White mold on the wall - what to do? Get rid of white mold!

• White mold recognize
• Fight mold
  • The acute infestation
• Fight the causes
  • Reasons for excessive moisture
• Tips for quick readers

Mold in the house is more than annoying and annoying. Left untreated, it can be a threat to the health of the residents and even the statics of the house. In addition to the well-known black mold, there is also the not less dangerous white mold. How this can be successfully treated and combated, you will learn in this guide.

Mold is everywhere

It is virtually impossible to escape mold spores. The wide spread of these dangerous mushrooms is part of their survival strategy: The extremely small and volatile spores are absolutely harmless everywhere and in low concentration. It only becomes problematic when it settles and gives its spores in masses in closed rooms. In addition to a very unpleasant odor also threaten serious health problems, such as damage to the respiratory tract. Infants, toddlers and the elderly are at particular risk. In addition to the well-known black mold, the harmful fungus also occurs in other manifestations. One of them is the white mold. However, this can easily be confused with another, in itself completely harmless phenomenon.

White mold recognize

Before you think of mold at the sight of a fluffy, white surface on a wall, you should first examine the substance. A small questionnaire helps

• There is agriculture nearby ">

  Although nitric oxide is completely harmless in itself, it still has a moistened wall as the cause. However, this can also be attacked by white mold at any time. That is why the saltpetre is very well suited as a warning sign and call to action. The sooner you fight the mold, the sooner a potential danger is banned.

  

  What does the mold need ">

  Mildew needs three factors to grow:

  1. A nutrient medium made of organic material
  2. Sufficient moisture
  3. An ideal temperature

  As a breeding ground of organic material is already sufficient a wallpapered wall. Wallpaper paste consists of crushing animal bones and wallpaper of pulp, which is obtained from trees. Both are suitable nutrient media for mold. Even better are organic and non-impregnated insulating materials (wool, wood wool, paper bulk insulation), wood materials or textiles (sofas, armchairs, curtains, etc.). Mildew requires a relative surface moisture of over 70% to grow. After all, the ideal temperature for the growth of mold is between 10 ° C and 30 ° C.

  Fight mold

  Mold is fought in two ways:

  1. Eliminate the acute infestation
  2. Eliminate the causes of the infestation and thus prevent re-infestation

  The acute infestation

  In order to eliminate an acute infestation of mold you need the following tools and means:

  • 1x respiratory protection, level FFP2 or higher (from approx. 2 Euro)
  • 1x full body protection (paper overall is usually sufficient) (from about 2 euros)
  • 1x eye protection (about 5 Euro), ideally full-vision goggles with airtight side protection (about 5 Euro)
  • Gloves (100 pieces 5 Euro)
  • Spatula (about 3 Euro)
  • professional mold killer (about 25 euros per liter)
  • professional mold disinfector (about 25 euros per liter)
  • a role airtight, large garbage bags (about 5 euros, tear-resistant quality)
  • Bucket and sponge (about 5 Euro)
  • cleaning brushes
  • 1x powerful vacuum cleaner with HEPA filter (about 100 Euro)

  

  If you have mold, you should not work with mildew sprays, but with mold shampoos. Sprays are reasonably useful for places that are otherwise difficult to access. A large-scale processing of a mold damage should be countered with a bucket, sponge and suitable means.

  Home remedies such as vinegar essence, however, according to the latest findings are unsuitable! Also vinegar is made from grapes and is thus in the last consequence a breeding ground for mold spores!

  Professional mold killer costs about 26 euros per liter. He is very productive. Since he is very charming, must not be waived on the body and eye protection!

  It eliminates an acute mold infestation with the following steps:

  1. Put on protective clothing

  2. Completely remove infected furniture and objects (books, pillows, curtains, etc.) from the apartment

  3. Remove any wall or floor coverings that have been attacked by mold

  4. Put residual material in the airtight garbage bags and dispose of immediately.

  5. First vacuum the mold with a vacuum cleaner with HEPA filter.
  If no vacuum cleaner with HEPA filter is available, skip this step! An unsuitable vacuum cleaner distributes the mold spores in the home and can aggravate the health hazard for the residents !!

  6. Remove the dust bag and the HEPA insert and dispose of it as well

  7. Remove the mold with a sponge, bucket and mold shredder exactly according to the instructions for use.

  8. Treat the affected area with the mildew disinfector and cleaning brush
  The opinions on "sucking mold" are diverging. With a suitable tool, especially the mold-proof HEPA filter, the pre-treatment of the mold by suction is harmless. The user eliminates but a large part of the most dangerous mold networks and thus reduces the risk for themselves.

  Fight the causes

  After the acute mold infestation has been eliminated, now the cause for the formation of the mold must be combated.

  The temperature can be changed only slightly, as well as the presence of nutrient media. The factor that can be most effectively influenced is moisture. This can arise in two ways:

  • Moisture through condensation
  • Moisture due to moisture in the masonry

  Moisture condensation is caused by poor ventilation, equipment failure or improper thermal insulation. Daily airing may be enough to prevent the build-up of surface moisture on the wall. Also, an aquarium or too many indoor plants increase the humidity in the interior so far that it can first come to moisture and then mold. Furniture placed too close to external walls can also cause moisture to build up so that mold can form on the wall or furniture. Finally, laundry rooms, especially those with drying rooms, popular molds. Here, special attention must be paid to adequate ventilation, otherwise the mold will not be long in coming.

  

  Defects in the thermal insulation are noticeable by cold spots on the outer wall. At these condensation moisture is preferably reflected down and forms the mold there. To be on the safe side, all weak points in the insulation can be detected with the help of an infrared camera. Usable systems are available from about 70 € / day. Even better is the service by a professional energy consultant. This can not only identify the potential mold points, but also give good tips to reduce heating costs. Trustworthy partners for this are, for example, the chimney sweeps.

  Moisture in the masonry is always an indication of a large Baumangel. If the wall is not slightly damp, but is soaked through, then water penetrates from the outside into the wall. To test this, squeeze a piece of absorbent kitchen paper against the wall with your hand. If the hand creates a damp print on the paper, the cause of the mold is not condensation moisture, but a real water damage.

  Reasons for excessive moisture

  There are three possible causes for this:

  • Defects in your water supply
  • Defects on a sewer or roof drainage
  • Damage to the moisture barriers (eg at the base, the basement wall or at the roof)

  What damage it is, must be clarified on the spot. If there is a suspicion of a defective supply line, the water should be turned off before the wall is pried open. Otherwise, you quickly set the whole room under water. To remedy this damage is not difficult, but associated with a lot of dirt. A professional plumber needs about 4 hours to replace a damaged pipe. You can cut costs by doing the caulking yourself. However, this should only be done by hand so as not to aggravate the damage to the water pipe. Also, the subsequent plastering can be carried out in-house, so that the cost of the plumber can be reduced to the replacement of the pipe. This should really be left to a professional.

  Sewer line defects are easier to fix because there is no pressure on them. Nevertheless, the help of a professional plumber can make sense here. A popular vulnerability is here, for example, under a bathtub. If the wastewater siphon has been damaged by an unsuccessful attempt at cleaning, the escaping water usually goes unnoticed until it has caused the notorious mold growth on an adjacent wall.

  Defects in the roof drainage are usually found quickly and easy to fix. Rain gutters and downpipes are easily accessible in most homes and can be exchanged at home.

  A faulty isolation of the moisture barrier in the basement, however, entails a very complex repair. The wall must be exposed from the outside by excavation and professionally sealed. Excavation and subsequent backfilling can be done at home, but caulking should be done by a professional contractor. So you get the valuable guarantee on a correctly performed measure.
  Damage to a defective moisture barrier on the roof, however, can usually be remedied with some expertise and the appropriate tool.
  After eliminating the cause of the moisture, allow the treated area to dry completely. The use of blowers, heaters or building dryers is quite permissible. Suitable rental equipment is already available from about 30 euros per day from professional providers. Only when the damaged area has completely dried can it be repaired and sealed.

  Tips for quick readers

  • Learn to distinguish white mold from saltpetre
  • Use saltpeter as a warning signal
  • Researching and stopping mold causes
  • Use a professional mold killer
  • Use personal protective equipment
  • Only repair again if mold is removed and damage has dried completely
  • Get professional support from energy consultants
  • Own contribution can save money, even if plumbing work is necessary