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Sydney's rain and humidity triggers outbreak of dangerous mould

Julie Power
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Stacy Smith's family were forced to quit their new beachside home after mould rotted the carpet of one of the children's bedrooms and infiltrated the walls and ceiling, resulting in dangerously high levels of mycotoxins. 

"My family has a major sensitivity to mould," said Ms Smith, a pseudonym. The family are now suing the builder for costs associated with repairs, remediation and living elsewhere.

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Within two months of moving in, Ms Smith said heavy rain sent water running down the walls of the modern home on Sydney's northern beaches. Behind its walls, the rain was pouring in through a leak in the roof which helped spread mould, allegedly contained in damp building materials hidden behind plasterwork.

The wettest March in 42 years has created the  "perfect" conditions for mould, said Ibrahim Ech, the principal work health safety consultant with Safety and Environmental Services.  

While some mould appears immediately after rain, dangerous black mould – which can make some people seriously ill – only forms after a few months of damp conditions.

Mr Ech's Sydney-based company has received many calls from people experiencing problems. Extended rainfall and humidity can reactivate dormant mould, and it proliferates. Families are also complaining of mould appearing on clothes.

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As well as testing the mould at the Smith's home, building biologist Jeanette Williams, a consultant for EcoLibria, has been called out to outbreaks of mould in schools and government offices.

A mask covers her face and mouth to keep out spores that can cause allergic responses and asthma, including some that are unsafe to people with compromised immune systems.

To measure humidity at the Smiths' home, Ms Williams used a hygrometer. On Thursday morning, the child's bedroom registered 78 per cent, nearly twice the ideal level recommended by the Australian Asthma Council.

"When there is high humidity outside, it will be high inside, and ripe for mould to grow. And if you have moisture problems that will exacerbate it. With so much humidity right now, we can't dry out inside," Ms Williams said. 

The carpet had been pulled back to reveal a patch of black mould more than a metre square, while holes in the ceilings and walls revealed mould on the wood structure hidden by plasterboard.

While many people are familiar with black or grey mould, a report by EcoLibria's Raphael Sikert said mould comes in all colours, including pink, green and blue. Often it can't be seen. "Mould does not need to be seen or smelt for it to be a potential problem."

Dead mould spores – invisible to the naked eye – can make some people sick if the dust travels through floorboards or is disturbed. Around a quarter of the population does not have the immune response to create antibodies to biotoxins created by water damage in a home, and this makes them more vulnerable to illness. 

On the other side of Sydney, Helen W (last name withheld) is suing her former landlord for more than $30,000 in damage to furniture, clothing and property caused by damp and mould.

"When it rained particularly badly, we had flooding," she said. "That's when our roof started leaking, water was coming under kitchen cupboards for three days solidly. It was a yellow mysterious liquid, sort of urine-coloured." she added.

The smell got worse, and clothes, furniture and boots would get covered in mould in weeks, and many items were ruined or required professional remediation. Helen would pull wooden utensils out of cupboards to find them "green with mould".

She'd also get wheezy and short of breath, and cough. "My nose will run, and I'd get strings of mucus in my eyes."

Disputes between tenants and landlords were common at this time of year, said Ned Cutcher, a senior policy officer with the Tenants' Union of NSW.  

They were often difficult to resolve: a landlord may blame the tenant for failing to keep the property clean or to ventilate effectively, but structural problems may make it difficult for a tenant to keep a property mould free, he said.

"There are plenty of examples of properties that look good, with a new coat of paint, and after three months the mould starts again. So the fix has been cosmetic."

Mould-busting tips

  1. Remove dust and clutter: Mould feeds on organic material and dust. 
  2. Don't use bleach: It can feed the mould, not kill it. 
  3. To remove mould, use four parts vinegar to one part water with some 100 per cent clove essential oil.
  4. Always use microfibre cloths to physically remove mould from a surface.
  5. Naturally ventilate as much as possible by opening windows and allow as much natural light into the house as possible.
  6. Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter.
  7. Spills and floods need to be completely dried within 48 hours. 

Source: EcoLibria - www.ecolibria.com.au