Testing mold infestation – GSA offers suitable measurements of harmful substances
If there is water damage or a damage pattern is already visible, a consultation with our GSA pollutant experts to test the mold infestation can be helpful.
A professional determination of the infestation using special measuring devices for testing mold infestation can be relevant and recommended in the event of financial claims.
Please feel free to contact us on this topic.
What does mold look like?
Anyone who hears mold quickly grimaces. Once it is in the home, you want to get rid of it quickly. The cause of mold infestation can be (untreated) water damage.
In general, the term “mold” refers to the visible spread of mold spores. These spores and microorganisms occur naturally in the ambient air and are not dangerous per se.
The potential risk depends on the type of spores. A typical characteristic of mold spores is the formation of mycelium. These networks spread out in a circle and can release further spores into the environment at their ends. If left untreated, this growth leads to the visual damage, which is brownish to black in color.
What dangers does mold pose?
As further spores are constantly being released into the ambient air due to the growth of the fungus, it is very likely to have an adverse effect on health. The mold spores are inhaled and can cause irritation in the respiratory tract and even chronic asthma. Some molds produce toxins that can trigger infections (mycosis) in (weakened) people. In general, prolonged exposure should be avoided.
How does mold develop?
Mold spores are omnipresent in the ambient air. For visible damage to occur, a number of factors must interact. These include temperature, humidity and (lack of) ventilation.
A temperature between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius is ideal for the spread of mold in the home. This corresponds to the usual room temperature in apartments. In addition, a high level of humidity is necessary, which can be caused by structural defects (e.g. condensation) or moisture damage (e.g. water ingress through leaking/defective pipes). Molds prefer organic materials such as wood, insulating materials or lime as a breeding ground. This means that a damp, warm ceiling provides the ideal conditions for mold growth.
In this particular case, a leak in the pipes in the upper apartment led to water damage in the living room ceiling. As it was left untreated for some time, black wreaths of mold developed. The pencil marks show the enlargement of the water ingress.
In this case, all relevant factors are present: Breeding ground, moisture (water ingress from the bathroom) and temperature (heating air). The visible outgrowths were removed with a special mold remover and a ventilation unit was provided for drying.
Initially, there was an improvement, as the ventilation prevented the temperature from rising and the moisture was removed.
However, this was only symptom control, as only one side was dried, namely only from the affected apartment, but not in the upper apartment with the damaged area. In addition, the damage was not completely repaired, so that further water ingress occurred. As soon as the manual ventilation/drying was interrupted, new water damage soon appeared.
This case clearly shows that mold infestation should not be viewed selectively. It is not enough to eliminate the symptoms – i.e. the visible infestation – it is necessary to identify and eliminate the cause of the mold. Otherwise, mold in the home will become a recurring problem.
Sources:
[1]: https://mieterengel.de/schimmel-in-der-wohnung/
[2]: https://www.sueddeutsche.de/gesundheit/schimmel-wohnung-mietminderung-1.4238775
[3]: https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/wissen/umwelt-haushalt/wohnen/alles-ueber-schimmel-in-wohnungen-6794
[4]: https://anwaltauskunft.de/magazin/wohnen/mieten/schimmel-in-der-wohnung-die-rechte-der-mieter
[5]: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/gesundheit/umwelteinfluesse-auf-den-menschen/schimmel/haeufige-fragen-bei-schimmelbefall