Home Damp and mould removal Leicester
Mould removal and damp treatment in Leicester
We pass your request to damp specialists covering Leicester, who should diagnose the source before any treatment.
Black mould on a bedroom wall is rarely a cleaning problem. It is a moisture problem, and in Leicester it usually has one of three causes: condensation on cold walls, rain getting through old brickwork, or water rising where a damp-proof course has failed or been bridged.
The 2021 Census found over half of Leicester households renting, privately or socially. For them, who pays for the fix matters as much as what the fix is.
Leicester at a glance
- Age of homes
- 26% of homes in Leicester were built before 1919, and 20% before 1900, according to the Valuation Office Agency's March 2024 count. Source
- Renting
- 29.4% of Leicester households rented privately in 2021 and 23.2% rented from the council or a housing association. Fewer than half (46.7%) owned their home. Source
- Local grant
- Leicester City Council was awarded £4,507,699 of Warm Homes: Local Grant funding for privately owned homes rated EPC D to G, aimed at households with income under £36,000. Source
When you rent
Report damp and mould to your landlord in writing, with photos and dates. Social landlords must now investigate and act within fixed timescales under Awaab's Law, which covers council and housing association tenants. Private landlords must keep the home free of serious hazards, and the council's housing team can inspect if they don't.
Don't let anyone blame the problem entirely on drying washing indoors before the walls, gutters and ventilation have been checked.
What a good survey looks at
The surveyor should measure moisture in the walls at different heights, check outside for blocked gutters, leaking downpipes and soil piled above the damp-proof course, and test ventilation. In a solid-walled terrace from before 1919, they should also ask whether cement render or plastic paint has been used on breathable brick.
Be wary of anyone who recommends chemical injection before checking these simpler causes.
After the cause is fixed
Clean small patches with a mould-killing product, wearing gloves and a mask. The full method is in our guide to removing mould from walls. Then keep the room above about 16°C and use the extractor fans, so the walls stay warmer than the dew point.
Leicester homes and what they need
Red-brick Victorian terraces
Corners of rear bedrooms and the wall behind the wardrobe are classic condensation spots. Move furniture a few centimetres off outside walls.
Interwar and postwar semis
Cavity walls filled years ago can let damp across if the insulation got wet. A survey with an inspection camera shows whether that is the cause.
Estates built from the 1990s onwards
Mould here is nearly always condensation. Check that the trickle vents are open and the bathroom fan actually pulls air, using a sheet of tissue held against the grille.
Areas covered
Engineers who cover Leicester work across areas including Clarendon Park, Stoneygate, Knighton, Belgrave, Evington, Aylestone, Braunstone, Oadby, Wigston and Birstall.
Questions people in Leicester ask
Can I get help paying to fix damp?
If you own your home or rent privately and your income is low, Leicester's Warm Homes: Local Grant can fund insulation and ventilation that stop condensation. It does not pay for mould cleaning itself.
Should I paint over mould?
Leave the paint until the wall has dried out and the source of moisture is gone. Anti-mould paint on a damp wall only hides the problem for a few weeks.
Sources
- ONS Census 2021, table TS054 tenure (Nomis)
- GOV.UK: Awaab's Law guidance for social housing tenants
- VOA: Council Tax stock of properties 2024
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