As of: January 27, 2024, 8:53 a.m
By: Andrea Stettner
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The risk of mold increases in winter if the walls are too cold and the humidity is too high.
We still have to ventilate – but not for too long.
According to the
Window + Facade Association (VFF),
we spend around 90 percent of the time indoors.
It is therefore even more important to ensure a good indoor climate.
If you ventilate your home several times a day, you bring fresh air into your home and also reduce the humidity that occurs when you shower, cook, or even breathe and sweat.
A four-person household should release between six and twelve liters of water into the air per day, as the
consumer advice center
informs.
However, if the humidity is increased over a long period of time, the risk of mold increases - especially if the room temperature is low and the walls are cold.
This is one of the reasons why you should make sure that you ventilate sufficiently often in winter, but not for too long.
Proper ventilation at sub-zero temperatures: How long should you ventilate?
Continuous ventilation in winter is not a good idea because a lot of heat energy is lost and the walls cool down.
However, when temperatures are below zero, just a few minutes are enough to remove moist air from the living spaces.
According to the VFF, the following rule of thumb applies:
If the outside temperature is below 0 degrees Celsius, the windows should only be opened for 5 minutes.
At 0 to 10 degrees, around 10 minutes of ventilation is enough.
Above 10 degrees, the windows can be opened for around 15 minutes.
When temperatures are below zero in winter, it's enough to just ventilate briefly.
© Roman Möbius/Imago
How often does it have to be ventilated?
According to
consumer center.de,
the air should be completely replaced at least three to four times a day.
The more people there are in the household, the more often.
You should always keep an eye on the humidity in the rooms.
If this regularly rises above 50 percent in winter, the risk of mold increases.
You should definitely ventilate from 60 percent at the latest.
A hygrometer can help to keep an eye on the humidity.
It is even advisable to ventilate immediately in the following situations:
Bedroom:
immediately after getting up.
Bathroom and kitchen:
When showering, bathing or cooking, a lot of water vapor is created, which should be led outside immediately.
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Window open or tilted – how do I ventilate properly?
In order to ventilate properly, the windows should be opened wide - ideally also the windows opposite and the skylights on higher floors.
Because then the warm and stale air rises due to the natural chimney effect.
VFF managing director Ulrich Tschorn definitely advises against tilted windows: “Especially in winter, this causes the rooms to cool down far too much and moisture can arise in the area of the reveal – i.e. between the window and the masonry.
In addition, it is difficult and, above all, expensive to bring the living space back to comfortable temperatures.”
In addition to adequate ventilation, proper heating is just as important
In order to avoid mold formation on the walls, you should always keep an eye on the relationship between room temperature and humidity.
Warm air absorbs more moisture than cold air and can therefore be better evacuated when ventilated.
Moisture also tends to condense on cold walls.
The
Lower Saxony Consumer Center
therefore recommends heating all living and sleeping rooms to at least 16 degrees during the day during the heating season.
In older buildings, higher temperatures may be necessary to prevent mold.
Closed doors also play an important role when heating in winter.