I had no idea there was a problem until we had new carpets laid.
The fitters alerted me to ugly black mold strains on the chipboard floor, mainly in one alcoved corner.
The black mold seems to be mainly spreading out from where there are screws, which have gone rusty, and also on one edge next to the outside wall.
My moisture meter says the chipboard floor is 20% around the screws, otherwise 10%
I have taken up a section to invest.
There is a concrete floor with wooden battens about 1.5" deep, and polystyrene sheets in between the battens.
I found really black mold on the underside of the chipboard in places, in one place with brown veins running through it where it was sitting on top of the polystyrene.
I have a moisture meter which says 40% in the concrete, skirting 15%, wall plaster 20%, battens 15% rising to 20-25% near the screws.
The chipboard surface is 10% except near the screws its 20%
I suspect the screws used to screw down the battens have penetrated the dpc.
The house is built on a slope, and the alcoved part is essentially underground.
The walls feel dry (altough reading 20% moisture) and decoration is unaffected.
I would really like some advice!
The fitters alerted me to ugly black mold strains on the chipboard floor, mainly in one alcoved corner.
The black mold seems to be mainly spreading out from where there are screws, which have gone rusty, and also on one edge next to the outside wall.
My moisture meter says the chipboard floor is 20% around the screws, otherwise 10%
I have taken up a section to invest.
There is a concrete floor with wooden battens about 1.5" deep, and polystyrene sheets in between the battens.
I found really black mold on the underside of the chipboard in places, in one place with brown veins running through it where it was sitting on top of the polystyrene.
I have a moisture meter which says 40% in the concrete, skirting 15%, wall plaster 20%, battens 15% rising to 20-25% near the screws.
The chipboard surface is 10% except near the screws its 20%
I suspect the screws used to screw down the battens have penetrated the dpc.
The house is built on a slope, and the alcoved part is essentially underground.
The walls feel dry (altough reading 20% moisture) and decoration is unaffected.
I would really like some advice!