How to Deal with Damp and Moldy Walls at Home and How to Prevent Them

 

   
One way to deal with damp and moldy walls is to ensure proper ventilation. This isn't difficult, but it must be done correctly. Besides making walls look unsightly, mold can also affect your health if left untreated. Here are some ways to deal with damp and moldy walls in your home.

Takeaways:

• Mold and dampness arise from excess moisture, often due to poor ventilation, leaking pipes, condensation from daily activities, or seeping rain. Mold on walls can affect your health and the structure of your home if left untreated.
  
  
• Use soapy water or detergent with a soft cloth, gently wipe the affected area (do not scrub vigorously to avoid spreading spores), and then dry the wall surface.
  
  
• The main prevention is to reduce humidity in the home. Open windows regularly, install ventilation or extractor fans in damp areas like the bathroom or kitchen, avoid drying laundry indoors, and use a dehumidifier to keep the air drier, such as the MicroTech-Ray from HydroClean.

Why Does Mold Grow on Walls?

According to the Ronseal website, mold is the result of excess moisture, which is usually associated with structural or ventilation issues.

Excess moisture can be caused by leaking pipes, increased humidity in basement rooms, rain seeping in through cracks, or damage to the roof or windows.

Mold is also the result of condensation buildup, which forms when hot air comes into contact with a cold surface. The first signs usually appear around window frames as excess moisture inside tries to escape.

The cause of this condensation is usually everyday activities carried out in the home, such as bathing, cooking, ironing, and drying clothes indoors.

This is why dampness and mold often occur together or are interconnected.

The Importance of Removing Mold from Home Walls

Although it may seem harmless, Cleanipedia states that mold and dampness inside the home can cause the following problems for its occupants.

1. Respiratory Problems

If you don't remove mold from your walls, you and your family may experience respiratory problems, including shortness of breath, sneezing, and nasal congestion.

2. Skin and Eye Problems

In addition to respiratory problems, mold on walls can also cause skin problems such as eczema, rashes, and itching. Furthermore, it can irritate the eyes, leading to conjunctivitis.

3. Mental Health Problems

Problems caused by mold on walls are not only physical but can also affect mental health due to the following:

• Damaged items and home conditions

• Anxiety about having health problems caused by mold

• An unpleasant living environment

• Social isolation due to not wanting people to come into the house

4. Building Structural Problems

Actively growing mold can feed on organic materials such as cardboard, paper, wood, soap, and fabric. Eventually, the mold will begin to spread and gradually damage the wall surface.

Because it can break down organic materials, mold on walls can also cause serious structural damage.

If you don't deal with it right away, mold can cause floorboards to rot, ceilings to collapse, and even destroy your entire home.

How to Deal with Damp and Moldy Walls

When cleaning mold from walls, it's important to protect yourself by wearing goggles, long rubber gloves, and a mask that covers your nose and mouth.Be sure to close the door to the room you're cleaning to prevent mold spores from escaping to other areas of the house. However, leave the windows open to ensure air circulation.Here are the steps for cleaning mold from walls, according to the Envirovent website.

1. Fill a bucket with water and a mild detergent, such as dish soap or the soap used for hand-washing clothes.

2. Dip a rag in the soapy water and carefully wipe the mold from the wall. Be careful not to scrub, as this can release mold spores everywhere.

3. When finished, use a dry rag to remove moisture from the wall.

4. Afterward, place the rag in a plastic bag and discard it.

5. Make sure all surfaces in the room are thoroughly cleaned by damp-wiping or vacuuming to remove any remaining mold spores.

Even if the mold has been successfully removed from the wall, this is not a permanent solution unless you address the underlying cause of the mold. If left untreated, the mold will quickly grow back on the wall.

If the mold is caused by moisture condensation, the only effective way to permanently eliminate the mold problem is to reduce the buildup of moisture in the home.

This can only be achieved through better ventilation, the use of a dehumidifier, and controlling the level of water vapor in the air.

Preventative Measures

Here are some preventative measures you can take to prevent damp and moldy walls in your home.

1. Ensure Your Home is Well-Ventilated

Ensuring that water vapor escapes from your home will help minimize condensation.

In addition to opening windows regularly, you can also install extractor fans in the bathroom and kitchen to remove moisture from these two most vulnerable rooms.

2. Avoid Creating Too Much Moisture

Drying laundry indoors can produce a lot of condensation, so dry it outdoors.

Also, try to avoid home improvement and cleaning projects that create a lot of moisture during cold weather when surfaces dry more slowly.

3. Be Careful When Cooking

Cooking can produce significant amounts of steam and moisture. So, be sure to cover pots while cooking and turn on the cooker hood, which helps minimize condensation on kitchen windows.

Leave the cooker hood on for five minutes after cooking to help purify the air, and change the filter regularly.

4. Eliminate Excess Moisture

Using a dehumidifier will help remove excess moisture in your home. For closets and small spaces, you can use a dehumidifier, which is widely available on the market.

5. Choose Moisture-Resistant Paint and Wallpaper

If your home is prone to dampness or condensation, choose paint designed for use in kitchens and bathrooms, as it's formulated to resist moisture and steam.

Not only will this help prevent mold, but the walls will also be easier to clean if mold does develop.

If you prefer wallpaper, choose vinyl for splash-resistant and easy-to-clean properties.

6. Leave Room to Breathe

Condensation can form behind furniture and furnishings that touch cooler exterior walls, leading to mold growth. Therefore, position these items a few centimeters from exterior walls to allow air to circulate.

In addition to the methods above, you can also address damp and moldy walls by using a sterilization service. This sterilization service, called MicroTech-Ray, can reduce humidity in a room by using UV light and ozone gas (O3) technology to freshen the air.