How to prevent mold under the wallpaper during repair

A cozy home can not be imagined without a quality repair. When decorating an apartment, experienced specialists take into account the humidity of the room, the presence of ventilation and other factors affecting the result of the work.

Particularly often, problems arise after wallpapering the walls; after some time, mold can be detected.

The fungus not only spoils the appearance of the apartment, but also adversely affects the health of residents, therefore, it is worthwhile preventing mold from occurring at the initial stage of repair.

Room ventilation as the main way to prevent the appearance of fungus

Before using the wallpaper, you need to evaluate the humidity level in the room, it is especially high in basements and bathrooms.

Good ventilation helps lower humidity, but even in new homes it works poorly. The main signs of insufficient aeration:

• The appearance of mold on the walls;
• Stale air;
• Condensation on the windows.

If the family budget allows you to install a modern ventilation system - this will be the best solution to the problem.

Now there are various models of fans with humidity sensors. An easier way to normalize humidity is to adjust the plastic windows, depending on the season, you can choose the ventilation mode, but then drafts, interference in the form of street noise and smog penetration into the apartment are possible.

In such a situation, it is advisable to install a supply valve, it can be mounted anywhere in the apartment, it does not consume electricity, it is automatically and manually adjusted.

It takes only two of these valves to provide sufficient exhaust air, however, in summer, in dry, calm weather, the supply valves will not be enough. Residents of the upper floors are recommended to equip exhaust fans in the toilet and in the kitchen.

Waterproofing floors

The root cause of the formation of mold on the walls is the dampness of the room, the tenants of the first floors are especially prone to this, since concrete coatings are not an obstacle to the appearance of mold. Waterproofing solves two important issues:

1. Heat preservation in the house;
2. Prevention of excessive condensation.

In the basement of a multi-storey building, moisture is formed not only due to an accident. The drainage system may be faulty, then the evaporation of groundwater enters the apartment through concrete slots.

For this reason, wood swells in wooden houses, plaster and glue leave the walls, and mold spots appear under the wallpaper over time. Even the timely treatment of damaged areas with special antiseptic solutions (fungicides) will only give a temporary effect.

Before entering a new apartment, waterproofing the floor is required, the work can be entrusted to specialists or do it yourself. The process takes place in several stages:

• The first step is to clean the old flooring to the concrete base, and the surface is cleaned and putty with mastic to remove cracks;
• To level the surface, a reinforcing mesh is applied and poured with a concrete screed. The screed is filled with a special waterproofing mixture and, after drying, it is necessarily treated with an antibacterial composition;
• Finish applied

You can choose materials that are affordable and quality in specialized stores.

Selection of high-quality materials for repair and monitoring of work

Often the landlord entrusts the purchase of materials to repairmen, but this can subsequently cause mold and money will have to be spent again on dismantling the coatings and buying new ones.

What are the consequences of choosing low-quality material and disruption in the sequence of work?

• If a layered surface such as drywall is taken as the basis, it can be infected with microorganisms;
• Even the highest quality wallpapers will quickly move away from the walls if the craftsmen paste them on wet plaster.

When choosing drywall, you need to remember that not all of its varieties are suitable as a base for wallpaper.

The best option is a moisture resistant material of increased strength. Signs of quality drywall:

• No dents or scratches;
• Homogeneous material texture;
• The construction sheet is green and red marked;
• Material was stored in a dry room.

Before wallpapering, dry plaster requires special decoration. First, a primer is applied so that coating and putty adhesion occurs.

Soil acts as an antiseptic and prevents the appearance of fungus.

Wallpaper is better to choose vinyl, acrylic or non-woven, they are moisture resistant, suitable even for the bathroom.

In the event of mold stains, such wallpaper can be treated with chemical agents without replacing with new ones.

Important tips for preventing mold

To prevent the appearance of mold under the wallpaper is possible only by creating and maintaining a certain microclimate in the apartment. To do this, the following conditions are required:

• High-quality insulation of the living room;
• Installation of a ventilation system, hoods;
• Regular plumbing checks to prevent leaks;
• Perform repairs in the summer, in dry weather or after connecting the heating, especially with regard to wallpapering.
• If there is a basement, thoroughly repair and isolate it.

What should be avoided so that fungus does not appear after repair?

• Do not dry laundry in living rooms, this creates additional dampness.

• If possible, reduce the number of indoor plants, they release moisture and contribute to the formation of mold. If the flowers are standing on the floor in pots, the leaves can touch the wall covered with wallpaper, if the plant is infected with a fungus, it will quickly spread to the walls.
• The furniture, which is pulled close to the wall, also creates a “greenhouse” effect, the optimal distance between the cabinet and the wall is -2 -4 cm.

These are the basic rules of prevention, following which you can protect yourself from unnecessary expenses for the elimination of mold.

Do you know how to prevent the appearance of mold under the wallpaper during the repair? Share your experience in the comments.