Penetrating damp and how it affects your property
Pic. A – example of penetrating damp
Rendering your walls is important because it prevents damp passing through the brick walls and into a house.
When damp passes through bricks into our houses, this is called ‘penetrating damp’ or ‘lateral damp’.
It is this penetrating damp that causes black mould to grow and spread using its spores.
Pic. B -Black mould (Stachybotrys chartarum)
What is black mould? Black mould (Stachybotrys chartarum) is a microorganism, specifically a fungus, that can cause disease.
It also requires nutrients and water to survive and reproduce using its spores.
Fungi Aspergillus is a black mold which produces aflatoxins and cause pulmonary infection aspergillosis.
Pic. C – the spores of Black mould
Black mould affects our personal possessions, the wall paper and can have a serious negative impact on our health.
The black mould releases spores and other toxic chemicals which can also cause respiratory problems, infections, allergies and asthma.
It can also affect the immune system.
Pic. D – Black mould on a wall
Black mould will usually appear in rooms where there is high humidity like bathrooms and kitchens. In the next article, we will discuss how to get rid of black mould (click on the following link https://www.firstrenderers.com/black-mould-in-your-property-and-how-to-deal-with-it/ )
