ᐅ Mold or not. Thermal bridge at the corner of the timber frame.
Created on: 12 Feb 2022 17:45
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mrnewtonHello everyone,
I am a complete beginner and would like your opinion on the photos. In the corner of the room, the wallpaper started to discolor, and in one spot, it is completely missing for some reason. Apparently, the previous tenants had just painted over it to cover it up. The wall temperature in that corner is 3°C (5°F) lower than 1 meter (3 feet) away from it. The landlord asked to remove the wallpaper in that area to see if the issue is limited to that spot.
A few questions:
What could be causing this stain? Is there moisture in the wall because water is condensing from the air, or was a different material used there?
At the middle of the stain on the right wall, there is a dent (hence the question whether some filler material was used to close the dent).
In the photo labeled Fleck_groß, I hope the black spots are not mold? The wall outside that area also looks different compared to the inside.
Is a regular painter sufficient to properly repair this, considering there is a thermal bridge there?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
I am a complete beginner and would like your opinion on the photos. In the corner of the room, the wallpaper started to discolor, and in one spot, it is completely missing for some reason. Apparently, the previous tenants had just painted over it to cover it up. The wall temperature in that corner is 3°C (5°F) lower than 1 meter (3 feet) away from it. The landlord asked to remove the wallpaper in that area to see if the issue is limited to that spot.
A few questions:
What could be causing this stain? Is there moisture in the wall because water is condensing from the air, or was a different material used there?
At the middle of the stain on the right wall, there is a dent (hence the question whether some filler material was used to close the dent).
In the photo labeled Fleck_groß, I hope the black spots are not mold? The wall outside that area also looks different compared to the inside.
Is a regular painter sufficient to properly repair this, considering there is a thermal bridge there?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
H
henning18112 Feb 2022 17:50Hello,
Was there something placed in front of the corner, like a cabinet or a dresser?
Was there something placed in front of the corner, like a cabinet or a dresser?
No, there is nothing directly in front of it. Slightly offset from it is the desk (which, however, has no back panel). The radiator is only 50 cm (20 inches) away, but that doesn't change the fact that it is the coldest corner of the room.
The right side is an exterior wall, and behind the left side is the stairwell, which unfortunately is constantly cooled down by other tenants. Directly opposite is a dry riser for the fire department, which is covered, likely negatively affecting air circulation.
The right side is an exterior wall, and behind the left side is the stairwell, which unfortunately is constantly cooled down by other tenants. Directly opposite is a dry riser for the fire department, which is covered, likely negatively affecting air circulation.
M
Martial.white12 Feb 2022 18:07This looks to me like the same problem I have in my apartment.
The corner where the exterior wall meets the stairwell (window tilted open both in summer and winter...)
On top of that, it’s our bedroom... so at night the heating is off and there is increased humidity from people.
Now, every evening I close the stairwell window, and during the day we heat the room more than what would normally be necessary for a bedroom (to shift the dew point outward). Additionally, we painted this corner with lime paint (the wall is plastered, no wallpaper). Since then, it has noticeably improved.
However, the problem returns at very low temperatures. Whenever someone thinks “airing out” the stairwell by leaving the window tilted open for two hours will help…
The corner where the exterior wall meets the stairwell (window tilted open both in summer and winter...)
On top of that, it’s our bedroom... so at night the heating is off and there is increased humidity from people.
Now, every evening I close the stairwell window, and during the day we heat the room more than what would normally be necessary for a bedroom (to shift the dew point outward). Additionally, we painted this corner with lime paint (the wall is plastered, no wallpaper). Since then, it has noticeably improved.
However, the problem returns at very low temperatures. Whenever someone thinks “airing out” the stairwell by leaving the window tilted open for two hours will help…
HausiKlausi12 Feb 2022 23:09What is there to say? Physics is hard to outsmart, and having a painter deal with it would be like powdering eczema with skin-colored makeup. A cold wall combined with moisture from the apartment equals mold. Just make sure your landlord doesn’t blame you for improper ventilation or heating behavior. Beyond that, based on the situation here, the landlord is responsible for taking action (heating the stairwell, insulating the façade).
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