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Following a complaint that the six-year-old blocks of flats in Sengkang have external walls that have turned mouldy and appear unsightly in such a relatively new estate, a similar complaint has surfaced about a block of flats in Punggol.

According to a Jan. 9 Facebook post by James Ng, a block of flats with mould on its external facade was seen at Sumang Lane in Punggol West.

The flats in that area known as Punggol Matilda is about six years old.

The post's caption highlighted the mould on the external facade of the building with an added quip: "Another soon to be haunted HDB."

This was in reference to the complaint by the Sengkang resident who said the blocks in her area appeared haunted as a result of the widespread mould.

Punggol West SMC MP responds

Punggol West SMC MP Sun Xueling responded to the post and said the tender for repair and redecoration works is taking place in 2023.

HDB responds

In response to Mothership's queries, HDB said it is aware of the mould formation at Anchorvale Parkview and Punggol Matilda, and is currently looking into the matter with the town councils.

HDB also explained that one coat of water-based sealer and two coats of algae-resistant emulsion paint are used on HDB blocks that comply with existing standards.

HDB added: "In addition, a six-year warranty period for external painting is given to the town councils, when the blocks are handed over to the town councils for management and maintenance."

"This warranty covers defects or imperfections such as paint peeling, discolouration, algae growth, etc. During this period, the building contractor and their paint specialist are required to rectify any defects or imperfections that are detected."

Background

It was previously reported that following the public complaint directed at Sengkang town council about the mouldy external facade of the Anchorvale blocks, Workers' Party MP Jamus Lim responded by seeking the resident's patience in dealing with the mould.

Lim said he was told that one "contributing factor" could be that the building was not painted with anti-mould paint.

This was the case for many new buildings, he said.

He added that anti-mould paint will be applied on the buildings in this cluster in the upcoming refurbishing works and it is an aspect that Sengkang Town Council is overseeing.

Lim also attributed the mouldy conditions to the building's location, which is beside a river, highlighting one of the downsides of living close to a water body.

He said: "Another factor could be the location of the building. It is located beside a river, and receives a fair bit of direct sunlight."

"The condition described is mainly for the C and D blocks, but not A and B (which are less exposed)."

The location of the two HDB blocks highlighted in Anchorvale Parkview and Punggol Matilda are near the river.

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