If you enter a building and you smell a musty odour it may be because of a sub floor ventilation problem.
Sub floor ventilation is inadequate.
The other main problem area we deal with is inadequate subfloor ventilation.
Signs of inadequate sub floor ventilation.
Inadequate sub floor ventilation is a major cause of rising damp.
Mould is one of the most common allergy triggers for asthma.
How sub floor ventilation systems work.
Some buildings have very little subfloor ventilation.
This is because poor ventilation in the sub floor results allows humidity to build up.
You should instruct a timber treatment contractor to investigate the full extent and carry out the necessary work i m guessing the defects in question would be wood rot but what s the likely cost of getting the ventilation from inadequate to adequate.
Sub floor ventilation is inadequate which may have allowed defects to occur.
If ventilation is poor a quick inspection of the vents can sometimes reveal why.
Unfortunately poor subfloor ventilation can also effect your health.
When you see grass and other vegetation growing from inside the wall or soil building up it is a clear indication of an underlying problem with sub floor ventilation.
Insufficient subfloor ventilation can lead to higher moisture levels in the unprotected underside of flooring general dampness in the house and other problems such as cupping of the top surface of floorboards due to a lower moisture content on the upper surface than the lower surface of the boards.
This in turn can cause structural and health problems for the home and it s occupants.
Most older houses that have suspended wooden floors are the main buildings where we encounter ventilation problems.
Due to the enclosed foundations with dwarf walls and solid internal walls it is usually difficult to access the subfloor area.
There is nowhere for the excess moisture to go so the damp rises up the walls.
You can usually identify rising damp by a tide mark on the lower part of affected walls.
The most basic sub floor ventilation are vents built in when the house is constructed.
Where there is inadequate air flow and therefore poor ventilation the air flow may need to be forced using a professional underfloor fan.
Inadequate underfloor ventilation can lead to an accumulation of moisture in the sub floor meaning mould rotting and structural weakness.
Common signs of a lack of sub floor ventilation include.
Even worse killing mould can be extremely difficult.
It also contributes to respiratory problems and illnesses.
Dampness mould musty odours in living rooms or wardrobes rotting timber floorboards convex of.
High moisture levels in these areas promote fungal decay and other timber pests such as termites.