6 Tips for a Healthy Indoor Climate

If the humidity is right, we feel comfortable in the room. If the humidity is too low, our mucous membranes dry out. If it is too high, we find it oppressive. Dry air is not only caused by heating, as low temperatures also draw moisture from the air. If the outside air entering the room is colder than the room temperature, it is warmed and thus becomes dry.  The relative humidity should never be below 30%. In summer, we find a humidity of 60-70% very pleasant, in winter it is 50-60%. Room climate and humidity can be monitored with special measuring devices. 

Keep in mind: The human body continuously releases water vapor into the room. Under normal circumstances, a person loses between 0.5 and 1 liter per day through breathing and evaporation through the skin. An active person releases about six liters per day. During sports, the sweat glands produce about ten liters of sweat. 

Houseplants filter pollutants and dust and thus clean the air. This improves the indoor climate. In addition, they are natural humidifiers because they release more than 90% of the watering water back into the air. Depending on the watering behavior, the relative humidity in the room can increase by 5%.

Large-leaved plants such as room linden, bird's nest fern, or dumb cane are particularly suitable. The following plants also improve the indoor climate:

• Spider plant
• Aloe Vera
• Bamboo palm
• Snake plant
• Sword fern

In different rooms, we have different demands for comfort. In living rooms or bathrooms, it should be comfortably warm at 20-23° C, while in the bedroom, 17-20° C is considered pleasant. In the office or workplace, it should be somewhat warmer – depending on the activity and size of the premises, 20-22° C is recommended. In winter, the heating should be turned down to about 16-18° C at night – this saves energy. The room air temperature can be lowered by up to 2° C with surface heating compared to convection heating. The room climate is still pleasant. For each degree the room air temperature is lowered, heating costs can be reduced by about 6%. Surface cooling saves up to 30% energy compared to conventional air conditioning systems. Because: Each additional degree of room temperature reduces energy costs by 10%. If a room needs to be cooled to 23° C with an air conditioner on hot days, one already feels comfortable at 26° C indoor temperature with surface cooling.

More about surface heating and cooling 

Tip: Well-insulated ceilings and exterior walls retain more energy in the room and thus save real money. 

The plaster not only serves as a base for a colorful coat of paint or wallpaper, but it must also fulfill important functions and is ideally:

- moisture-regulating

- breathable

- protects the masonry from penetrating water from outside

- and contributes to good thermal insulation

A lime plaster is optimal for indoor use. It is highly moisture-regulating, absorbs pollutants, and kills bacteria and fungi.

Fresh air in the room is indispensable for an optimal indoor climate. Good air increases human concentration and provides the body with energy. Clean air consists of 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% noble gases, and 0.04% carbon dioxide. When people, animals, or plants are in the room, the air values change: the air is enriched with more moisture and carbon dioxide, and the oxygen content decreases. 

Therefore, it is important to ventilate the rooms regularly – even in the cold months. It is best to ventilate several times a day for about three minutes. Cross-ventilation allows the used air to escape outside and fresh air to flow into the room. This is more efficient than leaving the window tilted all day.

Mold spores can be found everywhere in the air. However, they need moisture to grow. Reasons for mold in the home can include insufficient ventilation and heating, structural defects, or a combination of structural defects, insufficient ventilation, and insufficient heating. Anyone who discovers mold in their living space should act quickly. It negatively affects health and the building's substance – the quality of living suffers. 

Regular ventilation and adequate heating of the rooms minimize the formation of mold, as fungus spores do not thrive on dry walls. Wall Heating not only keeps the walls dry but also warms the apartment or house comfortably. Skirting Heating Systems also ensure a pleasant room climate. They quickly build up a warm air curtain along the cold walls – the wall stays dry, and the room is well-tempered.