kill mould on leather: A quarter teaspoon oil of cloves mixed with 250ml baby oil. Apply two drops and wipe over leather.
- To prevent mould in cupboards: Hang six sticks of chalk tied with a ribbon in the cupboard to absorb moisture. When they become damp, hang them outside to dry, then reuse.
- To prevent mould on books: Lay a line of chalk sticks behind the books to absorb the moisture.
Source: Body and Soul
Housing Association must act now
A MAN who has had to resort to putting his one-year-old son to bed in a coat because his house is so badly insulated is calling on a housing association to act. Jon Higgs, 24, who lives in a three-bedroom house in Mundon Road, Maldon, with partner Sadie Whiston, 23, and their children Riley-Marshell, one, and Amelia, three months, says Moat Homes have failed to address problems including damp, mould and poor insulation. He said: “There’s supposed to be a major amount of snow coming in the next few days so now I’m at panic stations. I’m worried about my kids. “When my son goes to bed he has four covers and his coat on. It’s ridiculous.” It is not the first time the couple, who are paying between £6 and £11 a day on gas to heat the house, say they have experienced problems with Moat’s properties.
Before they met, Miss Whiston was moved from a flat in Wood Road, Heybridge, because of damp problems. She was on the move again, this time with Mr Higgs, after they expressed concerns about a lifting kitchen floor, mould and holes in walls at a home in New Road, Burnham. Mr Higgs said: “I fought with my partner for ages to get her out and with the baby coming it just wasn’t adequate. “When they put us in this property in January last year and then all through the summer we thought ‘this is great’. “We didn’t have any problems at all, but when winter came we noticed it started to get colder and colder. “Our bedroom has got damp patches all around it, our little boy’s bedroom is freezing and the loft insulation has all rotted and fallen apart. “Moat said they would send a surveyor out months ago, but that still hasn’t happened.” A spokesperson for Moat said its property services team has added the house to its provisional insulation programme for 2012/13. She added: “We take all customer reports of damp seriously.
“Mr Higgs and his family have visited our office to discuss both the issue with damp and that of the low temperature in their home. “Our surveyor and a representative from Maldon District Council’s environmental health team are booked to visit his home this week. “Following this visit, our property services team will decide on a future course of action.” Source: www.maldonandburnhamstandard.co.uk
Mr Mould is back!
Hello all,
We’re still in the middle of a very busy winter, helping many people rid their homes of condensation and mould for good!
But, we’re going to make some time again to give you advice on how to deal with mould, the latest stories on the subject, and answer any questions you have about MOULD!
Today; monitor humidity to avoid mould - advice from the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors
Recently, I’ve received more calls from people concerned about mould in their homes.
Moulds are organisms found both indoors and out. Mould is a fungus and plays an important role in our ecological system by breaking down and digesting organic materials.
Because most homes are constructed with materials such as drywall, plywood or oriented strand board (chip board), and contain furniture and other objects that may also be made from wood or other organic materials, homeowners need to be aware of the potential for mould.
Moulds grow in damp, dark areas, so controlling moisture is key to controlling mould growth.
Mould doesn’t need a lot of moisture to grow, and because of this, a little condensation in bathrooms or around window sills is all that is needed for mould to flourish.
Common sources of moisture include roof leaks, condensation due to high indoor humidity, slow leaks at plumbing fixtures, humidification systems and floods. Mould has been found to germinate, grow and produce spores in as little as 24 hours after water damage occurs.
Indoor relative humidity (RH) should between 20 and 40% in the winter and less than 60% the rest of the year. Some experts recommend indoor humidity levels in general should be between 40 and 60%.
You can monitor the humidity in your home with a simple humidistat that can be bought at most home stores.
You can help control the moisture level in your home by ensuring your kitchen and bathroom, especially ones containing a bath tub and/or shower, include a fan vented directly to the exterior of the home and not just into the attic or another part of the house.
Improper ventilation from these two areas in the home is the most common cause of moisture problems I see in homes today.
If you have a humidifier attached to your furnace, ensure it’s either working properly or else, shut it off. Many homes do not need a humidifier as the life style of the occupants produces enough moisture.
Dryers should also be vented to the exterior of the house. I’ve seen cases where the homeowner has purchased an attachment for the dryer vent that directs the heat from the dryer back into the house.
Although some may think this helps to keep heat indoors, especially in the winter months, it should be said that along with the heat, comes a lot of moisture.
If you have a leak in the plumbing, roof or foundation, have it repaired and moisture-damaged material removed.
I also receive a lot of calls about visible mould in corners of rooms. This is most commonly caused by the fact that corners, especially the exterior corners of a home, are not well insulated.
When warm moist air comes in contact with a cold wall, the moisture in the air condenses and mould can grow. Cleaning the area with a mild soap solution will remove the mould but, over time, it may return. The best solution is to correct the cause by trying to seal and insulate the area.
Most moulds grow in moist dark areas and therefore are difficult to find. An infra red camera can sometimes help locate these areas. A moisture meter can be used to detect moisture; however, detection is limited to point of contact whereas an infra red camera can look at a much larger area at one time.
A single or repeated exposure to mould, mould spores and mould fragments may cause a person to become sensitive to mould, and repeated exposure has the potential to increase sensitivity.
Allergic responses include hay fever-like symptoms such as headaches, sneezing, runny nose, irritated eyes and skin rash. If a person experiences these symptoms when occupying a particular area, then he or she may be experiencing symptoms of mould exposure.
If you have symptoms of mould exposure, or have signs of mould in your home, you should have a qualified person take an air sample that is then sent to a lab for analysis.
The report will include a comparison of the amount and type of mould spores in the sample collected inside compared with two samples taken outside the home.
Culture swabs or bio tape samples can be taken of visible mould and also sent to the lab. The swab or bio tape sample will tell what type of mould was collected.
If test results come back confirming an elevated level of mould from inside of the home, a qualified mould remediation company should be used for the cleanup.
Source: www.lfpress.com
To arrange a free, no obligation survey on your home, call 0800 2727 807, or visit www.homeventilation.co.uk
Anonymous asked: what do we do when the landlord wont help remove black mold, we have been fighting the mold for 2 years now we have fungus in our skin,had to move for medical reasons now she has evicted us and has the home rented how do we stop her from harming the new renter
Firstly let me say it sounds like you have been unlucky. In my experience, most landlords are aware of their responsibilities and they take all reasonable measures to ensure that the health of their tenants does not suffer as a consequence of their poor living conditions. After all, none of them can afford expensive claims from losing a civil case against a personal injury lawyer.
There is often an argument between the landlord and the tenant as to who is responsible for mould growth in a property. As it is a ventilation issue, many landlords will claim that as the property has windows in it, then the tenant needs to open them to remove moisture. The problem is that opening windows is an expensive waste of energy in the winter time and a security risk at the best of times.
Under EU legislation, a landlord is not allowed to do anything that may force a tenant in to fuel poverty, this is when heating bills contribute to more than 10% of the household income. If it could be proved that a tenant was either already in fuel poverty or would be if they were to take the landlord’s advice about opening windows to ventilate, then the tenant may have a good argument for forcing the landlord to spend money on energy saving mechanical ventilation systems that stop mould from growing in the first place.
If there is more than 1 square metre of mould growth in a property, this constitutes a serious health risk and may need professional re mediation.
Mould is a class 1 health hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, so you should contact your local Environmental Health officer if you have large amounts in your home. Also, the landlord has a responsibility under the Landlord and Tenant act to ensure that the property is free from health hazards.
