History of reoccurring mould
We were invited to a Dental practice and instructed to carry out a mould inspection and damp survey in Sheffield. The practice staff have reported musty and damp related odours in the kitchen area. The purpose of this inspection was to evaluate the extent of the water damage in this area.
The building, a semidetached two storey property with rendered external walls and a pitched titled roof, was built in the 1950’s. The ground floor of the property consists of two dental surgeries, a decontamination room, a toilet, a kitchenette, an office, a reception with a waiting area and two corridors. The building also has two cellars which can be accessed via two hatches situated in the corridors. The cellars have brick walls and dirt floors and are currently out of use. To the front of the property there is a small gravel and grass garden and a paved yard located at the rear of the property. The property was build on a slope so the back side of the property sits approximately 2 meters below the level of the ground.
Carrying out the damp survey
When carrying out building inspections and any type of survey it is vital that this is done safely, causing minimum possible nuisance and potential risk to the health and safety of the occupants of the building and any visitors to the site. When carrying out this investigation we used a process called moisture mapping which involves identifying the location and size of affected areas by using equipment such as a Hydromette HB30 moisture meter and a Tramex Moisture Encounter Plus. This non-destructive equipment electronically detects moisture in materials within the building. Once the extent of the moisture and damage is detected we can make appropriate recommendations to the client as to the drying process in order to eliminate the moisture.
Conclusion of damp survey
When we investigated the affected area there was evidence of pooling water in the corner of the room, behind the installed cabinets. The wall at the back of the room had been treated in the previous months and a layer of insulation was added in order to prevent condensation. When the wall was inspected it was dry to the touch with no evidence of condensation on the wall, insulation or back surfaces of the installed cabinets. There was also no evidence of any water leaks from the kitchen units or pipework which was enclosed in boxing at the bottom of the wall. There was no evidence of water pooling on the floor either however this would have been cleaned on a regular basis. We identified that there were no silicone seals installed to the kick-boards of the kitchen cabinets which allows water flow into the area under the kitchen cabinets – this stagnating water creates high humidity conditions favourable for fungal growth. We concluded that the reoccurrence of mould in the kitchen area was caused by water pooling under the kitchen cabinets due to the absence of silicone seals which demonstrates their importance in our kitchens and bathrooms at home!
