Ceiling turning black

Hi Guys,

I am not sure where to put this, and it relates to my current place of residence and not an investment property, but I think you guys could really give me some advice or insight into this issue.

I currently live in an old house, Victoria/Edwardian style house.

The house is well maintained, but recently I started noticing the ceiling is turning black with black spots and it seems to be spreading in two bedrooms and in the laundry (no dryer in the laundry). From researching online, it appears to be a mold problem, as in the one of the bedroom there is a distinct earthy smell.

The laundry ceiling is of a lighter color than the bedrooms, more grey as opposed to black.

Could anyone with more experience advise given the age of the house?

If it is indeed mold, does this mean a leaky roof? I do not see any wet spots on the ceiling, just black spots.

And finally, what kind of trades men/women should I call to remove the mold/check if roof is leaky? I am in Inner West of Sydney.

Thanks!
 
Hi there

Wow that is no good at all. Regardless of what you choose to do, definitely get onto it swiftly as mould can cause health issues.

There are a number of mould removal products on the market which you could try to see if they manage to curb the problem (wear suitable protective gear), and there are also companies that can come and diagnose the issue and resolve it for you (a google search on "mould removal" will find such organisations easily for you ).

On the topic of pondering how it has occurred, mould often grows where there is damp in the air ... so for example in a bathroom where a suitable exhaust fan is used, or in rooms where wet washing is regularly left to dry on airers. Another example is where there is a big difference between the outside and inside temperatures (eg super cold outside with heaters burning all the time can cause condensation on the windows). Dehumidifiers can be used to control this, but best to try and identify the cause and deal with it properly rather than implement solutions that will only hike your electricity bill.

A leak could certainly be the cause or a contributor. Have you had someone pop into the roof cavity to investigate?
 
Dear Orin

Could I suggest you have a little look at your gutters?

They may be full of leaves and casing a bit of an overflow?

A ladder may be all you need, or a handy man or woman?


Have a look at your roof, and the joining bits.. I think they are called valleys, has there been some lead lifted?

Do attend to it, quickly because if it goes on for a while it could cause plenty of other probs.

Also the black staining will need to be attended to, but you will need to attend to where its actually coming from first
Good luck,


I hope this helps
 
Just one question?
Do you have a tiled roof or color-bond / iron ?

If you have a tiled roof I would get it looked at as I believe this could be the source of your problem.

A couple of photos would help as well as it would give us some idea of your problem,the yard outside, is it covered in shade all day?etc
 
Just one question?
Do you have a tiled roof or color-bond / iron ?

If you have a tiled roof I would get it looked at as I believe this could be the source of your problem.

A couple of photos would help as well as it would give us some idea of your problem,the yard outside, is it covered in shade all day?etc


The roof slate, so definitely could be a problem as it is very old.

I have attached some photos. The yard is grass with trees and it is directly shading the 1st bedroom. The second bedroom have shrubbery growing outside the window, but also getting plenty of sun.

The 1st photo showing bedroom one, that bedroom does not get much sun as it is shaded by a patio/covered area and tree directly outside the bedroom window.

Thank you for all your suggestions. I have given Mouldpro a call, and they will come over tomorrow to do an assessment.
 

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Had similar problems at a house we owned, was caused by a leaky skylight. I'd start by looking for leaks in the roof. Find the source of the moisture otherwise the mold will just keep coming back through the paint.

Regards
Graeme
 
Had a guy from Mouldpro come through, and was quote cleaning of the mould and house $1,500. The house is quite big.

Install two ventilation fans at the bottom of the house $2500 to resolve the problem.

He said the mould issue on the ceiling was coming from the dump area at the bottom of the house and this will resolve the problem.

Just want to know if this is reasonable?

He was very nice and professional.
 
do you have brick vents so ventilate your subfloor, external walls and roof space? i would install brick vents and a whirly bird or two if not already done the house needs to breath by air circulating through it, you may also want check under house any signs of water coming in during rain could be from a broken downpipe or something else easy to fix...

i wouldnt trust the word of a salesman and get a second opinion it is obviously a mould problem not a water leak. but i would try and fix the acutal problem rather than a band aid solutions like mechanical fans
 
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