A Wiltshire mother says the damp in her home is so bad it has caused serious medical problems – including extreme face swelling.
Kate Hargreaves, 42, has lived in her home for eight years – and says it is making her and her ten-year-old son ill.
She says it includes noticeable swelling to her face, closed throat, raspy breathing and coughing.
Kate also suffers from serious fatigue and at one point her symptoms were so bad a paramedic mistakenly thought she suffered a stroke.
The mum-of-two and grandmother-of-one is convinced the problems stem from damp in her home in Calne.
She believes the cause was wall cavity insulation work carried out incorrectly, something strongly refuted by landlord Sovereign.
She said: “It’s an allergic response to the poison we are constantly breathing in, it’s slowly getting worse and now we can’t even sleep in our bedrooms, we live downstairs on the sofa.
“I’ve got all these difficulties and I just want my house to not make me poorly, it impacts my whole life and it’s scary.
“It’s the most ridiculous scenario, my house is going to kill me, but nobody wants to help.”
Multiple GP letters agreed her symptoms seem to “directly relate” to spending time at home and that there were “no other apparent triggers.”
As a result, Kate is forced to leave the property for long periods every day.
An IAQ Home Survey test in July found “high” levels of formaldehyde in the property which could cause “health issues.”
Two earlier tests indicated the levels were “elevated” and “moderate”, and Kate was informed this was “normal.”
Sovereign insists checks have been repeatedly carried out on the house and revealed no issues with the cavity wall or the air in the home.
Matt Hensby, assistant director for localities, said: “We have visited our customer’s home repeatedly to investigate reports of damp and mould and issues with air quality, including on our most recent visit in August 2023.
“Two intrusive surveys have been carried out to check the cavity wall insulation.
”Each found that it had been installed correctly and there is no evidence of failure, or damp or mould throughout the home.
“Air quality tests have also been carried out by third-party specialists, which all returned normal readings.
“The local authority previously advised us they have no concerns regarding the property either.
“We completed a roof repair earlier this year and if any new concerns are reported which haven’t been previously investigated, we will look into them thoroughly.”
