Remove mold in apartments immediately

Increased mold growth in the winter months - Elimination required

04/11/2012

During the damp-cold winter months mold has formed in many homes, which should be eliminated as quickly as possible due to possible health risks. Especially in cold areas with low air circulation can be found after the winter molds that can be a significant burden on health, warn the experts.

Under the mattress, behind the cupboard, in cold room corners or window seals settle during the winter months often molds, which "must immediately" should be removed, said a spokeswoman for the Federal Environment Agency to the news agency "dpa". Because the spores and mycotoxins of the molds can cause considerable health problems.

In principle, there are various ways to eliminate the harmful mold, with due to the health risks fast action is required. "As soon as you discover mold, you should definitely remove it immediately", warned Christiane Baschien from the Federal Environment Agency in Berlin. The removal of the white horse on areas of a maximum of half a square meter, the residents can perform independently, said Baschien. For this purpose, only the wallpaper on the affected wall areas must be removed and the area be treated with 70 percent alcohol. For smooth surfaces even simple wiping with the alcohol solution aus.Allerdings silicone joints must be renewed in any case, said the expert. In addition, according to Christiane Baschien, the users should always wear a respirator mask of the filter class FFP2 or 3 in order to prevent inhalation of the fungal spores.

Mold causes permanent diseases
The problem with the mold is that it often goes undetected or ignored for far too long. According to the experts, the health risks are by no means to be underestimated. Even mild mold can lead to health problems such as chronic fatigue, difficulties concentrating or nausea and vomiting. In the long term, there are serious threats to bronchial impairment, which can manifest in chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma. Also, susceptibility to allergies increases with continued contact with the mold spores. Many residents, however, underestimate the health risks of mold. For example, a study by the market research institute "Innofact" published in March revealed that one in nine respondents rated the mold as harmless to health. Correspondingly low is the willingness to remove the mold. Thus, according to the results of the study, in almost every fifth apartment a mold pollution, without the residents would take action against it.

However, some factors must also be taken into account when removing mold to avoid provoking further health risks. The building biologist Ilka Mutschelknaus from Hamburg warned the news agency "dpa" against the use of chlorine-containing agents and all preparations that are offered under the name "Schimmel-Ex". Because these funds are in turn extremely harmful to the respiratory tract and also questionable from an ecological point of view. Instead, sufferers should use fruit acid-based supplements to remove the mold, the expert explained. Vinegar, however, is also not recommended, as some indoor molds like vinegar and this "even forms a kind of breeding ground for them," emphasized Mutschelknaus. The detergents based on fruit acid, however, are considered a health-safe alternative, so Mutschelknaus on. After the removal of the mold, the used rags and brushes should be disposed of directly, to prevent the spread of mold elsewhere, emphasized the expert.

Cause research: Otherwise the mold will come back
Once the mold has been removed, the next step is to find the causes of mold fungus formation. Because who "does not know how the mold was created, I can not prevent that he comes back," said the Hamburg construction biologist. In general, the formation of mold is linked to moisture, added the diploma biologist Silke Christiansen from the Environmental Consultancy Bremen to the "dpa". According to the expert, here are different triggers for increased moisture in the living space into consideration. For example, the building material in the interior can be humidified due to a leaky roof or a defective pipe in the wall, so Christiansen. In addition, in the winter months, the condensation, which could precipitate due to the temperature gradient on the walls of the room. This is the case, for example, if individual rooms are not heated or there is a cold bridge to the outside. The formation of condensation is according to a statement of the expert, especially in old buildings often a problem, because here the single-glazed windows were mostly replaced with new windows with a higher insulation value and thus no longer the coldest part of the living room are where the moisture condenses. Instead, the condensation settles on the outer walls, which favors mold growth, emphasized Silke Christiansen.

Proper ventilation against mold
In order to avoid the formation of mold, the experts give tips for proper ventilation and heating, whereby in winter a uniform heating of the living rooms and air ventures is crucial, said Christiane Baschien. By ventilating the air, humid air produced during cooking, showering or breathing can quickly be exchanged for dry outside air without causing the rooms and walls to cool down. At least two to three times a day should be shocked accordingly for ten minutes. As an orientation variable for the humidity, the expert named a value of about 60 percent, which should not be exceeded. Hamburg-based building biologist Ilka Mutschelknaus added that wall paint often plays an important role in mildew formation. In many rented apartments, the older layers of paint were simply repainted over and over again, as a result of which, over the course of time, a kind of skin had formed on the plaster and it could no longer breathe. The use of cheaper emulsion paints enhances this effect. Recommended here are pure silicate and lime paints, which are "breathable" and inhibit mold growth, explained Ilka Mutschelknaus.

Mold can also spread in the living rooms, without the residents noticed anything, said Silke Christiansen, referring to types of fungal infestations that can not be detected with the naked eye. This "is a difficult case" because sufferers do not see anything of it or smell and only when they suffer for a long time under apparently unsubstantiated health problems, come up with the idea that there may be mold could be in their own home, the trigger of the complaints. In order to get such invisible mold strains on the track, it requires a room air analysis or a review of the living space by a specialist with a so-called gray dog, which is trained on finding the spores, said Christiansen.

If a contamination with mold in the living rooms has been proven, then a fierce dispute often ensues between landlords and tenants about the assumption of costs for the removal. Generally applies: In case of structural defects, the landlord pays, for other causes of the mold, the tenant pays the costs of mold removal. However, it is usually not easy to determine whether construction defects or other causes caused mold growth, so that elaborate reports are required, which often lead to the conclusion that both tenants and landlords are partially to blame. Because "the tenant must control the room temperature and humidity" and the landlord is merely "responsible for structural defects," said Marle Kopf of the consumer center North Rhine-Westphalia to the "dpa". As in "a lawsuit, often both parties a partial debt" received, it might be smarter to agree out of court, added Silke Christiansen. Advice on dealing with mold pollution of the living space find affected persons in the professional association of German building biologists, the consumer centers or the German white horse network. (Fp)

Also read:
Health hazard from mold in the apartment
Asthma from mold
Fungal infections (mycoses) in humans