Mold in the home

     What are the causes of mold?
     For the occurrence of mold and mildew in particular are required sufficient humidity and the presence of food organic substances. Virtually always, when these conditions are met, and monitor their development. For example, the mold Aspergillus restrictus at 20 ° C and humidity of 75% would require two months to germinate, at a humidity of 80% per week, 85% at four days, and at 90% spores germinated for two days. The first symptom of this, even when there are no visible traces of the smell is musty.
Suitable organic substances are everywhere around our house - wood, textiles, carpets, leather, wallpaper, dust. For this reason, the factor broth can not be counteracted.
Our efforts against mold should be concentrated on the impact on the second factor - the moisture. It is necessary to not allow the relative humidity to 75% and most well below 65%. High humidity can form when placing furniture close to the outer walls where heating off during part of the day, insufficient heating and ventilation, thermal bridges, building defects and others.
Mahalat Is it dangerous to health?
Not all molds are not necessarily dangerous to health. For example, "noble" mold on grapes or blue cheese are examples for their safe use. Unfortunately domestic molds, depending on their type, are more or less harmful. If contamination is not particularly strong, healthy organism is relatively resistant to pathogenic their influence. It is dangerous when the immune system is weakened, for example by another disease or in children and the elderly. Even in healthy people there is a limit beyond which the symptoms of various diseases caused by fungi begin to appear.
I set externally insulated, but in winter reappeared mold. What is the reason?
The outer insulation is the right decision for permanently inhabited dwellings. But it will not save us from the condensate, if not heated and ventilated properly. Heating off during the day and inclusion are at home while only leads to cooling of the walls. The air usually responds quickly, but due to its thermal inertia walls fail to warm up during the time when the heating is turned on. This leads to conditions for condensation of water vapor, mainly in corners and behind furniture places around the outside.
Instead of heating to be switched off completely, the better is the temperature regulator can be set for example to 16 ° C. This will be a compromise between energy saving and healthy home.
In some cases, as an additional measure may be recommended application of additional thermal insulation coating on the problem area.
Sometimes the cause is the wrong choice of insulating material. For example, mass used for external insulation, extruded polystyrene (XPS), due to its low permeability, in most cases, entirely inappropriate. Difficulty of normal water exchange causes and use of products not intended for the purpose adhesives. It is more correct use of EPS-Styrofoam facade and appropriate vapor permeable adhesives.
Internal or external insulation is better?
This question has no simple answer. In constantly occupied premises outer insulation is definitely the better choice. The reason is that the placement of the thermal barrier behind the wall allows to utilize most toploemnost the massive building material. The effect of heat accumulator improves comfort and stabilize the indoor temperature. Moreover masonry can receive and give huge amounts of moisture, thereby contributes to maintaining air humidity levels stable. When inserting the internal insulation that quality is lost and the room became extremely intolerant towards moist load.
In rare heated rooms big temperature inertia of the walls becomes an advantage in disadvantage. Using insulation need a lot of time and energy to warm the walls. This causes the occurrence of condensation and expenditure of energy. In this case, the internal thermal insulation, despite its serious drawback is the better solution.
Installing thermal insulation both inside and outside is not distinguished by any advantages and should not be used unless a special need, such as tightly placed behind an outside wall furniture.
Insulation, regardless of the quality of the material used must have sufficient thickness. Advertising claims that miraculous coatings, films and other materials with a thickness of 8mm as a good insulating capacity should be taken critically.
IMPORTANT! When selecting insulation materials should always be based on the rule that the direction of the room out each successive building material should have a higher vapor permeability than the previous. Completely wrong "sealing" of moisture from the outside, or the use of permeable insulation inside. The most widely used material for exterior insulation is vapor permeable expanded polystyrene (EPS), and internal laminated with aluminum foil stone wool. The country with the film necessarily installed on the premises and sealed with adhesive tape.

Why since I changed my windows, the house fell into condensation?
In trying to save energy for heating put more quality joinery. That's not bad, but svrahuplatnenoto our housing must be vented properly. As a result, breathing, cooking, bathing, laundry and more. daily air in the home is loaded with considerable amounts of water. Old frames allowed, even in a closed state, the air slowly exchanged. New wooden, PVC and aluminum frames are virtually airtight and prevent natural ventilation. As a result, air humidity increases and reaches the threshold of condensation.
Attach your hygrometer at home and watch for sufficient ventilation and heating.
Why mold occurs mainly in the corners?
There are two main reasons mold often appears in the corners:
When the angle is concluded between the two outer walls, the thermal resistance to the external environment in a corner area is significantly lower. This is the reason, the temperature of this space is always slightly lower than in the rest of the wall. If under the floor or above the ceiling has an unheated room, it further contributes to cooling because of one place meet three walls outside temperature is low and the likelihood of condensation increases even more.
The second reason is that in the corners and behind furniture of ventilation is the most weak and this further contributes to lowering the temperature of the wall.

Should there be condensation to develop mold?
No. Available in the cells of fungi osmotic potential to help them gain the necessary for metabolism water from the ambient air. Most types of molds grow best at a relative air humidity of about 95% and temperatures of 25-30 ° C. It is believed that in air humidity below 70% their development stops.
Important! Due to the temperature dependence of the relative humidity near the walls of its value will be higher. For example, if at a temperature of 20 ° C have normal air humidity of 65% at a wall temperature of 16,7 ° C, humidity of the air in close proximity to it will rise to 80%! For this reason, the elimination of thermal bridges is the most important tool to fight mold.

What are the measures to prevent the growth of mold at home?
· Check the air humidity. Attach the wall hygrometer and do not let the humidity to rise above 60%. If you have bridges, try to keep an even lower humidity, for example 50%.
· Temperature of the inner surface of the walls should not differ from the temperature of the room air by more than 3 ° C. It is very important that the thermal insulation to meet the construction requirements.
· Ventilate properly. To do several times a day to open the windows wide for 5-10 minutes. Continuous aeration is wrong, because it can lead to a cooling of the walls.
· Do not turn off the heating when away briefly, for example during the day while you're at work. This leads to a cooling of the walls and increase the likelihood of mold. Best leave the heating in sleep mode, for example 16 ° C. In most radiator valves that meet the "2" position.
· The temperature in every room of the home must be maintained equal opportunity. This will prevent warping and doors, which are between warm and cold environments. Inflowing warm air in rooms cooled down to increase its relative humidity significantly. It is important to prevent temporary warming of the cold room by opening the door to warmer. Warming should be done by own radiator.
· Cabinets, sections, soft furnishings and more. should preferably not be placed to outside walls. Impeding air change in the space to the wall leads to cool down and its mold. If the placement of the external wall can not be avoided, it is at least to leave 10cm of space in which the air can circulate freely. If this measure can not be taken, the areas behind furniture should be insulated separately.
And the best insulation can not completely prevent the formation of mold, if heated irregularly.
With what detergent to remove mold?
The market has a wide variety of chemical means to combat mold. Sold fungicides and preparations for surface treatment such as "Savo". Traditional bleach in practice is equally effective. For particularly severe cases, if contaminated surface allows, using hydrogen peroxide (oxygenated water).
Shiri is belief that you appear somewhere mold, the place is already "infected" and there will always appear recurrences. For this reason, many people seek refuge in "disinfection". This perception is wrong. Mold spores are everywhere and there is no real opportunity to get rid of them. Whenever you create the right conditions, and we will see rapid development. Therefore unifying quality of chemical agents is perishable ... effect.
The correct approach to the problem is to eliminate the cause of the occurrence of mold. In normal humidity mold can not grow, so it is especially important to properly ventilated and heated. Remember that the relative humidity is temperature dependent and thermal bridges can create local areas with high humidity.
If conservative measures do not help enough, install air driers.
What is the principle of action of the paint against mold?
On the market there are three types of dyes with activity against fungi, which differ in the manner of impact on the molds. Unfortunately none of these funds is not without serious shortcomings.
The fungicidal paints have an additive of substances which are toxic to fungi and extremely effectively destroy them. There are a number of effective biocidal products, but unfortunately their use is safe for people and pets, and are therefore not recommendable for use in homes.
Thermo paints contain micro granulated insulating materials. Popular are products containing Vacuums ceramic spheres. Their activity against fungi is based on the isolation of thermal bridges and the removal of the conditions of condensation. Because of the small thickness of the resultant coating, heat insulated properties are not good and beneficial effect is relatively weak.
Protivomuhalni paints with non-chemical action containing saturated solutions of harmless salts (calcium and sodium chloride), which crystallizes on the surface of the coating create a mechanical barrier to the development of molds, salted and condensate to the extent that it is unsuitable environment for development. Depending on the conditions the effect of implementation varies from very good to poor. In places with frequent condensation use is pointless.
Is Sufficient "dehumidifier" with capacity 600ml / day for the nursery?
No. This capacity is extremely insufficient. The purpose of these devices is to maintain low humidity in wardrobes and other small enclosures.
It should be borne in mind that manufacturers indicate in their documentation maximum capacity of the device, for example at 30 ° C and 80% air humidity. In real operating conditions at 20 ° C and 60% capacity is significantly lower. Even a single person with breathing repeatedly paid larger amounts of moisture than bilge capacity of these devices.
For orientation can serve these data - small dryers with capacity 10l / day and airflow 100m³ / h is sufficient for normal residential premises with an area no more than 25m². If the room has sources of moisture (space, plenty of flowers, new construction, etc.) Permissible size halved.
"Dehumidifier" with so little capacity usually have no compressor system and work with the Peltier element. This allows the price to be ten times lower, but tangible effect on their application in residential premises should be expected.
Sold cheap disposable chemical moisture absorber. Can I use them to prevent mold in your home?
If we consider the cost of consumables per liter of water extracted will see that cheap is actually quite expensive ...
Chemical hoods are court over which is placed highly hygroscopic substance (calcium or lithium chloride or bromide). The aim is moist air which passes through the substance to be withdrawn and the resulting aqueous solution to otkapva in court.
Commercially available devices operating on this principle are completely unsuitable for moisture control in residential areas and in the slightest degree does not fulfill the role for which they are advertised. Such structures are used in hermetically sealed volumes, where the capacity of the device is not essential - for example prevention of mold inoperative refrigerator. The reasons for the impossibility in homes are:
· Insufficient drainage capacity. Depending on the amount of hygroscopic salt in chemical hoods maximum amount of water that can be drawn within two months from half to three liters, and within one day usually achieve only a small percentage of those values. This is insufficient for even the smallest rooms. By comparison, domestic condensing dryers have a nominal capacity of 10 to 45 liters per day.
Absence of intensive circulation of the air. To achieve a significant effect, all the air in the room must at least once an hour to pass through the drainage device. For this purpose drying units have a fan at a rate exceeding 100 m3 / h. Selling chemical absorbents no forced air circulation flow and their symbolic.
I want to remove the mold. Should I rip the plaster?
In new construction this is not necessarily required. Proper repair is to remove defects such as bridges, because that appears mold. It is possible that the reason is improper ventilation and heating. If you remove the conditions for development, mold will no longer appear.
Instead of knocking down plaster, the place can be treated with appropriate preparation and sealed, in order to prevent adverse health particles fall in the air.
In old buildings, where many wooden parts and cavities, removing the effects of mold growth is difficult, time consuming and expensive. In view of the significant health risks is good for this to be done by specialists.