Black Mould Situation

[DoItYourself2011]

We are re-doing our kitchen and purely by chance needed to access an electric wire underneath my son's bedroom floor. When we lifted up the floorboard it was covered underneath in black mould.

His bedroom is next to the bathroom and the mould seems to have spread along the floorboard under the wall into his bedroom.

The bathroom floor was not watertight when we moved in here - but it is now.

We have now ripped up and replaced the whole of my son's bedroom floorboards. And will soon be doing the same in the bathroom, and making sure everywhere is sealed etc. so no water can get through anywhre in there.

Do you think that should solve the problem- as since the spring my son who is 14 has had a sudden onset of a mysterious cough, breathing difficulties, asthma symptoms which the Doctors have no idea why and I am beginning to think we may have found the cause.

I don't know much about mould but it was just the underside of the floorboards, the joists were all fine but I have bleached them all.

Is there anything else we should do?

 

[JohnD]

black mould is caused by damp. If there was a leak in the adjacent bathroom that is probably where it came from. It will die back when fully dry. Spraying with bleach will kill it anyway.

Even if the flooring was not waterproof, water should not get through unless there is a leak under something or down the side of the bath. You need a bathroom extractor fan to combat damp and condensation from steamy showers, baths and wet towels.

Another very common cause of damp and condensation is draping wet washing around the house or over radiators.

Ventilation is the best way to reduce damp as well as allergens. Open the windows. You can tell your son's doctor about the mould. It might be relevant.