Originally Posted by
GUWonder
Mold/mildew is a major problem in many a Scandinavian house -- more frequently than it is in US houses aimed at sort of the same kind of socio-economic demographic range -- but it seems to be more of a problem in relatively younger housing stock than in the oldest housing stock. I'm not sure how much of that is due to a change in construction material and workmanship ability as it is due to the building season getting longer and longer and the rush to go from foundation preparation to final key handover.
I wonder if it's the same phenomenon as in the UK, and a simple lack of ventilation. Newer housing stock is significantly less draughty - great from an environmental/cost point of view in a colder climate, but the ventilation (extractor fans, etc) that gets built in is pathetic - not just in the bathroom, but in the kitchen, and wherever you dry clothes (oh, for the space to put a tumble dryer...)
People are also less willing to air out the house on a regular basis, particularly when it's cold - and the heating is on more than previously. It seems the norm to leave it on overnight - something I wouldn't consider and would have been anathema to my parents, even in a draughty old house where I used to enjoy waking up to the sight of frost on the inside of the windows, and knew the route to walk to the stairs with the hot water pipe running underneath!
A £35, table-top dehumidifier can work wonders. But there still needs to be a certain air flow.
As for the wet rooms - I assume there's some kind of lining? I notice that, at least in the old Danish apartment blocks, they do seem to be all located next to the staircase - perhaps there is some kind of stone base? Certainly in Southern Europe, you often see cold rooms that appear to have concrete or stone floors.