MOULD JOURNEY · 02
When Mould Keeps Returning
You cleaned it. But there it is again.
Perhaps the mould has returned to the same place.
Perhaps you’re beginning to notice it somewhere else in the room.
There may be condensation that keeps appearing, a space that stays damp, a musty smell that never quite leaves, or signs of an earlier water event.
At this point, it can be useful to widen the view.
Rather than looking only at the mould, let’s begin looking at what is happening around it.
What keeps happening?
Think about what you have noticed over time.
Does the mould return to the same place after cleaning?
Does the room regularly feel damp or musty?
Do windows collect condensation?
Does anything change after rain?
Has there been a roof leak, plumbing leak, overflow or other water event?
Does the bathroom, kitchen or laundry take a long time to dry?
Are you beginning to notice similar signs in more than one place?
You are looking for a pattern.
Sometimes when something happens can be just as useful as where it happens.
Look beyond the mould
Start outside.
Take a walk around the home.
Look up.
Look down.
Look around.
Consider:
- the roofline and gutters
- downpipes and drainage
- exterior walls
- windows and doors
- garden beds and ground levels beside the building
- places where rainwater collects or travels
- ventilation openings and subfloor areas where applicable
Then come inside and look at the corresponding areas.
What is happening above, below, behind or beside the place where you keep finding mould?
Follow the water
Water has a way of travelling.
The place where you see a mark, dampness or mould may not always be the place where moisture first entered.
Above
Roof, gutters, flashing, ceiling spaces, bathrooms or plumbing above.
Beside
Windows, exterior walls, plumbing, showers, adjoining wet areas and ground levels.
Below
Flooring, subfloor, exposed soil, drainage and moisture beneath the building.
Inside
Cooking, showering, drying clothes, heating, ventilation, condensation and everyday moisture created within the home.
You don’t need to know the answer yet.
You are learning where to look.
Ask Questions
When did you first notice it?
What was happening around that time?
Has anything been repaired since?
What happens after heavy rain?
What happens during colder months?
Does the area dry completely?
Is air able to move through the room?
Are extraction fans moving moist air effectively outside?
Is furniture sitting tightly against a cooler wall?
Is there a roof space, crawl space or subfloor that may also need looking at?
And perhaps most importantly:
What keeps repeating?
How would nature solve it?
Three simple steps can help us think about what happens next.
Remove · Rejig · Revive
1. Remove
Begin with what you have discovered.
Has a leak been found?
Is water entering around a window or roof?
Is condensation regularly collecting?
Is moisture coming from beneath or beside the building?
Is something preventing the space from drying?
Start with the source.
Where possible, address the cause of the unwanted moisture.
That may mean repairing a leak, clearing a drainage problem, improving extraction, drying a wet area or bringing in the appropriate trade or professional for something that needs further investigation.
Removing visible mould without addressing the moisture conditions around it may leave the reason it developed unchanged.
2. Rejig
Now look at how the space itself is working.
Can air move?
Can wet areas dry properly?
Is extraction working effectively?
Is furniture sitting tightly against a cooler wall?
Are belongings packed into a damp or poorly ventilated space?
Could everyday activities be adding more moisture than the room can readily manage?
What could work differently?
Sometimes moving furniture, improving circulation, using extraction more effectively, changing where wet laundry dries or allowing a space to dry thoroughly can make a meaningful difference.
Make the changes that are appropriate for what you have found.
3. Revive
Once the source has been addressed and the space has been appropriately cleaned and dried, give it some time.
Then return.
Look again.
Does it smell different?
Does the room feel different?
Is the area staying dry?
Has the mould returned?
Has anything new appeared nearby?
Reviving a space isn’t simply about making the mould disappear. It is about changing the conditions that allowed it to keep returning.
Reassess
This is an important part of the journey.
You looked.
You followed the water.
You asked questions.
You made changes based on what you found.
Now ask:
Did the conditions change?
If they did, keep observing and maintaining what is working.
If they didn’t, there may be another piece of the picture still waiting to be found.
Is the picture becoming bigger?
Perhaps the mould is no longer confined to one room.
Perhaps several rooms are affected.
Perhaps there has been significant water damage.
Or perhaps you have followed the clues and realised there are several things happening within, beneath or around the building.
At that point, it can be useful to stop looking at each patch as a separate event.
It may be time to look at the home as a whole.
Continue your mould journey
Found something you can act on?
If your observations point towards humidity, drying, a confined damp space or musty odours, you can explore practical moisture and odour options for the home.