How to Reduce the Effects of Mould in Your Home?

Many homeowners are familiar with the issue of mould on the ceiling. A common cause of this mould is excess condensation in the roof cavity. While temperature differences between the interior and exterior are a frequent cause, the way in which bathroom ventilation units are installed can also contribute to ceiling mould. Until a few years ago, it was common practice for builders to install ventilation fans at the ceiling which extracted bathroom steam and smells directly into the ceiling cavity. Without adequate roof ventilation, steam and moisture settles inside the roof on timber, insulation and ceiling surfaces thus creating a perfect environment for mould to develop, especially in older homes.

While updates to the building code over recent years now require bathroom fans to be vented directly out of the building via ducting and out through eaves or through ventilation caps on the roof, this part of the installation is often missed, particularly during minor bathroom renovations. It is advisable for homeowners to check bathroom ventilation installations once construction has been completed – lack of adequate ducting places the home owner within rights to request that the builder rectifies the issue. Bathroom ventilation kits that are available as integrated add-ons with Solatube skylights, already include all necessary components to duct bathroom moisture to the outside of the building.

If your home was built prior to the changes in the building code coming into effect, there are a number of ways to fix issues with moisture and mould in the roof cavity. Solatube Australia supply ducting and roof fixtures to allow existing ventilation units to vent directly to the outside of the building. Another solution is to simply ensure that the entire roof space is well ventilated. If mould on your ceiling is common, then a Solar Star – a solar powered roof ventilation system is the perfect solution for equalising temperature differences and for removing moisture from the roof space. There is also a number of wired roof and room ventilation systems within the Enviromax range, these meet ventilation requirements inside the home, without building up excess moisture inside the roof.