A couple living in a Bulwell council home feared they could 'have been walking in water' in the property had they not found damage from a leak sooner. Ashley Daws, who lives in the property with his partner, said he found the issue when he had been moving furniture in the living room to clean.
Explaining he found an area of mould on the carpet last month, when he lifted the carpet Mr Daws said he found that all of the underlay was damp and there were large areas of mould across the living room floor. He explained a leak - believed to be from a next door property - had caused the problem.
Mr Daws said: "It was a slow leak that caused it but how long this leak has been ongoing for nobody seems to know, but if we had not lifted the carpets when we had done it could have been a lot worse and we would have been walking in water.
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"We have a large living room, it's like 5m by 4m or 4m by 4m, and from one end of the living room right to the other the underlay was sodden."
Officials at Nottingham City Homes said they'd sent technicians out to fix the leak and speak to the couple about any repairs. The couple were given dehumidifiers to help dry out the home. NCH said that staff were due to arrange for staff to clean the floor, on the request of Mr Daws.
Mr Daws, who is 49, has lived in the property with his partner since 2016. But Mr Daws said they had been battling mould and flooding for the last two years. He said the couple had even replaced furniture as a result.
Regarding the mould, Mr Daws said he has tried to clean it up as best as he can because his partner suffers from respiratory issues and has to use a ventilator at night for sleep apnoea. "Because of my partner's respiratory problems and the mould that has been reported on several occasions we shouldn't even be living here."
He said NCH had supplied two dehumidifiers for the property but that the couple's use of multiple heaters and dehumidifiers was wracking up their energy bill. He added the couple were "fighting a losing battle" and claimed their home had been 'ruined'.
A spokesperson for Nottingham City Homes said: “We’ve been working hard to support Mr Daws and his partner after a water leak at a neighbouring property affected their home. We sent technicians around quickly to fix the problem and speak to them about any repairs, including supplying dehumidifiers to help dry out their home.
“We will be arranging shortly to clean the floor, which was requested by Mr Daws, and have already helped him secure the maximum amount he can claim in energy bill support through the Government’s Household Support Fund. We understand there may be further grants to apply for in the coming months towards gas and electricity bills.”
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