Mouldy ceiling, do I need ceiling replaced?

Crap_with_money.com

Evening all!

I'm looking for some advice regarding recurring mould on our en suite ceiling.

We moved into our current house in October '15. We're the 1st owners of the house.

Within 2-3 months black mould appeared on the en suite ceiling. Initially the builder said it was because they hadn't put vents in that side of the roof, then it was because the tubing for the extractor fan wasn't long enough.

Fast forward 3 years, they're now saying they've not extended the insulation as far as they should (about 1 foot short), creating a cold spot and causing mould to form. The tubing for the extractor is also apparently not long enough, causing a pool of condensed water to form around the extractor. Their plan is to extend the insulation, and paint the ceiling, but only the parts of the ceiling that directly show mould on them at the moment.

My worry, I've just been diagnosed with ME. The symptoms of which, I've had only since we moved in here, and which have gotten progressively worse. I've just discovered the symptoms of ME are similar to repeated exposure to mould.

My question, is their plan enough? Will that likely rid us of the mould? Will there be spores remaining in the plasterboard and existing insulation? Should the insulation and ceiling be replaced? Or at the very least, the full ceiling (which isn't massively big!) be treated with the mould block and repainted?

If this is potentially what's making me ill, I'd really like to make sure the necessary steps are taken to rid us of the mould as soon as possible. I'm really unsure where I find that out.

Thanks very much in advance.

dj1471

So long as the mould is properly treated with a fungicide and the problem has been correctly diagnosed and fixed that should do the trick.

Crap_with_money.com

Thanks very much for that.

Should they be treating the full ceiling? The ceiling isn't massive, the mould is probably covering about 50% of the ceiling, but in 4 different places. Their plan is only to treat the areas that visibly show mould. Will that be sufficient?

Thanks

GlowingG

My decorator says that HG mould foam remover is awesome for getting rid of black mould. It's a biocide (yup - who knew there was a word for that?)

Spray the surface from a distance of 3 to 5 cm with HG mould remover foam spray.

Leave the mould remover spray to work for approximately 30 minutes.

Clean with water and a sponge.

The result is a mould-free environment!

I am replacing my shower rail as the mould is in the runners.

Read the label and product information before use. I recommend gloves, a mask and good ventilation.

Make sure the repaint is done with a bathroom paint. Good luck.

Grey_Critic

If it was a new build is it not covered by any guarantees? If it is caused by a defect in the building then why not go down that route?

Owain_Moneysaver

If plasterboard has got wet through condensation it may have lost structural strength, so I'd be pushing for the ceiling to be replaced completely. However, that's rather disruptive and you might prefer to avoid that.

Fire_Fox

If they bodged the installation they did not meet Building Regs. Should not have been signed off for Building Control. I would not want the same installer, same registered person checking off their latest bodge repair.

Might or might not be too late to see what Building Control have to say about the whole debacle. Push your recent diagnosis. Indoor air quality and its links to health and illness is a big thing in local and national government. Certain species of mould are part of that but not the whole picture.

Work in writing (e-mail) where possible. Utilise your ward councillors and/ or MP if it's too much pushing with Building Control. Again reiterate your recent diagnosis.