Protect yourself: The 9 most common mold mistakes!

Mold in one’s own four walls is no longer a rarity. According to statistics, every 5th household is affected by the furry and dangerous fungus. In the search for the right measures and facts, widespread untruths appear again and again.

In this post, we’ll enlighten you and show you where the 9 most common mold mistakes are!

 

Misconception No. 1: Mold does not come back after removal!

Removing the mold does get rid of the repulsive appearance and, in most cases, the associated health hazard. However, this does not address the root cause of the problem.

As long as the “source” is not treated, the mold can always reappear. Possible causes may be the poorly ventilated bathroom or broken water pipes.

For this reason, you should not only take care of mold removal, but also prophylactic mold prevention.

 

Misconception No. 2: Humidity is responsible for mold!

Yes! Mold always needs two conditions to grow. This is, on the one hand, high humidity and, on the other hand, a cool surface.

Only if both are true can an infestation occur at all. In fact, since adequate humidity of 40-60% is important for your health, don’t mess with it. Especially in winter, many residents suffer because of the dry air.

It is more important to control the cool surfaces and bring them to a constant temperature above 15° Celsius. As a result, mold has no chance.

The most suitable heating options for this purpose are the so-called surface heating systems.

 

Misconception No. 3: Airing in summer dries damp rooms!

Unfortunately no. In summer, the humidity level is much higher than during the rest of the year.

So, if damp rooms are ventilated during periods of high temperatures, it leads to even more moisture getting in.

A suitable alternative is to ventilate at night or early in the morning or late in the evening when temperatures have dropped.

 

Misconception No. 4: Only visible mold is dangerous!

That is not true at all. Even if the fungal spores are not visible, they are in the air and you breathe them in.

Above a certain concentration, mold can become a danger to you and your roommates.

Spores and metabolic products of molds can cause allergic and irritant reactions in humans. Possible effects can include fatigue, migraines, skin eczema, watering eyes, sneezing, sniffles, coughs and even asthma.

 

Misconception No. 5: Only old buildings are at risk of mold!

Wrong! All buildings are at risk of mold growth. Provided that both conditions, that is, a cool surface and high humidity, mold can form.

With old buildings, it is often difficult to get a handle on the cool surfaces. New buildings, on the other hand, often have the problem that they are “dead insulated” and the humidity can no longer escape to the outside.

There are various approaches to solving this problem, such as adjusting ventilation and heating habits. However, the easiest way is to eliminate the cool surfaces with panel heating. After that you do not have to pay attention to anything else, because mold no longer has a chance.

 

Misconception #6: Mold can disappear by itself!

Unfortunately no. Once mold is on the wall, it will stay there. In the best case, the mold does not expand. In the worst, the mold continues to develop and leads to even greater damage.

If the infested area is small and only superficial, you can remove it yourself. In the case of larger and already long-standing stains, it is advisable to call in experts. This is the only way to ensure that the spores are completely removed.

 

Misconception #7: Vinegar helps to get rid of mold!

Yep. Only on smooth surfaces, such as tiles, vinegar helps to combat mold infestation.

With mineral substrates, such as plaster or stone, vinegar is neutralized and even provides food for the mold. Thus, the vinegar ultimately only contributes to further moistening of the surface.

The most suitable and inexpensive home remedy is to spray mold with spirit. However, it is important to ventilate well and to wear protective gloves and goggles during application.

 

Misconception #8: There is no mold in warm rooms!

It is not the room temperature that is critical to mold growth, but the humidity and cool surfaces.

For this reason, basement rooms are particularly affected by the risk of mold in the summer. The walls are usually still cool and require long periods of heating to warm up. And the humidity is particularly high at this time. Thus, a perfect breeding ground for mold is created.

In warm rooms, mold can occur whenever the temperature of the walls is 15° Celsius or less. This also happens when the air temperature in the room is pleasantly warm.

 

Misconception No. 9: The tenant is always responsible for mold!

It depends. The fault may lie with the tenant or the landlord.

In many leases, regular airing is agreed upon. If the tenant neglects his duty and does not ventilate, he is responsible for the mold infestation.

However, there may be other reasons why mold spreads in the home.

Such can be water damage or construction defects. In such a case, the landlord is liable for the damage and the tenant can enforce a rent reduction.

In any case, the landlord should be informed so that the cause can be clarified and the spread prevented.

 

Conclusion: The smarter one informs himself exactly!

Mold spores are always and everywhere in the air. As long as there are not too many, they are harmless to humans and their environment.

However, if increased concentrations occur, ugly damage to and within the building can occur very quickly. Health risks also increase. Especially children and people who are already burdened by respiratory diseases suffer from mold infestation.

For this reason, it is important to prevent mold from appearing in the first place, or to remove it as soon as possible and correct the cause.

A very simple and efficient method of preventing mold is panel heating. Thus, mold has no chance, even if the humidity level is particularly high.

Our panel heating gives mold no chance and is particularly energy efficient. If you would also like to benefit from mold-repellent radiant panel heating, click here.

Yes, I would like to benefit from the mold-repellent panel heating.

 

Photo: Andrey Popov – fotolia.com