I once was told that the use of air conditioning in the UAE is like “trying to maintain a fridge in an oven. This is especially true at this time of the year, when the outside air is hot, humid, and dusty. It is also this time of the year when Mold in your home is a common issue.
One of the main side effects of poor air conditioning and ventilation is when moisture begins to condense on surfaces. The moisture, if left uninvestigated, leads to damage of ceilings and walls and will eventually lead to mold growth.
To identify and control these issues early, professional indoor air quality testing and indoor air quality monitoring can help detect excess humidity, poor ventilation, and airborne contaminants before mold becomes visible. Combined with AC duct cleaning and ventilation assessments, these services address the root causes of mold rather than just the symptoms.
Wherever I go in the UAE, when I walk into a building, there is an 80% chance that somewhere, in a corridor, a back-of-house area, I will see mold growth. The picture above shows a case in a newer area of Dubai.
Mold or mould growth of any kind is a serious health and safety issue. I am not saying that as soon as you see mold, you instantly get tuberculosis, but if a person is predisposed to respiratory illness (asthma, emphysema, etc.), it makes living in the environment hazardous. In terms of exposure to people without respiratory illness, one may start to develop symptoms related to sick building syndrome.
So when you see mold, what should you do? The first step is a professional inspection. We offer free advice and inspections, supported by indoor air quality testing, humidity assessment, and airflow analysis, to identify the root cause of mold growth. Based on our findings, we provide professional remediation to ensure the issue does not return.
What you should not do is:
Paint over the mold – it will only grow back. Also, by painting it, the mold spores become airborne and can be transferred to other areas of the house, and also will get inside your lungs
Rub it with bleach or Tea Tree oil again; it may kill the mold on the surface of the wall/ ceiling, but it will only come back because the moisture source has not been treated.
If you are reading this and you are a facility manager and you have mold in your corridors, Envida provides a mold removal service as well as mold removal training for your maintenance teams. The first rule for any mold remediation service is the safety of the remediators and the occupants of the premises.
If you have any questions, please call us on 044219510
What are the Benefits of Clean Air?
By removing airborne particles and pollutants, individuals suffering from allergies or asthma may see relief from clean air. Even healthy individuals will see an improvement in breathing because particulates that were once circulating and contaminating the indoor air are no longer entering the respiratory system.
How Will I Know if I Need My Air Ducts Cleaned?
Air ducts should be inspected regularly to assess if they are dirty or clean (as per NADCA ACR 2013). If the system is found to be dirty, it should thenbe cleaned to help reduce pollutants in the air and improve indoor air quality. Look out for these signs:
- Visible mold growth
- Odors or allergic reactions
- Dust and debris are coming out of the register
- An unusual amount of dust on furniture and surfaces
To schedule your appointment to get your air ducts cleaned, give Envida a call today on 971 4 3617949 or email us at admin@envida.ae.
