Latest news with #MichaelSchulze
Mercury
17-07-2025
- Health
- Mercury
Tradie's warning after gruesome find in Melbourne home
An Aussie plumber is urging homeowners and renters to get on top of dampness this winter, after discovering some truly gruesome fungal growths inside a Melbourne property. Michael Schulze, owner of leak detection company 1300FINDLEAK, was called to a Brunswick home this week where he found not one, but two fist-sized clusters of mushrooms thriving in the lounge area. The culprit? A long-term, unattended leak from the bath. 'It was very, very wet. On a scale from 1 to 10, it was a 10 for sure,' Schulze told Yahoo News Australia. 'It's not pleasant at all.' MORE NEWS The shocking secret landlords are ignoring Wild reason Aussies mobbed rural ghost town Popular Bunnings plant sparks urgent warning Schulze explained that litres of stagnant water had built up under the bath, causing dampness to spread through the walls and across the property. The result: mushrooms, and the release of potentially toxic spores into the air. 'The tenants didn't seem fussed about it, but most people don't really know the dangers of breathing in mould and being around damp areas. You can get really sick,' he warned. The health risks of indoor mushrooms Mushrooms aren't just a sign of extreme dampness, which can lead to structural damage. They also pose a significant health risk. According to Health Victoria, inhaling mushroom spores can cause respiratory issues and allergic reactions. MORE NEWS: Aussie dad's startling 26kg find Exposure to mycotoxins can even lead to nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Schulze knows this first-hand, having suffered a prolonged illness last year before discovering mould growing under his bed. 'I was just getting sick all the time,' he said. How to avoid a fungal invasion So, how do you prevent mushrooms from turning your home into a fungal paradise? Schulze says there are telltale signs of water build-up to watch out for. 'First signs to look out for would be bubbling paint or discolouration of paint,' he explained. Mould, especially black mould, is another clear indicator. And if mushrooms appear, the situation has likely reached a critical point. 'There's a lot of people out there with leaks, but when people have them, they don't seem to get a leak detector… They just call a plumber… But we look at leaks all day every day.'
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Aussies warned after tradie's 'horrific' discovery in rental home: 'Not pleasant at all'
A young tradie is warning Australian residents this winter to deal with any dampness in their home and its visible consequences after finding several "horrific" clusters of fungi thriving inside a property this week. Plumber Michael Schulze visited a Brunswick property in Melbourne on Monday, where not one, but two mushroom clusters the size of his fist had been growing for months, indicating significant property dampness. "It was very, very wet. On a scale from 1 to 10, it was a 10 for sure," he told Yahoo News. "It's not pleasant at all." Michael, who owns the leak detection company 1300FINDLEAK, explained that an unattended leak from the bath had caused several litres of stagnant water to build up underneath it. The dampness had spread through the walls and across the property. Now, with mushrooms growing in the lounge area, toxic spores were wafting across the property and posing significant health risks to those residing inside. "The tenants didn't seem to fussed about it, but most people don't really know the dangers of breathing in mould and being around damp areas. You can get really sick," he warned. Mushrooms pose significant health risks to residents Not only do mushrooms indicate extreme dampness inside a property, which in turn could result in structural damage to the building, but they also pose health risks to those living with them. Inhaling mushroom spores can cause respiratory issues and prompt allergic reactions, while mycotoxin exposure can inflict various health issues, such as nausea, vomiting and even abdominal pain, according to Health Victoria. Michael has experienced this firsthand. He explained he was enduring a prolonged bout of illness last year until he discovered mould was growing underneath his bed. "I was just getting sick all the time," he explained. How to avoid getting mushrooms inside your home Michael said there are some telltale signs that water is building up in your home, and you want to address it long before mushrooms start sprouting. "First signs to look out for would be bubbling paint or discolouration of paint," he explained. Mould or black mould are definite signs that your property is damp, and the situation has likely got to crisis mode by the time mushrooms arrive. "There's a lot of people out there with leaks, but when people have them, they don't seem to get a leak detector... They just call a plumber... But we look at leaks all day every day," he said, urging people not to suffer in silence. ⛈️ Aussies warned over widespread danger emerging in homes after relentless weather 😷 Resident in affluent suburb found living for years with dire mould problem 🌊 Tenant blasts property manager's response after daughter's room floods It's not the first time Australian residents have been living with mushrooms inside their home. A Sydney woman told Yahoo News previously her son was concerned aliens were taking over their home after mushrooms appeared in the crevice of a bedroom overnight. Dr Tom May, from Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, told Yahoo residents, "definitely don't want a mushroom inside your house releasing spores" after a fluorescent mushroom sprouted up in another resident's bathroom in 2023. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Plumber's 'horrific' discovery prompts warning to Aussie residents
Plumber Michael Schulze is urging Aussies not to put up with mushrooms inside their home after visiting a property on Monday in Brunswick, Melbourne. This client has mushrooms growing out of their wall, and they don't know where they're coming from. This whole wall is absolutely saturated, as you can see. Which is also evident on our thermal imaging. They've got a shower on the other side of that wall here. A plumber has already been there trying to find what's causing those mushrooms to grow, and they don't know what it is. So we're gonna do an investigation, see where this leak is coming from. So we're gonna do an investigation, see where this leak is coming from. So we're just doing a pressure test of the pipework here with our gauge, and that's not dropping pressure, so there's no leaks on the pipes, it's gonna be coming from something else. Next, we thoroughly inspect the grouting and the ceiling inside the shower, which we found nothing. Let's dye test this bath. There might be a leak coming from the bath waste, so we're gonna test it and see if it's leaking. Again, as you can see, we've got about 50 degrees of hot water inside this bath with our tracing dye. This will test for any leaks. Now it's time to pull the plug and test the drain, let's see how it goes. Alright, after running the water through the bath waste there, it's leaking out onto the floor here. As you can see, there's all water pooling on the ground, so that means the bath waste is leaking underneath the tub. And they're gonna have to open a hole in the wall, fix that pipe, stop it from leaking, and start drying out all of the areas. So, job's all done and we're on to the next one, we've found the leak and this one was causing these mushrooms here. If you've got leaks, make sure you call us, we're the experts.
