Tag: mould

Welcome to Brisbane, where everyone has a mould or mildew colony somewhere in their home. Mould and mildew spores thrive in a warm, sultry environment and will thrive in bathrooms, walls, ceilings, under your home, or in any room where there’s sufficient condensation. It’s frustrating. It’s unsightly. Depending on the kind of mould, it can be a health hazard, but sometimes, it’s a sign of a disaster waiting to happen. Here’s how to know the difference.

First, Is It Mould or Mildew – What’s the Difference?

Mould and mildew are both filamentous fungi – or multicellular fungi. Mildew grows ‘flat’ and is white or grey in colour whereas mould comes in a variety of colours and appears raised. Both mould and mildew pose health risks, but some types of mould can cause serious illness, especially to children and people with pre-existing health challenges. Living with indoor dampness and fungal contamination is associated with a 30-50% increase in your risk of developing asthma. From a plumbing point of view, mould vs mildew makes little difference, because the root cause of a mould or mildew outbreak is moisture.

Where Is the Mould or Mildew Growing?

Mould and mildew can simply be a symptom of Brisbane’s weather, and how we manage it. Every summer, we crank the air-conditioning, and we wake to condensation on our windows. That moisture provides an ideal habitat for fungi to settle in. But it’s not a sign of plumbing problems (more likely that your air-conditioner settings need adjusting and it’s probably time to get your system cleaned and mould treated). Set your air-conditioner to ‘dry mode’ and on mild days, opt for open windows instead.

Mildew or Mould in Your Bathroom or Other Wet Areas

All bathrooms get mouldy from time to time. Your kitchen too, is a hot spot for warm moist air. Mould around the seals on your shower is annoying but not a plumbing problem. But mould in your walls could be a very serious problem. It’s not just your bathroom, kitchen and laundry walls, any wall that houses a pipe could be a candidate for a catastrophic plumbing problem. Mould as a result of a water leak however is a costly disaster waiting to happen, or more accurately, is already happening!

• A musty smell in your bathroom
• Damp, dank air in the bathroom, even when it’s been properly ventilated
• Mould under sinks or basins, or around pipes
• Damp patches on carpet or moisture on walls and floors in neighbouring rooms.
• Mould behind a toilet or near the sewer drain
• Mould around the baseboards or in a concentrated area of a wall
• Warping or softening of your walls or floors

Mould or Mildew on Your Ceiling

Again, condensation is the usual culprit for mould on your ceiling but sometimes, ceiling mould can be a sign of a leaking pipe in the ceiling cavity or a leak in your roof. This can penetrate your walls in no time – and cause extensive damage. Note that wet area ceiling paint contains mould inhibitors, so while the water could be pooling in your ceiling, you may not receive an early warning from your ‘mouldy housemates.’

• Softening, sagging or misshaped ceilings
• Mould or mildew in an isolated spot on your ceiling
• Mould or mildew in any joins in your ceiling (especially in metallic roofing)
• Loosening or mouldering of architraves or frames
• Musty smells and ‘dank’ air.

Under Floor Mould in Homes – Brisbane’s Newest Mould Problem

Diagnosing under floor mould colonies has become a ‘high demand service’ for plumbers in Brisbane. Flooding can introduce new mould spores to your property and the trapped moisture and extra damp soil allows for a fungal colony to thrive under the floorboards of a raised house. But flooding is also tough on your drains, even drains that run through your foundations. If you find mould under your house or smell it permeating up through your floors, you should call Salmon Plumbing immediately. If a pipe or drain is leaking under your home, it can impact the foundations of your home, causing concrete cancer or timber rot in stumps. It’s imperative that you find out what’s causing the mould before disaster strikes.

Is Mould Diagnosis and Treatment Expensive?

The longer it goes undetected the more expensive a mould problem becomes. Mould colonies take 24 to 48 hours to start growing once they find an appropriate wet environment. Within 2-3 weeks it’s visually noticeable. By the time you notice a new mould patch on your walls, floors or ceilings, the leak is already up to three weeks old.

Imagine pouring a bucket of water onto your carpet every day for three weeks, and then keeping it tightly contained in a drywall box, with little ventilation. It smells. The carpet is ruined. The water soon starts to destroy everything nearby. The mould is living its best fungi life. That’s what could be going on in your walls, or worse. Meanwhile the original leak continues to get worse, and worse, until a trickle, becomes a burst.

How Do We Diagnose Mould Problems in Your Home?

Salmon Plumbing offers an affordable mould diagnostic service in Brisbane.

1. Call us to book in a consultation.
2. Our plumber will come to you, inspect your mould or mildew issue and find the source.
3. Your plumber will confirm if it’s a leak related problem or if you need to seek the help of a roofer or an air-conditioning technician.
4. If your plumber determines that your mould or mildew issue is likely related to a plumbing problem, they’ll outline the next steps for leak detection and repair.

What Does It Cost to Fix a Leaking Pipe in a Wall, Foundation or Ceiling?

If we find a plumbing problem, the cost of your initial diagnosis will be included in the repairs. The plumbing cost of repairing a leaking pipe in a foundation, wall or ceiling depends on:

• How long the leak has been flooding the area.
• The extent of the damage to plumbing infrastructure.
• How difficult it is to access the leak.
• The cost of materials needed to repair the leak.
• The root cause of the leak (force, corrosion, age etc can all damage pipes, some are easier to repair than others.)

How to Minimise the Cost of Repairing a Leaking Pipe

• Check your insurance wording carefully.
• Monitor your water bills for any unexplained increases.
• Choose a professional plumbing company equipped with CCTV and modern leak. detection tools – this saves you time, and time is the biggest factor in tradie charges.
• Choose a Brisbane plumber that provides pipe relining (read more about our pipe relining option). This allows for leak repair WITHOUT digging up the entire foundation!
• Ask your plumbing company about their experience with leak repairs.

The Best Way to Save Big Time on Wall, Ceiling and Foundation Leaks?

The biggest way to save money on leaking pipe repairs is to catch them early! Your plumber can repair the pipes, but the cost of fixing structural damage can be astronomical. If you see a new, concentrated area of mould or mildew in your home, call a plumber right away. Do not wait for the mould patch to spread. Do not put it on your to-do list. Call us the moment you notice a new mould or mildew patch. It’ll save you money, and possibly your health!