According to a new survey of over 2,000 UK homeowners, 55% of homeowners have experienced serious problems with indoor air quality (IAQ) and poor ventilation leading to condensation, mould and damp.
The survey by Jewson also found that 44% reported health related side effects including allergies, respiratory infections, poor sleep, low mood and difficulty concentrating.
According to a statement, the true scale of the UK’s domestic ventilation problems were revealed with 52% of respondents reporting condensation problems and 26% saying they had mould in at least one room.
The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) and Mitsubishi Electric have launched the ‘Mould and Damp Prevention in New and Existing Homes’ Guide during BESA’s sixth Annual Conference.
The new guide has been designed to educate landlords, tenants and homeowners about how they can tackle the problems of damp and mould at the source, with straightforward steps and advice to help improve the indoor environment.
Oliver Collins, channel marketing manager at Mitsubishi Electric, said: “We already have the tools and techniques to make improvements that could save people’s lives and make their homes a better place to live.
“We’re proud to launch this guide alongside BESA today, highlighting how challenges with damp and mould can be tackled and offering practical steps to do just that.”
BESA is urging local authorities, housing associations and other housing providers to make ventilation upgrades a key part of retrofit and refurbishment programmes. With up to £80m of government funding being made available to social housing tenants to make their homes more energy efficient, the Association said this was an opportunity to take an ‘all round approach’ to tackling poor quality housing.
Graeme Fox, BESA technical director, added: “There must be more joined up thinking to ensure addressing IAQ and condensation issues is factored in when insulation and other energy efficiency measures are upgraded.
“We can, and we must, tackle mould and damp alongside the push for net zero carbon.”
In the guide, Mitsubishi Electric and BESA outline the challenges of spotting mould in homes, where mould comes from and how homes become damp. It also covers four steps to creating mould-free homes, including: tackle sources of dampness around the building, improve ventilation, improve heating and make a home that people can live in