Damp, condensation, and mould: What is a healthy building?

April 11, 2025

image: © Cornerstone Management Limited

Why are dampness, condensation, and mould still issues, and how do I know if the building I live, work, or learn in is healthy? Cornerstone Management Limited responds here

Damp, condensation, and mould are unsightly aspects of a building, but did you know they are only ‘symptoms’ of a problem? Is finding the root cause key to rectifying them?

David Bly, Director of Cornerstone Management Services Limited, an independent expert surveying company providing damp and mould-related surveys across the UK for typically social and local authority housing, the National House Building Council (NHBC), care homes and hospitals, explains their findings and how their reported transparent outcomes have served to provide cost-effective solutions across the industries they serve.

With fact-based data to date indicating 91% of all surveyed properties were dry, there is a greater emphasis on determining how everyday atmospheric moisture generation is managed to achieve ventilation adequacy”.

image: © Cornerstone Management Limited

Replace blame with did you know?

Extractors in and around open windows and/or trickle vents serve to draw air in and straight out whilst not clearing the room.

Optimum extraction is with doors also closed with a 10mm undercut between the door and floor finish to provide make-up air for the extractor.

Ventilation adequacy includes the current operating efficiency of an extractor for optimum performance & maximum extraction.

Ventilation adequacy also includes efficient ducting to the exterior in a clean, clear and short manner in order to reduce the potential for performance and energy loss.

So, how do we assess, interpret and manage damp, condensation and mould problems?

Sharing SMART knowledge

Cornerstone has witnessed many problems with varying levels of impact, and it has always been their goal to fully investigate what aspects led to its creation because dampness is an issue and mould is a symptom.

Why is mould in one area of the ceiling and not in others? In simple terms, if an area of the structure is not at the same temperature as the remaining areas, it can develop localised beads of condensation when the warm internal air comes into contact with it, resulting in a key nutrient for mould spores already in the atmosphere. Hence, mould in one location can readily release spores to travel through a building.

Enquire now to try our new…

PROPERTY HEALTH APP

A unique platform with advanced knowledge of and credible immediate solutions in a recognisable manner.

With experience embraced by a host of clients across many sectors, Cornerstone have developed a unique SMART Knowledge App for property health-related issues that serves to deliver timely guidance for the problem, why and where it is and what can be undertaken in a recognisable timely process for all.

Alongside an embedded Knowledge Base, those entering the App are met with simplistic step-by-step reasoning, likely causes and effective immediate solutions by providing key guidance for removing mould with suitable products, for example.

Being able to readily embrace knowledge in a 24/7 manner can uphold the need for a timely intervention of such issues whilst providing SMART Knowledge for future healthy living, working, learning and personal welfare locations.

By definition, a healthy building should be one that does not experience any defects that could contribute to its comfortable environment, with elements installed to manage the internal atmospheric operation with ‘adequacy’ in their delivery.

It is recognised certain aspects are either broken, isolated or simply too noisy to operate, leading to periods of non-use that, alongside ‘normal’ contributory factors including everyday breathing, cooking, bathing, washing, etc., can lead to noticeable issues that are not readily understandable.

In general, mould takes time to germinate with penetrating damp also taking time for it to absorb into the structure. Therefore, in many cases the problems are driven in the main by periodic trends that, if left unnoticed, can result in visual evidence on surfaces and personal items.

Sharing knowledge will deliver timely cost-effective solutions in a proactive approach.

How we live our everyday lives may vary from home to home, many activities whilst they may generate significant internal atmospheric moisture, can become less frequent and less of an inconvenience when supported with guidance and knowledge in a recognisable format with evidence indicating this approach has demonstrated occupant interaction.