Does Infrared Heating work Against Mold?

According to experts, 30-50% of apartments are contaminated with mold. Mold can have a negative impact on your health and is often discovered very late. That is why it is particularly important for all homeowners and tenants to take measures that prevent mold and damp. We explain the causes of mold, how infrared heaters prevent mold and what other measures you can take against mold.

What Causes mold ?

Mold occurs both in old buildings and new buildings and is caused by moisture in combination with cold walls. Damp areas can be caused by excessive humidity, leaky pipes or design errors. The cause must always be determined not only to remove existing mold but to prevent the new. Excessive humidity can be caused by the mere presence of people in a room. Breathing and sweating raises humidity levels and if the rooms aren’t aired, condensation water settles on the walls. Also, in bathrooms and kitchens very high humidity is caused by steam during showering or cooking. If the rooms aren’t ventilated through a window, a fan or vent, moisture will settle on walls.

Additionally, if rooms and walls are not heated evenly, condensation will precipitate and the walls will become damp. Moist cold walls provide the perfect breeding ground for mold spores and mold can often spread unnoticed for a long time without visible signs. Even if you heat regularly and your home is not cold, you probably still have cold walls. The reason for this is that convection heaters such as e.g. gas or oil heaters heat the air instead of the walls. Hot air circulates from the radiator to the ceiling and when it cools to the floor. Walls and corners are mostly cold. With well-insulated exterior walls, this problem is less pronounced, as they store the heat better. However, structural failure of the insulation can lead to thermal bridges, i.e. spots that remain cold and the mold then settles there. Nevertheless, mold can still be produced in well-insulated houses if the building does not have a proper ventilation concept.

How does infrared heat help tackle mold?

Infrared heating Panels directly heat the walls and furniture in the room instead of the air. These store the heat and slowly release it back into the room. So the walls are not only warm, but also dry. You can effectively prevent mold with infrared heating. Place the infrared heater opposite the outer walls, which are particularly vulnerable to mildew. If you’re having mold problems over and over again, ask your local Sundirect dealer for advice on how to prevent told with infrared heating in your home.

6 Tips to Prevent Mold

Mold is not only a blemish in your home, but can be hazardous to health in case of permanent exposure. Mold can cause headaches, respiratory problems, allergies, irritation of the mucous membranes and the stomach. Some types of mold spores are even carcinogenic. We give you tips on how to prevent mold:

1. Proper, regular airing prevents mold. To regulate the humidity in the room, it is important to open windows at least 3 times a day. It is best to open 2 windows in the room completely for 3-5 minutes to exchange the air in the room. Venting shortly but with all windows open is not only more efficient for regulating humidity, it is also about 20% more energy efficient than just opening a single window for longer. If you use infrared heaters, you have the advantage that the whole room does not cool down, as it is mainly walls, objects and bodies that are heated in the room instead of the air.
2. Use a hygrometer to measure the humidity. Ideally, it is between 30 and 60%. Everything above promotes the development of mold, everything under dries out the mucous membranes and promotes colds. With a hygrometer you know exactly when to ventilate.
3. Ventilate the bathroom immediately after you have showered to let the large amounts of steam escape immediately. Do not open the door to the living rooms to ventilate, but use a fan vent, air conditioning or window.
4. Use an indoor infrared heater that keeps your walls warm and dry. Infrared heaters have many advantages over convection heaters: they are more environmentally friendly, cheaper to buy, can be more economical to use, create a pleasant room atmosphere and have positive effects on your health.
5. Do not allow rooms to cool completely, even if they are not being used. Ideally, the room temperature in new buildings is at least 16 and in old buildings at least 18 degrees.
6. Insulate outer walls of your home so that the heat escapes less quickly. However, this renovation is costly and time consuming.

Which are the best infrared heaters for removing mold?

Mold in your home can be prevented by using any heater that emits some level of radiant heat, but infrared panels are particularly suitable for usage throughout your home.

Infrared Mirror Heater : Particularly Suitable for any type of room , Kitchen , Living room and Bathrooms.

Infrared Towel Warmer : Best suitable for Bathroom space.

How to Remove Mold?

If your house is already infested with mold, it is essential to remove it as soon as possible. The above measures are only for the prevention, but not the removal of mold. Small spots can be fought with commercial mold removers. However, these only work superficially and the mold often comes back. If you want to play it safe, you should have the damage repaired by a specialist. This can help you to clarify the cause. If the cause is not determined, the mold will come again and again. Dry walls are essential to also kill the mood which is why professionals use strong infrared heaters for several days to dry the walls as well.