Sensors to measure mould and damp
Homes to be fitted with tech to monitor levels
The levels of damp and mould in West Lothian Council homes are to be studied under a new project which will see monitors fitted to a range of houses.
West Lothian is only the third authority in Scotland to introduce the project, which will help it to build a picture of damp problems across its housing stock.
A pilot group of 100 properties will be fitted with the sensors in the next few weeks, at a cost of £420 per property.
The service will develop a monitoring strategy that is aligned to tenants’ needs and use the data the service holds already to support tenants in improving the quality of their homes.
A series of investigations into damp problems was launched last year following news reports of the death of a two year-old Awaab Ishak as a result of a respiratory condition caused by mould in his home in Greater Manchester.
We reported last month how Winchburgh woman Carolanne Gemmell’s home is riddled with damp and black mould that means she will have to move out for at least a year while roof repairs are done.
And last year we reported how Wendy Redpath, also from Winchburgh, was plagued with damp and mould in her home. In a report,
Marjory Mackie, housing strategy and development manager said: “The sensors will be installed to measure temperature, humidity and CO2.
“The Environmental Sensors provide actionable insights into conditions such as mould risk, draught risk, excess cold, heat
loss and indoor air quality. The data will be available to council tenants via a resident’s app and they will be provided with personalised, user friendly data and insight into their home health through an overall rating and handy advice on the measures they can take to improve the quality of their
home.” Ms Mackie added: “The council will also be able access information via a dashboard, which will assist the council with a better understanding of any issues and will inform actions including campaigns, staff resource deployment and property investment in a proactive way.”