As temperatures continue to plummet, the TV presenter and property expert says UK households should to check their properties. And, he says, there are lots of clever ways to protect them from damp and mould…
New research commissioned by Health Equals has suggested that an estimated 6 million families in the UK are living with issues like damp, cold, and mould in their homes – alarmingly, 3 million of them are children. TV presenter and property expert Martin Roberts urges that this should be seen as public health crisis.
He says: “We often don’t realise the significance of our home environment in relation to how it affects our health. But the environment in which you live, not only affects your mental wellbeing, but also has now been proven beyond doubt to affect and potentially very seriously affect your health and the health of your family, and kids especially.”
Damp and mould in homes pose significant health risks, primarily affecting the respiratory system, causing coughs, wheezing, shortness of breath, and worsening asthma, but also leading to skin rashes, eye irritation, and allergic reactions. Mould produces allergens, irritants, and sometimes toxins, impacting vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, and those with existing conditions, potentially causing serious illness, infection, and even affecting mental wellbeing.
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“It’s got to be recognised as a public health crisis, the amount of damage it’s doing to people, but also the knock on effects it is having on the National Health Service,” says Martin. “But there are ways to protect your property – be it rented or owned.” Here’s how…
Landlords need to act
“People who are providing housing need to act quickly to make sure that they know problems are resolved,” says Martin. “I think often if you’re a renter you are slightly nervous about kicking up a fuss. The demand for rental properties is huge, people don’t want to rock any boats. But speaking as a landlord myself, I’d want to know if if there were issues in my property that I maybe wasn’t aware of because if I deal with them, not only am I doing something to help my tenant and help their health, but also, I’m probably preserving the lifetime of my property.”
Monitor your home
“Monitor the status of your home to try and avoid the various types of of damp which cause various types of mould. That’s either caused by water coming in from cracks in the fabric of the building, or rainwater gutters that aren’t working, or soil beds that are built pushed up outside the outside of the house,” says Martin.
“Condensation caused by people breathing is an issue too. As human beings we breathe out water in our breath, and also create moisture when cooking and using the tumble dryer, or when having a bath or shower. We’ve got to recognise we need to get circulated air flowing. Often, modern houses can seem like they’re a bit hermetically sealed so there’s no natural airflow. People need to strike a balance between keeping the house warm and getting fresh air into that house.”
What to look out for
“Thankfully the issues are usually very visible. Damp and mould shows itself in, literally, mould on the walls,” says Martin. “Around the windows, in the back of cupboards, generally lower down on walls. And that’s usually black. It can look more like a fungus, often it’s just a sort of black staining. Then when it comes to damp, you can tell using all your senses. Feel the walls, does it feel damp? Does it feel cold? Does it feel wet? Damp tends to smell musty, like an old pair of socks.”
Locate the problem
“Look for telltale signs of water coming in,” says Martin. “It’s normally around on the exterior walls of a property or on a chimney breast. Go outside when it’s raining with your umbrella and look at the gutters. Is something overflowing? Is water flowing freely down the drain pipes? Is the drain itself full of leaves? Is water able to get away quickly? ‘Cause that’s what you want.
“Is there a flower bed that’s gradually crept up the side of the wall outside over time that could be causing a damp patch inside. Properties aren’t rocket science, you know. Normally there’s a cause and effect. Normally you can say, ‘well actually I’ve got a bit of damp there, what’s on the other side of that?’ ‘Oh look, there’s a drain pipe that’s got a crack in it’.”
Add some air flow
“A more modern issue is condensation,” says Martin. “We strive to make our homes more energy efficient. We cut down on drafts, we’ve got double glazing and the doors fit well. I mean old houses used to have badly fitting doors, badly fitting windows, you know, and air would flow through them and damp you know generally wasn’t from condensation, generally wasn’t an issue. So this this in this day and age when we seal our homes, it it doesn’t stop us as human beings creating moisture, you know. So just try and do what you can. And if you’re cooking in the kitchen, open the window while you’re cooking.”
Check your tumble dryer
“If you’ve got a tumble dryer, they have those kind of flexible tubes at the back and sometimes – because the tumble dryer often sits on the top of a washing machine which is vibrating – these move, so all the the damp air from your dryer is is is is spilling out into the house.”
Clean out gutters
“It’s a classic time for all the gutters to get to get clogged with leaves and other stuff. So either do it yourself or if the gutters are high up, get somebody in just to clean out your gutters for you. Make sure the water is flowing away.”
*Lives are being cut short by up to 16 years in parts of the UK. Damp, cold and mould in our homes is part of the problem. To be part of the solution, see HERE. Let’s #MakeHealthEqual.
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