When looking at maintaining the inside of your house, rule number one is... don’t expect any success inside unless your exterior walls and roof are properly sealed and treated, and remember damp surfaces can take three to six months to dry out, so don’t expect internal painting of the interior face of external walls to be successful unless the wall is completely dry. But more about walls in later articles, let’s start at the top, with ceilings.
The most common problem we all face is mould or fungus growth, and the most common cause is lack of ventilation and light. Obviously the worst affected areas are bathrooms, which are home to warm steam, a lack of fresh air and are usually the darkest rooms in the house. Start by washing off the mould; there’s no need for expensive products – a weak mixture of bleach, Dettol or pool acid will usually do the trick.
Having cleaned the surface, let it stand for a month, but ensure that you leave doors and windows open to improve ventilation. If the problem re-occurs, the problem is possibly a little more sinister or lack of sufficient ventilation.
Begin by checking the roof void above; if it is dry and there are no signs of roof or plumbing leaks, then you need to increase the ventilation flow. Probably the cheapest way is to install a small extractor fan, and instead of going to the expense of cutting a hole in the wall, mount it in the ceiling, adjacent to, or just above, the shower. In many homes the fan is linked to the light switch, but if you are looking to save electricity, install it on a separate circuit, as the only time the fan is really needed is when the shower is in use.
Ceiling mould in other rooms, usually means that moisture is present in some form, either a minor roof leak, or again a lack of breathing space, between the ceiling and roof. This is most common in sloping ceilings where they are fitted tight up against the roof sheeting, and again more likely to be a problem with metal roof sheets than with tiles.
This problem should be addressed at the initial construction stage, but can be overcome by adding external vents to encourage air flow through the roof void. Remember, each room should have at least one air brick, which should not be covered or removed, and that windows are meant to be opened, mould hates sunlight and fresh air.
Once you are satisfied that you have treated the cause of the mould, then you can begin thinking about repainting. - Weekend Argus