Hednesford couple tell of delight as bedroom makeover ends their mould hell
It is hard to believe these two pictures are of the same room.
Tenants Gail and Chris Jones felt like they had been on a TV makeover show when the transformation was complete.
The couple were distressed as they watched mould appear on the bedroom walls of their Hednesford home.
But after work on the apartment, commissioned by owners Cannock Chase Council, they could hardly believe the difference.
Mrs Jones said: "We feel like one of those families that appear on DIY SOS on the television. It looks fantastic.
"When my son came to visit, he said it looked like a hotel room. Even better, that dreadful smell has gone. The smell used to hit you as soon as you opened the downstairs door."
The couple believe their mould problem was the result of a bungled boiler fitting in October 2013 which led to 'horrendous' living conditions in the one-bedroom flat in Littleworth Road.
They said the mould caused between £1,000 and £2,000 of damage to furniture and clothes, made their home smell and irritated their chronic asthma.
The council blamed the problem on condensation.
Mrs Jones described 'disgusting brown sludge' running down the walls, which attracted black flies, forcing them to sleep in the living room.
The 48-year-old, who is a full-time carer for husband Chris, 52, an epileptic, said workers displaced roof tiles in the process of fitting the boiler which was suspected to be the root cause of the problem.
But a survey by a specialist external damp and condensation company was undertaken at the apartment and the mould was put down to condensation.
Ian Tennant, the council's head of housing, said: "The survey identified that the mould growth resulted from condensation and not from a roof leak. In order to address the problem a complete property ventilation system was installed."
The council visited in two stages, first to clean up the mould and install a humidifying system, and then, after three weeks they spent three and a half days redecorating.
Mrs Jones said: "It's like a huge weight has been lifted from our shoulders. It's the end of an 18-month nightmare."
