DÜSSELDORF/ERKNER (dpa-AFX) - According to experts, the more economical heating this winter will cause more mold damage in apartments and houses. "The risk of mold formation as a result of inappropriate heating and ventilation behavior can definitely be classified as high," Stefan Betz, chairman of the German Mold Remediation Association, told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur. From the point of view of the energy consultant association GIH, there is a lack of education about proper heating and ventilation.

"Mold damage will occur increasingly in older existing buildings and here especially in the poorly thermally insulated apartment buildings of the 1960s and 70s," estimates Betz. Basically, he says, kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms are more at risk in all buildings, as this is where a lot of moisture occurs. "If heating here is less than in previous years to save energy costs, but the ventilation behavior is not adjusted, it can lead to an entry of increased moisture on walls, room corners but also furniture and fabrics and subsequently to mold," said the expert.

It is recruited indeed much for the energy-saving, but not sufficiently over the correct user behavior cleared up, says Lutz Badelt, chairman of the GIH regional organization Berlin Brandenburg. He is aware of a case in which the occupants of a house no longer heat at all, but use the heat from cooking. Thus the damp air gets into the other areas - a danger for mold.

Mold is also sometimes a taboo subject, he said. "Especially in the older generation, mold is associated with uncleanliness," Badelt said. That's why people don't like to talk about it and don't solve the problem. Affected people are also stigmatized, he said. "Sometimes people are accused of not ventilating properly. But that can't be said across the board. Residents of poorly insulated buildings often have no chance at all to avoid mold."

"If a tenant discovers mold damage, they will most likely contact their landlord first," Betz said. Often, disputes over the cause arise at this stage, he said. "Weeks and months often pass before damage reaches a remediation company or a lawyer," says the expert. Usable figures will therefore not be available for at least six months to a year./anj/DP/zb