People from the most ancient times always share their dwelling with other inhabitants of the animal and plant world: even in modern high-rise buildings, mice, spiders, cockroaches, bugs and various small animals are found every now and then. But if a person is able to put up with some illegal tenants and not pay attention to them, then living with others is dangerous for life and health.
Enemy number one - mold stains in a living room. These black and greenish-brown spots do not bite anyone, but it becomes impossible to live in the house. In addition, sometimes a fungal colony can disguise itself and live for years on the reverse side of the wallpaper, without external manifestations, gradually expanding and capturing new territories. So what to do if mold appears under the wallpaper? How to deal with it? And is it possible to win this war alone?
What is mold?
Mold is tiny microscopic fungi that look like weaving threads (hyphae). The spores of these microorganisms are everywhere - in the air, in water, on the street, in any premises. While there are no suitable conditions for them, they do not manifest themselves in any way. But as soon as possible, they will create a colony on any suitable surface. When a study of the Chernobyl sarcophagus was conducted a few years ago, scientists were struck by the huge colonies of black mold living inside.
The mold world is huge and diverse - there are thousands of species of microscopic fungi. But ordinary people most often distinguish them by color:
- White - appears as plaque on the ground in flower pots as a reaction to excessive watering.
- Green - it is it that is violently color on spoiled products.
- Black. This refers to the Stachybotrys chartarum - a type of green-black mold that often appears after floods and can grow on any surface. She is considered the most dangerous; according to some studies, a person causes not only allergies and bronchitis, but also lung cancer. Although a closer study of the species showed that the impact on the human body is similar to other varieties of mold and is not at all ahead of them in the degree of danger to humans.
- Blue It affects wooden surfaces.
- Putrid fungus - destroys wood and other materials from the inside.
What is dangerous mold for humans
These microscopic fungi in front of our eyes destroy a cozy home world: the mold under the wallpaper “eats” not only the decorative finish, but also undermines the concrete slab, inflates the plaster, then begins to peel off the paint, neighboring areas are gradually infected, and the fluffy infection captures everything around.
It is impossible to live and even just be in such a room. And not only because of the unattractive appearance of the blackened and browned walls. Mold is really dangerous for human health.
Allergy sufferers are the first to suffer, as the colony secretes special substances that act as an allergen. There is redness of the eyes, perspiration, difficulty breathing, prolonged illness, runny nose. The next risk group is children and the elderly. They have a weaker immune system, and all negative environmental factors affect them more strongly. With the growth of the colony, everyone else will begin to suffer. Possible symptoms include fatigue, confused consciousness, frequent headaches, dizziness, nausea, loss of appetite, cough, gastrointestinal upset, joint and muscle pain, a strange taste in the mouth, rapid sweating, frequent urination, shivering, and increased sensitivity to light. etc.
Mold is dangerous in that it is not necessary to touch it in order to feel the whole range of negative consequences: just living in the same room is enough.
Reasons for the appearance
So, there was a mold under the wallpaper after repair. What went wrong? At what point were the ideal conditions for reproduction created for micro-fungi?
To do this, you need to understand what an apartment or a house is. Today, almost all houses put plastic windows, that is, they actually cut off the street from the living quarters. Oddly enough, wooden frayed frames provided excellent air circulation and maintained a good microclimate.
Another problem is the poor layout or redevelopment of the living room, as a result of which some of the rooms are not ventilated.
It is impossible to exclude the factor of low temperatures, when corners and even the walls as a whole are freezing. This leads to the formation of condensate, and excess moisture leads to the growth of fungi.
So before any redevelopment and construction, all factors must be taken into account so as not to provoke the appearance of the fungus.
Here is a list of the main causes of mold under wallpaper or on other surfaces:
- Violation of building codes, poor redevelopment, failure to waterproof concrete slabs.
- Insufficient ventilation - stale air, clogged windows, lack of air flow from the street.
- High humidity in the apartment - this is facilitated by both natural causes (weather, climate), and artificially created factors, for example, steam from the kettle, a lot of linen on the dryer, damp earth in pots, etc.
- A damp basement under the house.
- Regular leaks - the roof, pipe, various connections, etc. are flowing.
In general, the whole list can be reduced to one thing: the fungus appears when it is damp and there is no air circulation. High temperatures accelerate colony growth, but even at low moldy spots still appear.
Where mold is most often found in a living room
In a private house, spots can appear everywhere - on the floor, ceiling, in corners, on furniture. It depends on where the problem is.
With an apartment a little easier. Usually in high-rise buildings, mold appears:
- In the bathroom, where for her the perfect microclimate. If there is no in the bathroom or a poor hood without draft, and the door is always closed, then after a couple of months mold will appear.
- On the plastic windows. The reason is condensation due to temperature differences.
- Spots appear on corners and walls due to poor waterproofing of concrete slabs and poor ventilation.
Mold on the wall
Mold on the wall under the wallpaper appears for exactly the same reasons as in other places. People are often outraged that fungi appear unexpectedly. For example, for 10 years everything was normal, but then after the repair this fluffy infection appeared. What happened
This question can only be answered by the landlord. Maybe he put plastic windows and combined the kitchen with the room, which is why the living room was left without ventilation. Meanwhile, children's things are constantly drying in this room.
Or during the repair, he did not begin to insulate the constantly freezing angle, and he began to freeze even more, which led to the loss of condensate and constant dampness. And as a result, to mold.
How to prevent further colony growth
So, mold was found under the wallpaper. What to do in this situation? The first steps should be aimed at preventing further growth of the colony. Any methods for reducing humidity and additional ventilation can be used:
- open a window;
- put a fan;
- turn on the heater in the room;
- remove all sources of moisture - linen, flowers in pots, repair a dripping tap or pipe, etc .;
- to illuminate the wall with a UV lamp, as its radiation is harmful to fungi.
Instructions for cleaning the walls of a fungal colony
How to get rid of mold under the wallpaper? To do this, follow the step by step instructions:
- Release passage to the infected area. Remove furniture and carpets, after examining them for stains.
- It is possible to dry the wall naturally, through an open window, but it is better to use a construction hairdryer, air heater or any household heater.
- Remove all damaged areas - pieces of wallpaper and plaster to concrete. You need to capture the area with a margin.
- Sand the area thoroughly with fine-grained sandpaper.
- Treat the plate with an antifungal spray, impregnation or a special primer. At least 3-4 times, each time waiting for the complete drying of the previous layer.
- If possible, illuminate the wall with a UV lamp.
- Prime the plate with a special antiseptic primer. Plaster.
- Stick new wallpaper.
Degree of infection
The previous instruction suggests radical methods of struggle - to remove all infected materials. If you add prophylactic methods to this, then you can get rid of the fungus once and for all, contrary to popular myth, which says that mold cannot be killed.
But is there really a need for such difficult and costly actions to destroy mold under the wallpaper. What to do if fungi appear in a small area?
A critical figure is considered to be 20% of the surface lesion. If the colony has grown to these sizes, then you will have to resort to radical measures. Otherwise, you can try to kill the fungus from the outside - burn it with whiteness, vinegar or a special spray. Such measures may succeed, especially if the wallpaper is not multi-layered and not embossed, otherwise the mold will remain and will soon grow.
But what you definitely can’t do is mask the stain - cover it with new trim, a picture or furniture. So the situation will become even worse.
We remove mold from the walls: the most effective antifungal agents
How to remove mold under the wallpaper? For this, experienced craftsmen advise using one of the available tools:
- Antiseptic primer. It is presented in stores with a wide assortment - Tikkurila, Areal, Formula, Knauf, Belinka. Under these brands you can buy a primer for exterior and interior use, which will prevent the appearance of fungus.
- Bleach. In this niche, the inexpensively familiar “Whiteness” leads, but you can use other similar means like “Ice” or “Vanisha”. A solution in the proportions of 1:10 is prepared from the bleach and surfaces are treated with it. The advantages of this tool in its availability and low cost, in addition, the solution removes mold well from any non-porous surface, such as plastic or glass. On porous surfaces, the bleach cannot penetrate so deep that it is guaranteed to kill all the fungi. In addition, it is dangerous to work with it and it can not be used on many materials, due to the fact that they can fade or deteriorate.
- Vinegar. Not acetic acid, but table vinegar - 6% or 9%. It is sprayed onto the mold. After the procedure, the substance quickly evaporates and the room is ventilated. Vinegar is sprayed on especially large clusters several times, with an interval of 5 days.
- Hydrogen Peroxide 3%. A substance safe for humans, and this is its huge plus. But it has a whitening effect, so it is not suitable for all types of surfaces.
- Ammonia. It is mixed with water in 1: 1 proportions. In its effectiveness and side effects, it is similar to bleach: it works well on solid materials and poorly on porous ones. In addition, it smells disgusting, and its smell can make your head spin.
- Soda. Safe for humans and harmful to fungi. For a solution of 2 tsp. mixed with 0.5 l of water and treated with this surface composition. If the soda solution is not washed off, then it will be an excellent prophylactic.
- Borax. Perfectly destroy mold and other microorganisms. For a solution, 1 cup of the substance is mixed with 2.5 liters of water. It is also not necessary to wash it off - it, like soda, will reduce the risk of relapse.
- Potassium permanganate. A dark solution of this substance is applied to the wall: it kills the fungus and prevents the possibility of its reappearance.
- Lemon acid. Acts the same as table vinegar.
- Mixed composition: 4 parts of water, two parts of table vinegar and peroxide and 1 part of boric acid (4: 2: 2: 1). Such a composition will cope even with severe lesions.
- Tea tree oil: add 1 tsp to 250 ml of water. oils. You can also use lavender or rosemary oil.
Precautionary measures
Brown and black mold under the wallpaper is a huge danger even if it is not touched. But as soon as they touch her, she immediately shoots billions of arguments into the air. So when mechanically removing infected wallpaper, you need to protect yourself - wear a respirator, gloves, closed clothing. Some people prefer not to take risks and call specialists who come in chemical suits and with a full arsenal of various means to combat mold under the wallpaper.
If it was decided to work independently, then take precautions not only in contact with microorganisms, but also with mold control agents. Most of them are dangerous to humans: toxic, cause chemical burns, poisoning by inhalation of vapors, etc.
Preventative measures
What to do so that the mold under the wallpaper in the apartment does not appear again? To do this, follow these recommendations:
- improve the heating system;
- to insulate the home;
- establish normal ventilation, with good traction.
- do not dry many things in the rooms;
- Do not put furniture along freezing walls;
- put a hood in the kitchen;
- install air conditioning to maintain an optimal microclimate;
- eliminate all leaks;
- wipe the walls after using the shower;
- if necessary, reduce the number of flower pots.
The most important items on the list are the first three. In their implementation, the remaining recommendations are not so significant.