Mould in properties: enough is enough

Ventilation and mould are still putting properties and homeowners at serious risk – enough is enough, says the Property Care Association (PCA).

The Institute of Health Equity’s report Left Out in the Cold: The Hidden Impact of Cold Homes found that almost ten million UK households were living in cold, damp, poorly insulated homes. It’s a shocking statistic, especially given the knowledge around the dangers of damp and mould for the health and wellbeing of occupants.

Moulds produce allergens, irritants and, in extreme cases, toxic substances; damp can exacerbate respiratory illness as well as cause timber to decay on skirtings, joinery and structural floor timbers and cause extensive damage to walls and plaster.

Confused.com’s home insurance arm completed an analysis of the age of homes across England and Wales and the number with damp and category 1 hazards such as excess cold and heat. It found that the older a home is, the greater the likelihood of having category 1 hazards. It makes the point that newer homes are built to more rigorous standards and with better safety features and building materials, making them less likely to have issues.

Obviously as an insurer, the purpose of the research was to highlight that having such hazards in the home could increase insurance premiums due to the increased risk of injury, as well as damage and degradation to the property itself.

So what can be done?

The PCA formed an industry working group to create a training course and qualification. The Certificated Specialist in Dwelling Ventilation (CSDV) provides a holistic approach to tackle excess moisture in buildings, giving building professionals the skills to assess the provision of ventilation in existing dwellings, as well as design systems for new builds.

James Berry, Deputy CEO of the PCA, said: “Despite repeated efforts by various governments, their advisors and the wider construction industry generally, condensation, mould and poor indoor air quality continue to have a negative and sometimes devastating impact on the lives of millions of people.

“We know that effective ventilation plays a vital part in controlling damp, but at the moment installations are often carried out by well-meaning contractors who simply don’t have any understanding of ventilation or the various regulatory and guidance documents [a survey of PCA members in 2020 showed they believed fewer than 30% of installations complied with Building Regulations]. The inevitable outcome is damp, mould and indoor air quality issues. The situation is only going to become more significant as we gear up for the government’s Future Homes Standard in 2025.

“This will include the wider impacts of Building Regulations Part L for new homes, including changes to Part F (ventilation), its associated Approved Document guidance, airtightness and improving as-built performance of the constructed home. It’s crucial that careful consideration is given to ventilation to ensure the drive towards improved energy efficiency doesn’t create unintended negative consequences in the form of condensation, mould and poor indoor air quality. Too frequently ventilation is an afterthought. The CSDV training and qualification package has one objective – to help provide healthier homes and buildings.”

CSDV course: b.link/PCA_CSDV

The CSDV was shortlisted in CABE’s 2024 Built Environment Awards in the Health and Wellbeing category. Turn to page 40 for the category winner

Read Left Out in the Cold b.link/IHE_coldhomes

Image credit | Istock