A builder on YouTube going under the channel name HYPE Building has revealed one simple and affordable way to tell if dampness and mould are getting worse in your home.

John, a builder from Fenton, is an expert in damp and has been able to put his skills to good use when investigating mould that has no obvious cause.

When visiting a recent property, John was quick to note that the main signs of damp include damp patches on walls where mould starts to form.

However, it was found that the dampness in this property was not caused by poor ventilation or pipes but was instead caused by water trickling down the side of the wall from a broken chimney cowl.

A chimney cowl is typically fitted to the outside of a property to stop rain from entering the building.

But before John found the cause, he praised the homeowner for one "smart" and simple trick to see if dampness is getting worse.

READ MORE: £2.59 cleaning life hack to get rid of damp and condensation

One 'smart' trick to seeing if damp and mould are getting worse in your home

The simple trick used by the homeowner to see if the damp was spreading was to use a pencil to mark out where the damp was ending.

This helped John work out how much the damp had spread with him explaining: "What the owner has actually done that is quite smart, is that they have drawn pencil marks to show where the damp was ending, so they can monitor if it's getting worse or not. That's smart, I like that, because that helps me."

With John sure the problem was getting worse, he set out to eliminate the causes.