Mold endangers your home – and your healthMold damages the building fabric – and your health. Create a comfortable climate in your building and avoid the formation of mold through good insulation and proper heating and ventilation. Experts help to identify and eliminate structural weak points in the building. The rest is in your hands.
Comfortable living: preventing mold growth
An important function of structural thermal protection – i.e. thermal insulation – is the prevention of moisture and thus mold growth. Because mold endangers both your home and your health. The better a wall is insulated, the less the inside will cool down and the less moisture will be generated there. Even a relative humidity of 50 to 60 percent in a room can lead to mold growth and structural damage if the walls are very cold.
As a general rule, no wall – whether insulated or not – can "breathe". A maximum of two percent of the moisture indoors "migrates" through the walls to the outside in the form of water vapor molecules. For fresh and healthy air in the apartment helps only targeted and needs-based ventilation (window ventilation or ventilation system). The only way to remove moisture. Preventing mold growth. In non-insulated rooms, moisture develops more quickly because of the lower surface temperature on the inside of the outer walls. These rooms must be ventilated even more, if this is not done anyway through leaky windows – at the price of high energy losses. In addition to the heat loss through the wall, there is also an additional heat loss due to increased ventilation.
Causes of mold infestation
A mold infestation can have various causes. In addition to leaking roofs and water pipes that bring moisture into the building, certain areas of a poorly insulated building envelope are a particular risk factor, for example building corners, window reveals, ceiling lintels and balcony slabs. At these so-called thermal bridges, the wall is particularly cold on the room side and humidity can condense, which, depending on the material of the surface, can lead to mold infestation. You can hardly compensate such structural risk factors by your behavior. Others do: With fresh air and sufficient as well as evenly distributed heat, you can get the excess moisture out of your rooms and thus create a living climate in which you feel comfortable – and not the mold.
Don't give mold a chance
If the air humidity rises, for example, when showering or cooking, short-term shock or cross-ventilation helps. How to reduce humidity without cooling down walls and floors. Especially when drying clothes in the apartment, you should regularly check for mold. Poorly ventilated areas. Building corners are generally susceptible to mold. This is why you shouldn't block cool exterior walls with furniture in old buildings (built before 1995).
Fix minor mold directly: If the affected area is smaller than 0.5m2, you can remedy the situation yourself: Affected wallpaper is moistened and removed, silicone joints are wiped with a damp cloth and, if necessary, the wallpaper is cleaned. replaces. Wash smooth surfaces like tiles with household cleaner and disinfect them. Protective gloves, breathing mask and safety goggles are as much part of the equipment as the right cleaning agent. This must fit the application. Be harmless to health. Get professional advice on this.