Hello everyone,
we have the following issue with our new build currently under construction, where our builder wants us to confirm that potential mold growth is possible:
we have a storage room of about 3m² (32 sq ft), adjacent to the kitchen. This room is located at a corner of the house, so it has two exterior walls. The room also contains an exhaust duct for our mechanical ventilation with heat recovery system; our house will be an energy-efficient house standard 40.
We did not want underfloor heating in this storage room because we also wanted to store food there. However, during the plumbing installation, two loops from the kitchen were accidentally extended into this room.
The reasoning now is that due to the two exterior walls, the room cools down enough for condensation to form, which could promote mold growth.
I find this hard to believe because, as mentioned, the exterior walls are well insulated, and the other two walls bordering the room are uninsulated interior walls (kitchen and guest bathroom).
Is there really such an issue here?
Thank you in advance :o)
we have the following issue with our new build currently under construction, where our builder wants us to confirm that potential mold growth is possible:
we have a storage room of about 3m² (32 sq ft), adjacent to the kitchen. This room is located at a corner of the house, so it has two exterior walls. The room also contains an exhaust duct for our mechanical ventilation with heat recovery system; our house will be an energy-efficient house standard 40.
We did not want underfloor heating in this storage room because we also wanted to store food there. However, during the plumbing installation, two loops from the kitchen were accidentally extended into this room.
The reasoning now is that due to the two exterior walls, the room cools down enough for condensation to form, which could promote mold growth.
I find this hard to believe because, as mentioned, the exterior walls are well insulated, and the other two walls bordering the room are uninsulated interior walls (kitchen and guest bathroom).
Is there really such an issue here?
Thank you in advance :o)
Leave it as it is now. You don’t need an additional valve (heating circuit); it’s better to have an extra ventilation valve installed there if there is already a pipe. Your general contractor and their heating specialist are thinking ahead, which is exactly what you want... Without heating and ventilation, the room is a potential hotspot for mold growth.
Merlin73 schrieb:
We have a storage room of about 3m² (32 sq ft) adjacent to the kitchen. This room is located at a corner of the house and therefore has two exterior walls. The room also contains an exhaust duct for our controlled residential ventilation system. Our house will be an Efficiency House 40.With an exhaust duct, there should be no issues with mold. The compensating loops of the underfloor heating should be more than enough to prevent cooling.
In our storage room (about 4m² (43 sq ft), but with only a narrow exterior wall and also a window), we completely omitted the underfloor heating since we also wanted to store food there. Additionally, our ice cooler is located there. And what can I say: as long as we keep the door to the kitchen closed, the storage room becomes one of the warmest rooms in the house due to the waste heat from the ice cooler.
What temperature differences do you expect to create if the chamber does not have underfloor heating, in a modern, insulated new build (Kfw 40!)? And which food items specifically benefit from having 18 degrees Celsius (64°F) instead of 21 degrees Celsius (70°F) in the room?
When exterior insulation is properly installed in a KfW40 building, no condensation (and therefore no risk of mold) should form on the interior surfaces of exterior components due to the extended thermal bridge. This also applies at higher indoor humidity levels (up to about 60%).
Since there is also an exhaust pipe from the controlled ventilation system to ensure air circulation and exchange, the risk is low anyway (provided the exterior insulation is correctly installed).
Additionally, the accidentally installed underfloor heating helps to push any moisture out of the lowest layers.
Since there is also an exhaust pipe from the controlled ventilation system to ensure air circulation and exchange, the risk is low anyway (provided the exterior insulation is correctly installed).
Additionally, the accidentally installed underfloor heating helps to push any moisture out of the lowest layers.
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