When getting rid of damp and mould alike, many people forget that they must protect themselves in order to stay safe from harmful mould spores. Whilst it is paramount that you take the correct precautionary steps to stay safe when treating your damp, including wearing a respirator or facemask to avoid inhaling toxic mould fragments, Kenwood cellar tanking is equally as effective when it comes to finding a solution to stop water penetrating your home’s basement. To reduce your risk of experiencing respiratory problems and developing eczema due to high exposure of mould and dampness, take a look at our top tips below.
Wear A Respirator Or Facemask
If you are exposed to black mould for a prolonged period of time, it can shut down your organs and damage your brain, which can be fatal. As a result, it is paramount that when treating your damp, you wear a respirator or facemask when removing mould spores, especially black mould. Moreover, when treating your damp, it is essential to be aware that black mould has the ability to harm anyone – including your pets – which is why you must ensure young, sick and elderly people especially remain away from the troublesome area. Most importantly, however, black mould considerably endangers pregnant women. Women who are pregnant and come into contact with this harmful mould may suffer from a miscarriage or infertility in the future.
Cover Up
In order to stay safe when treating your damp, it is paramount to ensure your arms, legs and hands are covered at all times when removing black mould, for example, to avoid contact with harmful mould spores. By ensuring your arms, legs and hands are covered at all times when treating your damp, you will ultimately reduce the risk of coming into contact with mould spores during cleaning. As well as reducing the risk of coming into contact with the mould spores, covering your hands will help protect your skin from the hazardous chemicals you may be using to treat the mould.
Get A Dehumidifier
Another great way to stay safe when preventing damp from entering your home is to get a dehumidifier. Ultimately, the role of a dehumidifier is to extract moisture out of the air in order to prevent mould growth, which is why getting a dehumidifier in your home, apartment, basement or office space is a great investment. Not only will a dehumidifier help prevent mould growth, but it will get rid of musty smells and mildew that may significantly affect your health. Alongside this, a dehumidifier will minimise condensation, which may cause pneumonia, sinusitis or worsen asthma.
Ventilate The House
When treating your damp, it is of prime importance that you ventilate the house prior to treating your damp, as well as for some time after once the treatment is complete. Not only will opening the windows in the room the damp has settled in help remove the stomach-churning smell as well as that of the chemicals you have used to treat mould spores, but it will also remove the lingering smell of chemicals that you have used to treat your damp.
There are several ways that you can stay safe when treating your damp. Black mould especially releases deadly mycotoxin spores which can encourage neurological breakdown and damage your immune system. In order to ensure you stay safe when treating your damp, take into consideration our top tips as explained in more detail above – and don’t forget to ventilate the house during and after mould extraction!