The reason why black mould comes back after it has been removed from surfaces is because the treatment did not address the root cause of black mould growth. The only way to stop black mould from growing is to permanently address the root cause. Cleaning the mould off surfaces or anti mould paints do not achieve this. Mould growth is a symptom of the root cause. This fact is very poorly understood.
Visible black mould growth starts from microscopic mould spores that are ever present on every surface in every house in Britain. Even when black mould is removed from surfaces with a mould cleaner it is only a matter of time before new microscopic spores land back on the newly cleaned surface and unless the root cause is permanently addressed, they will start to grow again with the right indoor environmental conditions.
Mould spores are like plant seeds and like any living thing they need food and water and the right environmental conditions to grow and prosper. Indoor environments provide good conditions and food is plentiful. The key element is water. Mould spores can grow and prosper without liquid water and will start to grow when the relative humidity of the air around them exceeds 80% for long periods of time (minimum 4-6 hours). This is the root cause of black mould growth.
In millions of British homes and offices, indoor relative humidity conditions always increase during the colder months because of the drop in temperature. This is why black mould and condensation is a seasonal problem and is most evident during cold weather. This is also why black mould and condensation tends to recede or stop during the warmer months because the increased temperature reduces indoor relative humidity. This is another very poorly understood fact.
The root cause of black mould growth is usually misdiagnosed, most commonly as some sort of structural defect. For example roof leak, gutter overflow, brick pointing problem, failed DPC, cold bridge, bridged cavity, internal pipe leak etc. Misdiagnosis is commonplace across the UK property industry and leads to treatments that do not address the root cause so the black mould growth eventually returns. It is therefore essential to accurately diagnose the true root cause of black mould growth.
The only way to stop black mould growth for good is to control and maintain indoor relative humidity at levels where mould growth cannot happen. In other words deprive the mould spores of the water it needs to grow and prosper. This is far easier said than done. At Better Indoors we are experts at black mould root cause diagnosis and our solutions always permanently address the root cause so the mould doesn’t return. Book a survey today.
