How to get rid of mold and mildew in a private house and apartment

Recommendation points

• Why does mold appear
• Identifying weaknesses at the location of mold
• Choosing a way to eliminate the color of the fungus

After treating the walls with anti-mold and mildew products, people notice its quick return. Scientists have long proven that it is almost impossible to destroy spores and any drug works temporarily. It is necessary to deprive the fungus of the environment in which it reproduces, and only then to remove the consequences of its vital activity.

Why does mold appear

There are many reasons for the appearance of a fungus in the house, and if they are not determined immediately, the struggle will drag on for a long time. Each method is aimed at solving a specific problem, if the reason is small cracks – ventilation will not help, and if drying the diapers – it is useless to repair the walls.

The most common causes of mold in your home are:

1. Increased moisture – most often, humidity rises with the appearance of a baby in the house. The reason for this is constant drying of things and wet cleaning. Some, not having hot water, boil it in the kitchen, and the steam settles on the walls. In such a situation, an electric dryer and a hood will help..

2. Sewerage – look at the pipes in the riser, do they “sweat”? This issue can be solved on your own only by living in a private house, by repairing leaking taps and insulating the pipes with polyurethane casings. Those who live in the apartment will have to call a locksmith. Only he has legal grounds to influence your neighbors from above and solve this problem..

3. Microcracks in the walls – cracks are not always visible, sometimes you have to call a specialist for thermal imaging. Most of them are repaired with methyl acrylate gel, which is injected with a packer.

4. Ventilation – by installing plastic windows and insulating the walls, we create a kind of thermos through which moisture cannot escape. After sealing, check how well the ventilation works. If a sheet of paper attached to the exhaust hole falls, it’s time to repair it. In old houses, it is not at all, since it was not needed before insulation. If you live in such a house, you will have to conduct it yourself.

5. Changes in temperature – saving on heating in a non-insulated house ends with repairs, since humidity causes not only mold, but also the destruction of walls. It is better to insulate the house once than to live in a state of repair all the time.

6. Insulation of the foundation – the pulling out of moisture by the foundation can be noticed by the appearance of mold in the area of ​​the baseboards. The issue can be partially solved by increasing the width of the blind area, but, most likely, you will have to dig in the foundation and seal it along the walls. Moisture can come from the pipes located in the basement, they must be insulated.

7. Roof Sealing – Snow and rain can enter the slots of the gable or accumulate in the gutters. When the snow melts, water gets inside and forms puddles. There is another weak point at the roofs – the outlet of the chimney, the joints should be filled with sealant and a “skirt” should be installed.

There are other reasons that need to be clarified before starting the repair. This will save money and preserve the appearance of the rooms..

Identifying weaknesses at the location of mold

Sometimes it is difficult to determine the cause, but experts have deduced the sequence of destruction and the appearance of mold in the house. At its location, preliminary conclusions can be drawn and an emphasis on finding the source of its occurrence.

The location of the mold will tell you about the problem:

• bathroom – no dryer and poor ventilation. If there is a room above the floor, there may be a leak;
• corners on the walls – cracks in the masonry and freezing of the walls. With a quick construction, the walls may not completely dry out, but this is a rare exception;
• corners on the floor and baseboards – dampness from the basement and problems with the sewage system;
• behind furniture – the cold wall does not have time to warm up, since there is no air circulation. If the furniture cannot be moved, you will have to insulate the wall from the outside;
• at different heights in all rooms – high humidity in the room due to constant drying of laundry, an open aquarium, a large number of flowers or frequent boiling of water.

The hardest part is determining why mold is forming on the walls, so it’s best to take a thermal image right away..

Choosing a way to eliminate the color of the fungus

Each mold has its own shade, but some inexperienced confuse efflorescence with white fungus. In fact, this is an evaporated precipitate of substances that were in the water when mixing the solution. They need to be removed with special means, otherwise the whole house will be covered with a white coating. From wet cleaning it grows even more, because water dissolves and draws out a new portion of salts.

Shades of mold:

• black – there are two types, initially black and changing color during flowering. More often it occurs due to the strong greenhouse effect indoors. The house should be drained and more powerful ventilation installed;
• white – poses the greatest danger to wooden products. Can destroy the floor in a short space of time. When it appears, part of the affected wood should be immediately removed, and the surface should be treated with antifungal preparations;
• blue – affects even varnished wood, so wet cleaning will not help. The plaque will have to be cleaned off, and the product covered with a special compound.
• green is, rather, not mold, but fine moss. It grows in places where it flows. The leak can be inside the wall in cracks or under the wallpaper and is not visible to the owner of the room. Pay attention to whether pipes or gutters pass through this place from the outside of the house. It is necessary to find the place of occurrence of water and eliminate the defect.

If you live in an apartment and intend to attract a developer to solve problems, you will have to take a thermal imaging survey, as well as make a flush from the wall to further study the disputes in the laboratory. Without documentary evidence of the presence of a fungus, you are unlikely to be helped.