DIY and prevention
How to prevent mould in your home
Mould is a moisture problem, not a cleaning one. What actually works at home: humidity under 55%, bathroom fans that vent outside, and the two spaces nobody checks.
Nicholas Smart
- Qualified carpenter, 15 years on the tools
- Studying a Bachelor of Construction Management
- Co-owner of an IICRC Certified Firm
Articles by Nicholas
Remediation and treatment
Local Case Study 4: Concealed mould in a Suffolk Park studio near Byron Bay
A musty smell in a Suffolk Park studio near Byron Bay with nothing to see. What we found above the en suite ceiling, and the water source behind it.
Remediation and treatment
Local case study 3: Arundel, mould in an enclosed under-stair cupboard
A slow leak inside a hot water tray. Nothing ever reached the floor. Months later there was heavy mould through an enclosed cupboard under the stairs that nobody had opened. Here is why the water never had to escape to cause it.
Remediation and treatment
Local Case study 2: Pimpama, mould around an ensuite exhaust fan
Fine speckled mould spreading out from an ensuite exhaust fan, with nothing wet and nothing sagging. The owner wanted to know if water was getting in. The answer was above the ceiling, not behind it.
Remediation and treatment
Local Case Study 1: Currumbin, raked bathroom ceiling
A high raked ceiling, exposed beams, and the same growth returning to the same place. No leak, no stain, no soft patch. Here is what the readings actually showed at a Currumbin bathroom.
Hidden mould
What is there a musty smell in my house?
If you can smell mould but cannot see it, the growth is usually concealed. Three real jobs showing where we find it and how it is tracked down.
Inspection and testing
Why does mould keep coming back on the bathroom ceiling?
It is the same ceiling every time. Above the shower, around the fan, or a grey line following the cornice all the way round. You wipe it, it looks fine for a few weeks, and then it is back in exactly the same place. Bathroom ceilings are the most common thing we get called to on the Gold Coast, and across the jobs I did in July it came down to the same three things over and over.