Especially in the summer conditions tend to mold in the basement. Find out why in this article. So that you are not at the mercy of this annoying topic, we will tell you how to get rid of mold infestation forever without much effort.
And so that you can easily understand the following reasons, we have briefly summarized in advance how mold can occur in the first place.
Mold always requires two conditions:
- a cold surface (cooler than 15 degrees Celsius)
- high humidity (higher than 60%).
If one of the two is missing, the mold has no chance.
Reason 1: Cold basement walls almost do not heat up in the summer!
Since the outer walls of the basement rooms are usually located in the ground, which remains cool even in summer, the walls heat up little or not at all.
Often there is a misconception that the passage of warm air can warm up the walls. However, this does not lead to success. On the contrary, it is even counterproductive (see reason 2).
With this reason, one of the two conditions for mold growth is already met.
Reason 2: Humidity increases enormously in summer!
In summer, the moisture content of the air is very high compared to the other seasons. It comes to even more moisture, if, in addition, in the basement laundry is washed, dried or ironed. In addition, if regular ventilation is used, the humid outside air enters the basement and settles on the cold walls. The normal reaction to this is the formation of condensation. We also call this process “summer condensation”.
Thus, the second and last of the two conditions for mold growth is also met.
Experts therefore advise either not to ventilate at all in summer or only very briefly during the cool hours of the day (at night or early in the morning). For many basement owners, however, this is not an option, as they use the basement not as a storage space, but as a living space and spend time there regularly. The stuffy air in the hot season very quickly becomes uncomfortable for the occupant.
Surface temperature control puts the mold out of action
As promised, we’ll finish by providing you with the solution on how to stop worrying about mold in the future.
To get rid of the mold, there are two options:
- you heat the surfaces or
- you dry out the air.
Experts most likely all advise you to keep your hands off the last point.
If the air is dried out, this brings consequences not only in terms of mold. The air we breathe is also affected – negatively. For humans, it is vital that there is a minimum level of humidity in the air. This should be at least 40%.
If the indoor climate is too dry, viruses become active. In addition, dehydrated mucous membranes in our respiratory tract have a hard time fighting off dangerous pathogens.
For this reason, we focus on the first option: heating surfaces.
Surface temperature control systems are low-energy systems and therefore energy-efficient
By keeping the wall at an even temperature, the moisture in the air can no longer condense and lead to mold. The good thing is that the energy costs of tempering are quite low. This is because a wall temperature of just over 15 degrees Celsius is already sufficient.
Depending on which surface heating systems are used, there are even greater differences in efficiency due to the pipe routing of the systems.
Conclusion: mold is no longer a problem from now on!
Even regulated ventilation often does not help to keep the basement dry and mold-free. The real most effective method is to temper the cold surfaces.
This creates several advantages at once:
- You can ventilate every day for as long and as much as you want.
- You can also iron, wash and do any other household activities that lead to high humidity levels.
- You create spaces that can also be used for living.
- You’ll never fret about that pesky mold infestation again.
The investment in a high-quality surface system can quickly pay for itself. If you compare the costly mold removal alone with the installation of the area system, the latter is cheaper and more sustainable.
Our panel heating has proven that the mold has no chance and is particularly energy efficient. If you also want to benefit from energy-saving panel heating and be mold-free in the future, click here.
Yes, I would like to benefit from energy-saving panel heating and be mold-free in the future.
Photo: koldunova_anna – fotolia.com
Wir sind Annette & Christian Egger. Hier im Blog erklären wir Ihnen, worauf es beim Wohlfühl-Klima ankommt. Wir behandeln hier Themen wie Energie-Sparen beim Heizen & Kühlen und zeigen Ihnen unsere interessantesten Projekte. 