Every year, in conjunction with the approach of the cold season, we receive numerous requests for inspections with the aim of verifying the appearance or reappearance of mold and humidity stains within the spaces regularly inhabited by the homeowners! The phenomenon, as well as being unpleasant from an aesthetic point of view, is particularly “annoying” because it affects the hygienic and sanitary conditions of the room concerned.
Let’s now answer the three most frequently asked questions about it:
1. But why is mould formation more frequent at corners or protrusions? And, above all, why does this phenomenon worsen in conjunction with the cold season?
You should know that the “human” activities carried out inside the home release large quantities of water vapor into the air, (for example, hot showers, food preparation, metabolic activities, etc.) the steam, suspended in the air can concentrate in correspondence with corners or points that have less air circulation and therefore less predisposed to rapid drying. This “attitude”, in conjunction with the cold season, can lead the humidity present in the warmer air to condense on the wall surface, thus favoring the triggering of the conditions that initiate the proliferation of mold. The first spores develop when the humidity values in the affected area reach values close to 80% of the ambient RH (relative humidity).
Representative image of angle with the presence of moisture.
2. But why does the air condense in those points?
This happens because the casing has weak points! That is, “colder” areas that in the presence of humidity, crossed by heat flows, “favor” the optimal conditions for the formation of mold spores. These weak points are called “thermal bridges”, i.e. areas that have geometric discontinuities (angles/protrusions) or “material” discontinuities (pillars, beams) such as to generate differences in the amount of heat flow that crosses the building envelope.
Thermographic image acquired during a survey phase.
3. What can I do to combat this?
In the short term, measures can be implemented such as, for example, those of increasing the exchange of indoor air by opening the windows or installing devices for controlled mechanical ventilation (preferably with heat recovery!). The increase in the number of refills promotes drying and the reduction of the internal RH of the affected environments. A negative aspect, however, is the energy aspect, as with the opening of the windows, the heat of the interior spaces also flows towards the external environment. To date, with the increase in the cost of energy, it is essential to avoid energy “losses” as much as possible so as to produce positive effects for both the environment and the wallet!
More important operations, such as technical measures for the elimination of thermal bridges, are the installation of “thermal” insulation or plaster that allow the critical issues described above to be eliminated at the root, while promoting conditions of environmental comfort and optimal situations from a health and hygiene point of view. The elimination of the thermal bridge allows you to reduce energy losses! At the same time, it promotes a significant reduction in consumption!
The installation of insulation can be carried out from the outside and from the inside, but it must be said that the installation from the outside in order for it to be carried out involves more important and expensive interventions often to be decided jointly with the other condominiums! Installation from the inside, if properly designed, guarantees excellent levels of success.
Image by way of example of the installation of an external coat.
Studio 36 is qualified in accordance with UNI EN ISO 9712 to conduct non-destructive studies and investigations by means of complex equipment (thermal cameras, thermoflowmeters, humidimeters, trigger points, etc.) and with the help of instrumentation is able to identify the areas most affected by thermal bridge phenomena and at the same time to estimate the “deficit” of the same compared to optimal conditions. It is important to contact a team of experts to study the “thermal” trend of the points concerned so as to allow the calculation of the most suitable insulation thicknesses, avoiding the onset of the formation of interstitial condensation between the “wall” and the “insulating material”.
Do you have mold in your house? Welcome to contact us!!
