Australian climate · 1 min read
Mould and the Australian climate: what commercial buildings are up against
From tropical Queensland to coastal Sydney and Melbourne winters — how climate drives mould risk across Australia's commercial building stock.
Australia is not one climate. A building in Cairns, a building in Sydney and a building in Hobart face different mould pressures, and their treatment programs should look different too.
Tropical north
High humidity for months at a time, a wet season that saturates everything, and air-conditioning that runs continuously. Mould here is a permanent condition, not an event. Monthly programs are common.
Subtropical and coastal east
Brisbane, Sydney, the coast between them. Humid summers, storm events, salt air and buildings that swing between air-conditioned and open. Quarterly programs with post-storm response.
Temperate south
Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart. Cold winters produce condensation on external walls and windows in heated buildings; older stock with poor insulation is most affected. Seasonal treatment before and after winter.
West
Perth’s dry summers give way to wet winters; coastal exposure and older commercial stock combine. Seasonal programs aligned to the wet months.
The common factor
Wherever the building is, the conditions are not going away. The question is whether mould is managed on a schedule or discovered by complaint.