Mold on the wall in the apartment - what to do?
Each person strives for the atmosphere of calm, familiar comfort, warmth and kindness to reign in his house. And for this purpose, a lot of effort is put into decorating the rooms, choosing furniture and taking care of everything that was acquired - long or fast, it does not matter. Mold is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon that even a very neat housewife may encounter. It seems that the apartment is new, cozy, well-appointed - and suddenly these terrible black spots. Mold on the wall in the apartment - what to do? This will be discussed in the article.
to contents ↑Is mold dangerous?
The ugly black spots that damage your wall or ceiling are not safe at all, so you need to get rid of them as soon as possible. Disgusting appearance - this is not so bad. These spots are dangerous for the inhabitants of the apartment.
Mold is a fungus. It actively multiplies and produces enzymes. Those, in turn, react with other substances and form compounds that are not useful for the human body.
These enzymes, entering the body, affect the metabolism and can cause a number of diseases:
- fungal lesions of the skin and mucous membranes (mycoses):
- allergic reactions;
- poisoning;
- asthmatic manifestations;
- stomatitis;
- conjunctivitis.
to contents ↑Important! There are suggestions that mold provokes the development of cancer. That is why it is so important to have an idea of how to remove mold from the walls in an apartment if it suddenly appeared.
Types of mold
Mold is a collective name. These are different types of fungi, each of which has its own scientific name. In everyday life, they are distinguished by color:
- black
- gray
- white
- pink
- green
- blue.
to contents ↑Important! The most dangerous and harmful is considered to be black mold. It causes the largest number of diseases and it is most difficult to get rid of it.
Reasons for the appearance
Despite the fact that there are a lot of types of mold, the prerequisite for its appearance is only two. This is an increased humidity with a temperature within 20 С. The mold feels especially good in a damp enclosed space where air access is limited.
to contents ↑Important! This can be seen in such an example. If you put a piece of bread in a plastic bag and forget about it, the piece molds. And the same scum left in the open air, most likely, will simply dry up.
What materials does the fungus like?
The fungus affects almost all the materials from which they build houses:
- wood;
- plastic;
- concrete;
- brick.
Why is this happening:
- Wooden structures are especially fond of mold. Mold can even seem to be a dry house, which was left in the spring or autumn for several weeks without heating.
- Almost all plastics are organic compounds that molds enjoy with pleasure, although there is an opinion that this material is not at all susceptible to mold.
- As for concrete, it can become moldy if a lot of organic substances like sawdust are added to it.
- Brick is a porous structure, and mold often lives in the pores.
Important! Perhaps there are only two building materials that such a defeat does not threaten:
- metal;
- glass.
The fungus can live on a metal or glass surface, but does not destroy it. And it is very easy to remove.
to contents ↑The most vulnerable premises
Before you remove the mold from the wall in the apartment with your own hands, evaluate the scale of the disaster. Black, gray or pink spots can be seen both on the outside and inside. In a city apartment, they most often appear:
- in the bathroom;
- in the kitchen:
- in the corners of rooms;
- on the windows.
The reason for the appearance in these places is clear - these are the wettest areas. In other places, such an unpleasant guest appears much less often, although this happens.
On the outside
Disgusting spots that appeared on the outside of the house should in no case be ignored. The most common causes of this phenomenon:
- there is a crack in the wall;
- lack of waterproofing;
- poor-quality waterproofing;
- the house was populated before the walls were completely dry.
Important! If mold appeared in the apartment - what should I do? You are unlikely to cope with such a problem yourself. The most reliable option is to call the utility company that serves your home and ask them to find out the reasons.
It is possible that insulation of external walls will be needed. This is especially true when the house is old. External cladding will prevent the formation of condensation, and accordingly - the appearance of mold.
The corners between the wall and the floor are affected
This phenomenon can most often be observed among residents of lower floors, as well as among residents of one-story private houses. The reason you need to look in the basement. There may be:
- waterproofing defects;
- leakage of communications.
This is, again, the concern of the utility. Your task is to report a problem and provide the master with access to the apartment or house.
Stains in the bathroom or toilet
This is a fairly common occurrence. There are two main reasons:
- disruption in communications;
- ventilation problems.
Check for leaks, faucets, showers, and drain tank working properly. As for ventilation, it can be improved:
- Install the fan in the ventilation hole.
- Cut a hole in the door.
Important! In the first case, you can improve air circulation, in the second - to ensure its flow from other rooms. In the worst case, you can simply not close the bathroom door when there is nobody there.
Mold on window frames
Oddly enough, plastic double-glazed windows do not save from a fungus. Quite the contrary - defeat on them occurs more often than on wooden window frames. This can happen for several reasons:
- Mold settles on the windows if the room is rarely ventilated.
- During installation, old materials were not completely removed.
- The one who put the windows did not bother to process them with a special composition.
- If the windowsill is wide - there may be a violation of air circulation.
Kitchen and rooms
The kitchen is always high humidity, so you need a good extractor hood. If it is not, the fungus can settle anywhere.
Important! In other rooms, the fungus rarely appears, but if it has already appeared, this means that the humidity is too high everywhere. This, for example, can happen if you have the habit of drying clothes in the room. Sometimes, a large aquarium creates favorable conditions for the development of the fungus, if it is poorly looked after, or an abundance of indoor plants.
In addition, the reason may be the cold in the apartment, and too much furniture, and the fact that chairs and cabinets stand against the wall closely, without gaps.
to contents ↑How to remove fungus on the walls in an apartment?
To remove mold from the walls in an apartment is a rather complicated process. You'll have to:
- get rid of old wallpapers;
- remove old plaster;
- replacing wooden structures and plasterboard partitions - these materials, if ominous spots have appeared on them, it is almost impossible to restore, it is better to put new ones.
Important! The fungus is very fond of any organic matter, including paper. And do not hope that it will be enough just to remove the wallpaper and clean the walls.It will be a vain effort - before you have time to put the walls in order, they will again be covered with disgusting spots.
As for concrete, brick or tile, they do not have to be completely changed. The fungus cannot completely destroy them, so there is an opportunity to limit itself to cleaning and processing with special compounds.
to contents ↑How to remove fungus from concrete and brick?
In construction stores you will find a lot of anti-mildew. You will probably find something at home or in the nearest pharmacy. You will be helped out:
- antiseptic soil;
- bleach;
- vinegar;
- hydrogen peroxide;
- ammonia;
- soda.
Construction antiseptic
Antiseptic primer can be bought at a hardware store. You will need another brush, and then you act like this:
Bleach or hydrogen peroxide
Conventional household bleach does an excellent job with both adult fungus and spores.
Important! Bleach is toxic, they need to work carefully.
They process tiles and glass if mold must be removed from the walls in the apartment:
- Dilute the bleach in water in a ratio of 1; 10.
- Surface finish
Hydrogen peroxide has the same properties.
Important! You should not use both of these tools to remove mold from wood or laminate - the surface may change color.
Vinegar
Tile or glass can also be treated with 3% vinegar:
- Dampen the surface with vinegar.
- Wait 1 hour.
- Rinse off with water.
- Ventilate the room
Important! Vinegar is an excellent prophylactic if sprayed above the surface about once a week.
Ammonia
Liquid ammonia is your reliable assistant in the fight against dirt. He will help you out here if mold appeared on the wall in the apartment, and you don’t know what to do.
Procedure:
- Dilute ammonia with water in a ratio of 1: 1.
- Dampen the surface with the solution.
- Wait 2-3 hours.
- Rinse the solution with water.
Baking soda
This is also a reliable tool, besides, it is absolutely harmless:
- Make a solution - 1 teaspoon of soda in a glass of water.
- Apply the mixture to the stain with a sponge.
- Wait an hour.
- Rinse off with water.
Important! You can additionally grease the treated area with lemon juice. Soda can simply be added to the detergent and wipe the stain.
Other means
To remove fungal lesions, you can also use:
- alcohol;
- soap;
- copper sulfate.
How they will help:
- With alcohol you just need to wipe the stain. Not a single fungus can withstand this treatment.
- Soap is best used household. It is bred to get a thick solution. The dark laundry soap contains alkali, which perfectly copes with mold spots.
- An ancient remedy to combat such lesions is copper sulfate. It can be bought where they sell goods for gardeners. Dilute 100 g of powder in a bucket of water and spray stains.
Industrial facilities
Manufacturers of household chemicals are aware of a similar problem, so you can find industrial chemicals in stores. You can choose a tool that will help to remove mold from the walls in the apartment, but retain the appearance of the finish.
Mögel-fri
Mögel-Fri, which is offered by JAPE Produkter AB, is sprayed onto the surface or applied by brush. You need to wait a day, and then clean off without the use of water. This is a gentle means that will not harm either beautiful wallpaper or carved furniture.
Important! The tool acts for a long time, so it can be used as a prophylactic. And you can check whether you managed to cover it with the entire surface, you can use an ultraviolet lamp.
Fungicide
It is rather a preventive measure, although if necessary, it can also be used to remove the lesion. During repair, the substance must be added to the paint, wallpaper glue or primer.
Important! Fungicide does not treat wooden surfaces.
Atlas Mykos
Atlas Mykos is used to treat concrete and cement, ceramic bricks, limestone and other porous building materials. It prevents the penetration of moisture into the pores.
Important! This tool is not afraid of temperature extremes and sunlight.
Izohan Grzybostop
Izohan Grzybostop is a kind of primer. On the surface treated with this tool, an additional colorless layer appears, preventing the formation of mold. Then you can stick wallpaper or paint on the wall covered with this substance.
“Snowball”
Impregnation "Snowball" is made of acrylic resin. It perfectly protects against moisture. In addition, it perfectly aligns the walls. Use it like soil.
to contents ↑We process the walls
To get rid of the fungus once and for all, you need:
- means for washing away mold;
- antiseptic soil;
- antiseptic soil of deep penetration;
- waterproofing solution;
- plaster;
- Building tools.
Important! Soil of deep penetration will have to cover the wall several times, after each stage. This will not only remove the old mold, but also prevent the appearance of a new one.
Procedure to remove mold from the walls forever:
- Take off the wallpaper.
- Clean the wall from mold with a stiff brush.
- Remove all plaster
- Wash the walls well using factory or homemade mold control.
- Apply mortar to the washed walls to remove the cement film.
- Prepare a simple antiseptic solution.
- Apply an antiseptic to the wall - it is better to cover it with the entire surface
- Cover the wall with deep penetration primer.
- Apply a waterproofing agent.
- Coat the surface a second time with a deep penetration primer.
- Plaster the wall.
- Apply a heat insulator - for example, special paint.
- Putty the walls.
- Apply another layer of deep penetration primer.
- Paste new wallpaper or paint the walls.
Stock footage
Now you know everything about the fungus so undesirable in the house and how and how to remove mold from the walls in the apartment. We hope that you managed to cope with this scourge, and now your home is clean in the full sense of the word.
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