Rising Damp Mold, Green Fungus and Mushroom Growth From Unknown Source

If you have (fungal) fungus growth in your home, it can literally appear anywhere, hallways, bedrooms, cupboards, living rooms…..on your clothes and shoes…..and especially bathrooms. There are several types of fungal growth, however the causes are usually the same.

Do you have a hidden Leak (or leaks), or is there another cause ?

A few factors that can contribute to signs of water leakage, i.e. condensation

A well-insulated house with double glazing, good wall and loft insulation is affected by the following points:

Solar Thermal Heat, this is posh way of saying the temperature of the loft area can increase by +3 Degrees compared to external temperature, this increase in air temperature can affect the humidity* level in the property.
*Water vapour in the air

Humans, yes, we human do contribute to the problem, a person provides approximately 4 pints (568ml) of moisture per day

Air Quality in the home, indoor air can include 900 different chemicals.

Humidity, as humidity levels increase oxygen levels deplete

These are just a few examples of the causes of condensation which can look like water leaks.

Call our office for free advice and quotation 0208 829 8242

damp mold survey

Surveys start at £270 + vat

The following example photographs illuistarte the differences between water leaks and other causes of damage to the property.

mold detection

Picture taken of growth appearing on a tiled wall in the entrance of a 100 year old property in Palmers Green London. It is worth the noting that this growth formed on inhabitants of clothes, shoes and stored items in a nearby storage compartment.

fungal growth detection

Fungal growth in the corner of modern flat built approx. 20years ago. Builder and Plumber said it was due poor brick work and/or external rain water down pipe. They were both wrong

water leak ceiling

Water leak on to ceiling of a bathroom, this was a 1950’s ex local authority. In this instance, the loft area above was bone dry and there was no visible. A roofer had checked the roof and several plumbers had checked the water tanks (cold water cisterns) and plumbing pipe work in the loft, they were unable to locate the problem. We identified the problem and rectified the issue.

lack of air not water leak

Above problem is caused by lack of air movement, not a water leak

Rising Damp

Certain nitrates and chlorides are deposited by the evaporation of soil water (rising damp) on the surface of walls and floors. A meaningful analysis can therefore be carried out which if positive indicators for both chlorides and nitrates are indicated, then the water that deposited those salts can be said to be soil bound, hence supporting a case for rising damp, as opposed to rain water ingress or a leaking water pipe.

rising damp detection

We carried out a MoistureMap™ Survey and ChemLAB™ Survey on the above brick work, the blue arrows shows the direct of water ingress i.e. rising from the ground and the chemical tests showed a high level of nitrates which point to rising damp.

After every inspection we provide a full report

We look forward to hearing from you