How to get rid of fungus on the walls in the apartment

The appearance of fungus on the walls of the apartment brings a lot of trouble to its inhabitants. In addition to unattractive dark spots and a specific smell in the room, there is a real threat to the health of all households. This problem is faced by many, especially with the onset of cold weather. But if you carry out competent disinfection measures and eliminate the factors that provoked the occurrence of the fungus, you can forget about this scourge forever, returning comfort and coziness to your home.

The causes of the appearance of the fungus in the apartment

The main reason why the fungus appears in the room, is the increased humidity. Together with room temperature, it creates ideal conditions for the vital activity of microorganisms, as well as for their active reproduction.Increased moisture can be triggered by a number of factors, the most common of which is insufficient ventilation of the room.

The real enemy for a healthy microclimate in the apartment is the installation of low-quality plastic windows. Often, wanting to save money, their manufacturers violate the technology of production and installation. The result is the fogging of glass units, indicating the condensation of excess moisture on them. Doors with increased airtightness cause similar damage - after their installation, air exchange is disturbed. Under these conditions, the occurrence of the fungus remains only a matter of time.

Overhaul in the room can also cause mold. The greatest danger is the additional warming of the walls, which are often decided by residents of old houses. It is necessary to understand that each building is designed taking into account the climatic features of the region, and at the same time the calculations of thermal insulation and thermal conductivity are carried out. Creating an additional insulation layer, the owner of the apartment breaks the balance created during the construction of the house.And some careless residents during the redevelopment and completely destroy the ventilation shafts, which, of course, also immediately adversely affect the indoor climate.

If the appearance of the fungus is found only in the corner, facing the outer wall, then the reason should be sought in it. For example, it may be a crack or destruction of building materials under the influence of adverse weather conditions. Through such damage penetrates moist air, rain water flows. Hence the formation of dampness. And with the defeat of the microorganism floor coverings often lies in the raw air coming from the basement.

Of course, very often the fungus appears in places prone to increased humidity: a kitchen, a bathroom and a toilet, although there should be no inconvenience with proper ventilation of the room. If the air exchange passes correctly, and the dampness only increases, then the problem should be sought in the integrity of the water and sewer pipes.

In addition to the above reasons, high humidity in the room can be caused by frequent cleaning of floors,the presence of an aquarium and even a large number of indoor plants. Acceptable figure humidity in the room - 40-60%.

Types of fungi in the apartment

The most common in residential areas are the following types:

• mold fungus - well-known to all black, brown, greenish spots on the walls and wallpaper;
• blue fungus affecting wooden structures;
• rotting fungus, which also prefers to hit wood.

The real scourge of apartments is mold, which is a colony of unicellular fungi. It can also be of different types, which are different from each other in color and structure.

The inner walls of the house and their decoration, as a rule, affects the black mold, which is a patina of the corresponding color. It includes many different strains of the fungus. Some of them are almost safe, but most are capable of causing significant damage to the health of the tenants of the apartment in which this rapidly multiplying microorganism appeared. Also, black mold causes great damage to the appearance of the room and building materials, penetrating deep into their structure and destroying it from the inside.

What is dangerous fungus in a residential area

Since the fungus is a microorganism, the coexistence of a person with him never passes without a trace. This interaction occurs by:

• tactile contact (a person touches a colony of mold);
• through the digestive system (a person eats food with a fungus);
• through the respiratory and circulatory system (the inhabitant of the apartment in which the mold has settled, inevitably inhale the spores and waste products of microorganisms).

The greatest danger are toxic substances that are produced by a colony of fungi. They are called aflatoxins. These harmful compounds with regular ingestion accumulate and cause poisoning. In addition, they provoke the growth of cancer cells. Since, first of all, the liver, which is a kind of filter for the blood, is under attack, there is a risk of a tumor in it. Perspective unpleasant!

Also settlements of fungi inevitably produce a huge amount of dispute. For example, one square meter produces about a billion of them in 24 hours. They easily spread throughout the room, entering the human body through the digestive system and respiratory organs.The list of diseases that provoke controversy is extensive.

Diseases caused by the fungus:

• respiratory tract;
• skin;
• gastrointestinal tract;
• allergic, etc.

Inhalation of spores and toxins is especially dangerous for people with reduced immunity: the elderly, undergoing antibiotic treatment, children. If a person living in an apartment that is affected by a fungus gets ARVI, then the recovery period will increase significantly. Inhalation of mold also adversely affects allergic people and those who suffer from bronchial asthma or tuberculosis.

How to get rid of the fungus in the apartment

There are many ways to disinfect parts of the walls exposed to fungal infection. This can be the use of both specialized fungicides and antiseptic compositions, and folk remedies. But just processing the walls is not enough, because it will destroy only the appeared colony of mold, and not the reason for which it appeared. An integrated approach is the key to success in the struggle for a room without unpleasant microscopic cohabitants.

Three important components of the elimination of the fungus in the apartment:

• the elimination of factors that cause the formation of mold;
• destruction of a colony of microorganisms;
• disinfection of the affected area of ​​the wall.

Eliminate the causes
It is very important to identify the reasons why the fungus settled in the house. The success of disinfection measures depends on how successfully they are eliminated. In addition to processing the surfaces of the wall, it is necessary to adjust the work of ventilation, to eliminate the source of high humidity. If the apartment has a healthy microclimate, then the fungus will not return to it anymore. And if you neglect the airing of the room, that black spots will appear again and again.

We destroy the colony of the fungus and disinfect the walls
It is necessary to immediately say that any manipulations carried out with a mold can adversely affect the human body. Therefore, it is necessary to protect hands with rubber gloves and wear a respirator, because such precautions will prevent contact with spores and harmful compounds that are produced by mold. Also, a stain of fungi should be moistened with water so that the mold does not spread around the room. It will be useful to open the window if weather conditions allow.

Now it is necessary to destroy the mold colony:

1. The first thing you need to remove the wallpaper on the affected area, because they already definitely can not be saved. The fungus has long eaten into their structure.
2. Armed with a trowel or a hard-bristled brush, you need to clean the wall of the mold and carefully wipe these places with emery paper.

Microorganisms penetrate into the finishing materials, so you need to remove not only the black layer, where the mold is visible to the naked eye, but also a few millimeters of plaster.

Now came the turn of disinfection measures. You can use two types of products: special antiseptic, fungicidal compositions, which are presented in a wide range in hardware stores, and folk.

Some funds from the store:

1. Antiseptic primer - perhaps the best way to get rid of mold stains on the walls. It is used in the same way as usual, and is sold in construction markets. The composition includes substances that kill microorganisms and prevent their further appearance.
2. Fongifluid Alpa fungicidal solution, sold in cans of various sizes. Its main advantage is its versatility, because with this composition it is possible to treat any surface: plaster, concrete, wood, and more. othersIn addition, it does not contain chlorine, which is a component of many other tools designed to fight the fungus. Due to this, the solution has no specific smell.
3. “OLIMP Stop-mold” is a compound that removes microorganisms of the same name. It is recommended for the use of disinfection of walls in rooms with high humidity, and is also excellent for processing roofs, curtain rods, porches, etc. Available in 5 l containers.
4. "Titan Fungicide" - a solution that perfectly destroys the fungus and its spores. It is used both in the process of disinfection and for effective prophylaxis.

Folk remedies against fungus:

1. Bleach destroys almost all types of mold and its spores due to the presence of sodium hydrochloride in its composition. For surface treatment, it must be diluted with water at a ratio of 1:10. It should be remembered that this is a very toxic solution, as well as able to corrode the skin. Therefore, before using it, much attention should be paid to safety, putting on gloves and opening a window so that a pair of harmful substances do not accumulate in the room.
2. Safer is simple table vinegar, which is an acid,which destroys various mold fungi. He, like bleach, has a strong odor, but does not contain toxic substances.
3. Tea tree oil diluted with water in the ratio of 1 spoon to 1 cup of water.
4. Hydrogen peroxide 3%, which can be purchased at a low price at any pharmacy, will also cope with the task of eliminating mold. It is both antibacterial and antifungal.
5. A solution of baking soda, which is a completely safe composition. It has no odor or harmful compounds. For its preparation you need to take a teaspoon of soda and dilute it in a glass of water.

After the layer that has been infected with the fungus is removed from the wall, the selected agent is applied to it. If it is a liquid composition, you can use a spray gun, roller or sponge. It is necessary to make 2–3 layers, and each of them is applied after the previous one has completely dried. After disinfection measures are completed, a primer can be applied and the wall can be leveled.

You can also purchase special paint products, which include antiseptic and fungicidal substances. Their use is important for residents of houses with wooden walls and for those who, of all the finishing materials, prefer paint.

Prevention of fungus

To prevent mold and other types of fungus from appearing in the house, you need to follow some simple rules:

1. It is necessary to find violations of the ventilation draft and correct them.
2. Rooms should be regularly ventilated. It is advisable to start a habit 2-3 times a day to open the window for 10 minutes.
3. It is necessary to monitor the integrity of the exterior walls and roof, and in the case of defects, immediately eliminate them, asking for help from the management company.
4. If the plumbing or sewage pipe begins to flow, the damage must also be repaired as soon as possible. And worn parts must be replaced with new ones.
5. It is recommended to regularly inspect the walls, corners and secluded places for the appearance of the fungus, and in case of its detection immediately take action. The smaller the affected area, the easier it will be to cope with the scourge!

A fungus in an apartment is a serious, but avoidable problem. It is important to remember that it is not enough to remove mold from the wall and disinfect the area; it is also necessary to eliminate the causes of microorganisms. Using a purchased or home remedy and adhering to the action plan described above,You can banish the fungus from the walls of the house forever.

Video: how to get rid of mold folk remedies