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The main cause of mold on the balcony is dampness. Moisture can seep through the cracks between the wall and the window frame, through a double-glazed window or cracked paintwork. It is important to find and eliminate the source of dampness, and then get rid of the fungus to protect the apartment from an unpleasant smell, and family members from allergies, reduced immunity and chronic bronchitis.
First aid for mold
From the balcony, remove all things, remove the layer of paint or old wallpaper. Dismantle the baseboard and decorative trim. Furniture and other items covered with black bloom, washed and disinfected, and only then brought into the house. Mold spores are volatile, and the fungus multiplies rapidly.
Work on the balcony only in a gauze bandage to prevent harmful microorganisms from entering the lungs. Remove carpets, take out all the garbage.Then carefully inspect the walls and find where the most molds are. If the fungus has penetrated into the heat-insulating materials, they are cut down or torn down, otherwise the spores left in the deep layers of mineral wool or expanded polystyrene will again become active and “grab” the balcony.
Black plaster and concrete covered with black bloom are scraped off. Use a metal brush with hard villi or a narrow spatula, which is recommended to be slightly sharpened before work. Rub until the surface is clean and then treat with antiseptic preparations.
Fungus remedies
Among the store antifungal solutions emit:
- Snow Puma;
- Teflex;
- Anti B;
- Atlas Mykos;
- Anti-mold
Preparations are treated with the inside and outside of the wall, sprayed onto the ceiling and the floor. Abundantly watered the corners and crevices near the window frame. If there is not too much mold, a single disinfection is enough to make the coating disappear. Sometimes you have to repeat the procedure twice or three times until the fungus disappears completely.
Alternative to store drugs - vitriol. The substance is combined with chlorine or vinegar to enhance the antifungal effect.
Important: To work with copper sulfate carefully, be sure to wear rubber gloves if you have large scratches, ulcers or burns on your hands. The solution, falling on the damaged skin, enters the bloodstream and causes intoxication of the body.
Vinegar Option
- In a ten-liter bucket dissolve 500 g of copper sulfate.
- Pour 80 ml of table vinegar.
- Heat the solution on the stove to 70 degrees.
- Soak a brush in hot water and apply the liquid to the walls, grabbing clean areas not affected by the fungus.
- Dry the walls with a hairdryer or turn on the heater on the balcony.
- The procedure with the vitriol solution is repeated 30 days later, so repairs begin 1.5–2 months after the first disinfection.
Chlorine option
The fungus will destroy bleach from which a ten percent solution is prepared:
- Pour 1 kg of powder into an old plastic or iron bucket.
- Add a little warm water to make a liquid gruel. Mass thoroughly stir with a wooden spatula to avoid lumps.
- Dilute the preform with water at room temperature to make 10 liters of solution.
- Capacity with chlorine cover, put on the balcony. Insist day.
- Drain liquid, discard sediment.
- Wet the brush in the solution and apply it on the walls affected by the fungus, or pour it into a spray bottle.
- Balcony tightly closed, leave for a day.
- Prepare a solution of 1 kg of copper sulphate and 10 liters of hot water.
- To process a new structure of a wall, to leave before full drying.
Pay special attention to the corners and areas that were hidden under the baseboard. Liberally grease with cracks and crevices, be sure to sanitize the ceiling and floor.
Fungus appeared only in a few places? Small areas that were hidden behind furniture or located near the window are affected? The solution from the soap will cope with the mold:
- Grate a whole bar or cut it into small pieces.
- Combine soap crumbs with 10 liters of warm water.
- Bash until the dry component is dissolved and a thick foam forms.
- First, scrape off the plaque, and then apply soapy water on clean walls.
Repeat the procedure after the concrete has completely dried, so that the fungus does not appear again.
Instead of soap, use tea tree oil.It has antiseptic properties and a pleasant aroma. In 5 liters of water dilute 15–20 ml of the product, spray the walls with a spray bottle. It helps in the presence of small black spots. The solution is useless if the fungus has spread throughout the balcony and began to destroy concrete walls.
Air mildew
Black bloom rarely appears in well-ventilated areas. Owners of glazed balconies are recommended to make several small holes in the frames and install a blowing fan under the ceiling. You can not clutter the space with old furniture and unnecessary things. Household waste degrades air circulation and does not let in sunlight, creating ideal conditions for mold to multiply.
Regular cleaning and airing - the best prevention of mold, so the vents and windows on the balconies open even in winter. It is advisable not to hang wet linen and towels on the balcony, to prevent the accumulation of condensate on the ceiling and walls. At high humidity use special devices for air dehumidification.
Repair work
Cracks and cracks between the frame and the concrete base are sealed with cement mortar. Walls treated with antifungal agent, after drying, covered with antiseptic impregnation. Plots that have suffered from fungus, before applying the composition is heated.
The next stage is waterproofing. Suitable bitumen mastic or sprayed insulation with water-repellent properties. The tool is applied in a thick layer on the walls, ceiling and floor. Use a paint brush or roller to evenly distribute the composition.
The finishing touch is a primer. Buy options with antiseptic properties to prevent mold from re-occurring. The treated walls and ceiling are veneered with wallpaper or tiles.
Fungus attacks
After repair work, the corners of the balcony are dried, and then the walls and ceiling are treated with a special impregnation.If the source of the fungus has become a neighbor’s apartment from the bottom or side, you have to solve the problem together, otherwise the mold will return, and even primer and mastic will not help.
Prevention
No need to turn the loggia into a greenhouse. The balcony, filled with indoor flowers, looks good, but it is because of the plants that the air humidity rises and a black patina appears.
Are the areas near the window frame covered with black bloom? Scrub the wall, wipe it with Domestos or soapy water, seal the cracks and update the putty. Cover with primer, re-stick wallpaper.
Mold penetrates the concrete base and makes it loose and brittle. She is the cause of unpleasant, musty smell and health problems. With a black touch antiseptics cope. And so that the fungus does not reappear, the balcony is carefully warmed, not cluttered with furniture and aired daily.
Video: how to get rid of mold folk remedies
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