Looking after the health of your home is as important as your own. If your home is affected by microbial growth, it can quickly lead to worrying and costly consequences.
Knowing what microbial growth is and how to detect it can help you ensure the health of your house. The most important tools in the hunt for fungal growth? Your nose and a moisture meter. Let's take a look at how and where you should pay extra attention to improve your indoor climate.
When talking about microbial growth means a fungal growth in the house. It is usually only visible to the naked eye when it has grown to the point where it is a real problem. You can often smell the fungal growth in the air before you see it. This is because the growth often leads to the formation of an odour in the space, which is often the first sign that something is wrong.
Bad air, dark spots and discolouration associated with high humidity almost invariably mean that there is microbial growth that is bad for both your house and your health. The microorganisms that lead to mould are everywhere. They are in the air we breathe both indoors and outdoors. But given the right conditions, i.e. a humid climate without good ventilation, the spores start to grow.
Poor ventilation is a major problem in older houses because today we like to take long hot showers, cook a lot of food and increase the heat indoors with our modern heating systems.
There are different types of microbial growth to look out for in a house. These include bacteria, mould, rot and algae. The most common, however, is the fungal growth that leads to mould and rot.
Microbial growth in the house leading to rot can become a serious problem. Rot rapidly degrades wood and weakens the structure of the house. The worst cases are serpula lacrymans, also known as the true house mould. Severe infestations of rot can put the house at risk of collapse, and the affected parts must therefore be quickly addressed by replacing them. This often leads to high costs.
Mould can also have serious consequences, not only for the house itself but also for the people living in it. Mould starts to produce toxins, which can lead to serious health problems such as fatigue, asthma, eczema and allergies. Mould is often found on dead organic material, but it can also grow on inorganic material if the house is dirty. Mould only grows from moisture, but it can survive for a long time even in dry climates.
Some spaces are more prone to microbial growth than others. This is because their construction creates a climate that favours the growth of rot, mould and bacteria. Since the underlying cause is high humidity, it's not surprising that microbial growth is more likely to occur in your attic, garage and down in the crawl space.
Microbial growth often occurs in the crawl space, due to the creation of a code between the cold ground and the warm house. High soil moisture and poor ventilation make the space ideal for microorganisms to grow.
It is therefore important to regularly check the status of the crawl space to keep the house in good condition. One measure against microbial growth in the crawl space is to use ground cover, i.e. ground plastic, which protects against moisture from the ground. Then supplement it with a crawl space dehumidifier you keep humidity levels under control. By acting preventively, you can ensure that your house stays healthy all year round.
Reading tips: Humid Crawl Space and mould in crawl space
Another space that is vulnerable is the attic. Due to poor ventilation, cold from the roof and heat from inside the house, it creates high humidity and plenty of condensation. It is mainly the temperature differences between the house and the roof that lead to problems with moisture build-up and fungal growth.
One measure against microbial growth in the cold attic is to seal the ceiling. However, you must first carefully check that the structure has not been weakened by rot fungi, for example.
Reading tips: Humidity in the Attic and mould in the attic
Many basements are affected by growth that should not be there. Basements are particularly vulnerable because they are below ground level. Often it is a combination of poor drainage and moisture from the cold ground that leads to growth. Down in the basement, mould and fungal growth is a common problem.
To prevent fungal growth in the basement, it is important to ensure that the drainage system is working properly and that the ground around the house slopes away from the building. This is an easy way to prevent water accumulation at the house foundation.
Reading tips: Moisture in basements
Garages often suffer from mould growth because they are not as heated, well-insulated and well-ventilated as residential buildings. Cold and rain create problems outside by increasing the humidity inside the garage. If you also drive a car full of snow into the garage, this leads to even more moisture.
Temperature differences lead to condensation and allow mould to grow. To prevent this, the garage should also be well insulated and a good ventilation system should be installed. It is also beneficial to install a moisture barrier under the garage floor to prevent ground moisture from penetrating.
Reading tips: Moisture in the garage
When you open the front door of your summer cottage after a long winter, you're often greeted by a stale, trapped odour. This is because the cottage has been empty all winter. Without heating, a cold and damp climate forms inside its four walls.
Summer cottages are particularly vulnerable to microbial growth because they are empty, have poor ventilation and little or no heating. Before closing your summer house for the season, check that the roof, windows and walls are watertight and, if possible, treat exposed surfaces with an anti-mildew agent.
Reading tips: Dehumidifiers for holiday homes
There are many benefits to actively working to prevent microbial growth. By addressing commonly affected areas inside and outside the house and regularly checking their health status, you can save time, energy and money.
However, draining around the house, sealing walls, insulating ceilings and plastering crawlspaces are big jobs that require a substantial budget. Especially if you need to take several of these measures.
In the meantime, it is therefore a wise choice to buy a desiccant dehumidifier which effectively reduces humidity. It is an investment that is well worth the money, especially when compared to the expense that rot and mould can cause. A desiccant dehumidifier keeps the humidity at a level where microbial growth is not allowed to flourish, even in places where a condensation dehumidifier is not effective.
You buy sorption dehumidifiers of the highest quality from Acetec. They are developed in Älvsbyn, and can handle the humid climate found both in rainy Skåne and snowy Norrland.
