How to remove mould
Our construction biologist Pieter Hennipman has written a clear guide for remediation mould.
Hidden subsidence
Check with a leak detection also the floors inside and outside for hidden hollow spaces and mark them of the damage plan.
Sometimes the access to a underlaying cellar or crawling space is locked and hidden by a previous owner.
Functional requirements constructions
The requirements set for a construction depend on the functional use to which the building belongs. The type of functional use determines which requirements have to be applied. According to the definition “user function” means: the parts of a construction that have the same use and form a user unit together.
Beschermen van monumenten voor het nageslacht
Conservation of monuments is the protection, conservation, maintenance and restoration of real estates which are of common interest because of their historic, folkloristic, artistic, scientific, industrial-archeologic or other social-cultural value.
To have these monuments weathered in their entirety by direct rainfall is embarrassing. Start by hydrohobizing the entire exterior in the entire exterior perimeter.
Reverse evidence
Do you have a damage claim and is the cause of the problem after research clear, but the damager of insurer won’t follow you? Then you can possibly propose to provide a reverce evidence. When they will not repay you for the damage, take the cause away.
Interior insulation is never without risk
Insulating on the inside of houses is construction physically (almost) impossible to execute correctly without damage. It is however easily recommended by manufacturers. Often there is a risk of internal condensation and accompanying mold. In practice we haven’t seen any execution without any visible or measurable damage, let alone hidden mold.
Parabolic dew point calculation
If you still use a vapour diffusion calculation and you get a linear cooling as a result, you can ignore it completely. These are programs from the 70’s, where you hit the dew point in the centre of 4 cm insulation. Today houses have to be energy neutral or even passive with 20 – 30cm insulation. Then the centre of the construction really doesn’t get over the dew point anymore.
NEN-EN-ISO 13788 is a European norm in which the Glaser method is explained.
Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)
Do you suspect that you’re getting sick in your house or office, than this is possibly because of present mold. Mold in buildings product toxic substances (mycotoxins) which are harmful for your health. Keeping a house dry and ventilating minimally is therefore absolutely necessary.
Limits of water absorption of façades
When does a facade absorb too mech water?
It’s very simple. When there is damage because of leaking rain water, there is always something wrong and the limit is met. The quantity of absorbed water which leads to damage is always too much.
High vapour pressure goes to low vapour pressure
A higher vapour pressure always goes to places where the vapour pressure is lower. When you blow up a balloon and let is go untied, it flies through the room. This is kind of the same.
Reduce more than 2.000.000 tons CO2 without insulating
An average house has a CO² emission of 22 tons per year per household, whereof 4 ton because of heating. In an average house there can be saved 30% easily on heating. This by dealing with moisture problems so no more moisture needs to be absorbed or discharged.
Moisture costs 20% of value house
When you want to buy a house with moisture problems, calculate a deduction of 1 à 2% of the value of the house. On average this is enough to fix the posed moisture problems completely.
With a house of € 300.000 this is € 6000. Usually there isn’t more needed to take the causes of the moisture away for good.
Constructing vapour open or tight?
Old buildings used to be vapour open. With hearth fire your belly was warm and your back was frozen in winter. This hearth needed a lot of air to guide the smoke into the chimney. Candles bent because of this draught.
Drying time winter vs summer
Every big moisture problem needs a drying time of maximum 2 months in summer and maximum 3 months in winter. Measure again after this drying time and you can determine whether the taken precautions are sufficient or whether there is still a third cause present.
Rising damp
A fragment from the training “Moisture control before 2021” by Eddy Cruysberghs. Rising damp is NEVER the cause of a moisture problem.
See all our trainings given online.