ᐅ What is causing this damage to the window? Mold? Age?

Hello Forum

I am considering buying a 1960s apartment. Attached are photos of the windows. One of the seals on the glass appears to have slight mold growth.

But can you tell me what the "black dirt" is in the other photos? It doesn’t look like mold to me, but rather actual dirt, partly weathered wood, possibly iron particles?

And would you agree with my assessment that 1. the windows were poorly painted, and 2. it would be better to replace the windows right away instead of living in the apartment for a few more years and then replacing them?

Best regards
TorstenKandt

Unfortunately, I can only open/view one photo, and it looks like classic mold to me. The individual spots spreading outward are quite distinct. However, the resolution is somewhat lacking when I zoom in. So, I’m not completely sure.

Ah… you just have to wait long enough for the other images to load. They are not attached via the forum software.

This is classic mold in the window corners!

TorstenKandt schrieb:

And would you agree with my assessment that 1. the windows were painted very poorly

Well… I wouldn’t say poorly painted… it’s wood from the 1960s, paint from the ?1970s?, painters from the 1980s… I don’t see any cost-cutting here, rather the issue with the mold.

Mold, poorly ventilated/heated.

That doesn't seem to be wood or painted, but rather structured PVC. The stains on the seals (who uses light-colored ones?) could be mold, while the corner area is simply dirt. In https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/sind-diese-flecken-ernste-feuchtigkeit-schimmel.46917/ I would also assume mold.

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11ant schrieb:

That doesn’t look like wood or painted material to me, but rather textured PVC....

No, those are (many?) old layers of paint on a wooden window.
Tip for you as a beginner 😉 If the window has a "drip groove," it is usually not a plastic window.

TorstenKandt schrieb:

But can you tell me what the "black dirt" is in the other photos? It doesn’t look like mold to me but more like actual dirt, partly weathered wood, possibly iron shavings?

And would you agree with my assessment that, first, the windows were painted poorly and, second, it’s better to replace the windows right away instead of living in the apartment for a few more years and then replacing them?

You say "apartment from the 1960s." At first glance, the windows don’t seem much newer either. With a lack of maintenance, improper heating, and ventilation, they look exactly the way you’d expect. If the rest of the apartment is in the same condition (which seems to be the case based on your other questions), I would suggest starting with a full renovation. Except in the prime locations of major cities, the apartment probably isn’t worth much...