Ventilate your home, prevent mold

Concrete walls, concrete floors, concrete ceilings – typical construction for housing in Germany. These methods lend to very energy-efficient homes and great sound attenuation between rooms, but the opportunity for mold to flourish can dampen your living experience.

Incomplete and improper ventilation may cause mold to grow on walls, furniture or personal property.  Mold can be responsible for irritant and allergic reactions. Wet, damp weather, combined with closed windows, causes walls to ‘sweat,’ forming mildew and mold.

Mold is everywhere; it’s an integral part of the natural environment. The key to mold’s growth is moisture. Controlling mold is a matter of controlling moisture. Once the moisture problem is cured, it is very likely that the mold won’t come back.

The following tips are provided to assist you in proper ventilation and preventing mildew or mold build-up:

• Ventilate your house for a minimum of 30 minutes daily.
• Cross ventilation is necessary so interior doors must be opened along with windows on opposing sides.
• Keep your kitchen door closed and the room ventilated while cooking or operating your dishwasher.
• Keep your bathroom door closed during showers and baths. If you have an exhaust fan, it should be turned on. If there is no exhaust fan, the window should be ajar to let moist air out.
• Furniture should not be placed against walls. Move furniture four to six inches away from walls so there is air flowing between them.
• During winter months, the rooms on the north side of your home are colder. Make sure those rooms are heated slightly more than the rooms facing south.

If your walls are already damp, resolve the moisture problem. Then scrub the mildew or mold off hard surfaces with detergent and water and dry completely. Open windows so there is a draft. Leave windows open for
approximately 10 minutes. Then turn up the thermostat; by increasing the temperature, the air will remove the moisture from the walls.

After three to four hours, the air will be filled with water again. Open the windows for another 10 minutes and repeat the process of exchanging the water-filled air with dry air from the outside. Continue to repeat this procedure. Following this process every day for about two weeks will help your walls to dry completely. Following these simple steps should help your family to alleviate any mildew or mold issues in your living quarters.

(Courtesy of KMC Housing Facilities)