How to get rid of dampness in a private area. What is normal air humidity? Some nuances of sealing joints

Home is a place where we come to relax. A healthy microclimate allows us to fully restore mental and physical strength by the next morning. But what to do when you feel dampness on the walls and ceiling in the house? Let's take a closer look.

Sources of moisture

It should be understood that high humidity appears for a reason.

“How to get rid of the smell of dampness in the house?” - one of the most common questions. First of all, you should find the cause and location of this problem.

If you imagine a house as a structure, then several possible sources stand out:

foundation;
walls;
roof;
plumbing;
ventilation.

Let's take a closer look at each type of structure, communications, the reasons that can lead to the appearance of moisture, as well as how to get rid of dampness in the house.

Foundation

The main problem of private housing is violation of construction technology:

Lack of geodetic survey. The result is that the type of base structure has been chosen incorrectly.
Poor waterproofing of the base leads to moisture penetration. A distinctive feature of concrete is good ability absorb water. Therefore, it is recommended to pay attention to waterproofing the foundation Special attention during construction work.
No vents. Such devices must be present in the house. They are sources of natural ventilation of the underground space.
Destruction of the base, appearance of cracks, violation of waterproofing.
Underground. Supply and exhaust ventilation must be installed. Its absence can lead to increased humidity in this room, which will subsequently be transmitted to the entire structure. They also provide waterproofing and insulation of the subfloor ceiling.
Close occurrence of groundwater.
Plumbing can cause high humidity. Excessive condensation formation, system leakage.

As you can see, there can be many reasons, let’s look at how to get rid of dampness in the basement of a house.

Eliminating moisture due to foundation problems

The integrity of the foundation is maintained by its waterproofing; its violation leads to the destruction of the foundation.

Therefore, its examination allows us to determine the cause of moisture. Research to be done:

The presence of vents on each side of the building. Their absence will lead to the formation of dampness. If this is the reason, then you will have to open up the floor step by step and make vents on each wall. This will provide the required natural ventilation of the underground space.
Underground. The first is the presence of supply exhaust ventilation. If it is missing, it needs to be done. Two holes are punched on opposite walls. One pipe is lowered to the floor at a distance of 200-300 mm from it, the second is mounted under the ceiling space. The second is the close occurrence of groundwater. Only high-quality waterproofing can save such a base from destruction and moisture. Moreover, it must be done both inside and outside. To prevent moisture from penetrating from the underground into the house, it is manufactured and insulated. In this case, maximum sealing should be achieved. This is done using polyurethane foam.
If the building does not have an underground floor, then you will have to make holes to examine the foundation. This will allow for a qualitative assessment. If cracks or lack of waterproofing are found, a major restoration will have to be carried out. Only high-quality crack sealing and waterproofing will help solve the problem of getting rid of dampness in the house.
Plumbing. Another reason for the appearance of moisture. They carry out a complete audit of communications and, if necessary, insulate, seal, and replace them.
No tides or storm system. Leads to the accumulation of moisture near the foundation, which provokes its early destruction. This protection should be provided for the foundation.

Walls

There are not many reasons for dampness associated with this type of construction:

Heating depressurization. Leaks in hidden wiring are not always detected.
No hood. It is especially critical in rooms with an aggressive environment: bath, toilet, kitchen.
Insufficient thickness of partitions, including capital ones. Causes condensation on their surfaces and windows during the cold season.
Destructions, cracks.

As a rule, the integrity of the walls depends primarily on the quality of the foundation and roof. But let's look at how to get rid of dampness in the house if the main place where it appears is the walls.

Eliminating moisture due to wall problems

First of all, an audit of existing ventilation systems, their performance. Check with a lit match or candle. Fluctuation or fading of the flame indicates that the system is working. If the fire does not fluctuate, it means that the hood has failed. Accordingly, it needs to be cleaned. Particularly important is the performance of forced ventilation in the bathroom and kitchen.

If the main condensation accumulates on the walls, they are insulated using waterproofing. They insulate either the facade or internal surfaces. For an additional waterproofing effect, they are used. As for cracks and damage, they are sealed with plaster.

If a heating leak is detected, it is eliminated, wet surfaces are dried using heating. It all depends on the scale of the disaster. Let us note that moisture also accumulates from human activity. For such cases, you can use which will reduce the level of humidity in the room.

Roof

Very often moisture problems are associated with the roof. This can be determined by the location of the spot. If it appears on the ceiling, at the top of the wall, this indicates that it is time to examine the roof.

First, determine whether there is a drain on the roof and whether it is intact. They look through the roof. They find out whether there is destruction, whether waterproofing and insulation have been done. Below we will look at how to get rid of dampness in a private home if it is related to the roof.

Eliminating moisture due to roof problems

There are two main reasons:

Gutter - a properly installed system serves to drain precipitation from the roof. This protects the walls and foundation from their impact. You should know that the drain is made with a slope, and all parts are hermetically connected. Water must be drained into the stormwater system.
Roof. According to the technology, the roof must have double waterproofing, insulation, and a gap for natural ventilation of the under-roof space (this is the place where condensation most often forms). To assess the condition of the roof, it is better to contact a specialist who will determine the quality of the materials and whether they are installed correctly. It will also help to correctly eliminate shortcomings.

We looked at how you can get rid of dampness in a house, depending on the walls, foundation, roof, and communications. But there are features of dealing with high humidity, depending on the material from which the building is constructed.

How to get rid of dampness in a wooden house

Such buildings can collapse due to high humidity. When exposed to water, wood begins to rot, causing fungus and mold to form. Therefore, at the slightest manifestation of humidity, it is worth looking for the cause and eliminating it as an emergency.

To the previously listed features of the fight against dampness, you can add a number of characteristics characteristic of wooden housing:

Foundation. The gasket between the base and the walls is made of two components: larch and waterproofing material. If the technology is broken, dampness will appear. This problem is solved with the help of an additional ventilation device, which must be installed so that moisture is not transferred to neighboring rooms.
Intercrown seams. If this stage is performed poorly during construction, moisture may also appear. In such cases, the areas are treated with antiseptics and caulked, achieving maximum sealing.
Humidity in the short period after construction. One of the factors is unseasoned lumber. Such buildings are subject to greater shrinkage than buildings made of high-quality wood. This can cause cracks and gaps to appear, which lead to drafts and dampness. The entire structure should be thoroughly dried.

If, however, the wood begins to darken, this is a reason to thoroughly dry the building. This is done in summer time, since it is desirable that the temperature inside and outside the building be the same. Next, the blackened areas are cleaned and treated with special compounds.

The smell of dampness in a wooden house, which is quite difficult to get rid of, can also appear due to improper use. You cannot dry wet laundry in such buildings. It is better to provide a place for this on the street. It is necessary to make high-quality sealing of the bathroom and toilet.

How to get rid of dampness in a brick house

All of the previously listed measures will help cope with dampness in a brick building. But if the masonry has ever been exposed to a lot of water, then it must be dried. Sometimes this requires undoing the seams and sealing with new mortar. If brick walls are not dried in a timely manner, they will freeze in winter, which will significantly reduce the heat in the building. In advanced cases, frost may appear and the wallpaper may peel off.

The level of humidity in the house plays a vital role in shaping the microclimate, providing a healthy and comfortable atmosphere, or, conversely, promoting the development of pathogens, mold growth, the proliferation of dust mites, causing allergies, the occurrence of unpleasant odors and discomfort. An increased level of humidity in building structures, elements and materials, a reduced or absent possibility for natural or forced drying leads to permanent or temporary accumulation of moisture in the thickness or on the surfaces of materials, which can increase their thermal conductivity, accelerate corrosion or biological destruction.
Insufficient humidity levels in the house also lead to discomfort in the internal atmosphere of the house.

The optimal level of relative humidity in a home is considered to be between 30 and 50%. Relative humidity is determined by the ratio of the amount of water vapor in the air to its maximum possible content at a given temperature. The higher the air temperature, the more water vapor it can contain. The temperature at which the air cannot contain any additional water vapor is called the "dew point". A low level of relative humidity ensures maximum comfort for humans, does not contribute to the development of potentially harmful microorganisms (dust mites) and ensures the safety of building structures and materials.

Signs of high humidity in the house.

Unpleasant odors. The intensity of odors in a room increases with increasing humidity. An increase in household odors may indicate an increase in humidity in the room atmosphere. A musty smell can signal the growth of mold, mildew, or rot.

Feeling damp. Indicates an increase in humidity and poor ventilation of the room.

Condensation, formation of frost and ice on cold surfaces. Condensation, frost, ice on cold surfaces indicate excess moisture in the room and the presence of insufficient insulation of the external contour of the building and possible leaks of warm air through cracks.

Changes in color, texture and moisture content of material surfaces. Warping, swelling, deformation, cracking, blistering, crumbling, peeling, discoloration, darkening, the appearance of dark or colored spots or veins on the surfaces of materials may indicate increased humidity in the room. The growth of mold or mildew is accompanied by the appearance of spots of white, orange, green, brown, blue or black. Intensive reproduction of fungi begins at a relative humidity of 70%.

The formation of bubbles and paint cracks indicates capillary pressure of moisture in porous structures. The precipitation of salts and powdery substances on concrete surfaces is an indicator of the presence of moisture that has evaporated from the surface of the concrete. The formation of lamellar chips on the surface of concrete indicates the freezing of excess moisture in the thickness of the material.

Biological destruction of wood. Rot and decay of wooden structures indicates the constant damaging effects of moisture, which creates optimal conditions for the growth and reproduction of wood-destroying microorganisms. During biological destruction, wood changes its color, becomes loose and soft, which can lead to damage to the integrity of wooden structures under load.

Wet pipes.“Sweating” cold pipes are a sign of high humidity in the house. Current cold water significantly cools the surfaces of pipes on which excess moisture condenses.

Hygrometer readings. If the relative humidity in your home exceeds 50%, it may indicate a moisture problem. At the same time, even low level humidity in the atmosphere of the house does not guarantee the absence of problems with excess moisture in structures or separate rooms(basements, attics, etc.).

Sources of high humidity in the house.

Interstitial moisture. Porous building materials such as wood, concrete and others contain a certain amount of moisture located in the structure of the material. Moisture from materials can, under suitable conditions (the absence of vapor-tight barriers, an increase in the temperature of the material, the presence of a difference in water vapor pressure), begin to evaporate into the internal atmosphere of the house, increasing the humidity level. The volume of seasonal evaporation from building materials can reach from 3 to 8 liters of water per day. Wet building materials evaporate an average of up to 5 liters of water per day into the internal environment of a newly built or renovated house.

Trunk moisture. Moisture can enter the house in the form of rain, snow or groundwater, water supply and sewerage leaks, storage tanks for water, seeping through leaks in moisture-proofing media (roofing, walls, waterproofing, pipes, shut-off fittings, containers).

Capillary moisture. Capillary moisture enters the house through microscopic communicating pores of materials such as concrete, brick, wood from the external humid environment in the absence of waterproofing layers or layers that break the capillaries. Even the presence foundation slab is not an obstacle to moisture entering the house from the ground, if under the slab there is no layer of waterproofing and a granular mineral layer (coarse sand, crushed stone, gravel) that breaks the soil capillary network. The amount of moisture entering a house when the foundation waterproofing is damaged can be quite significant - up to 50 liters of water per day.

Moisture vapor transfer through porous materials. Due to pressure differences, water vapor can penetrate porous materials such as cellular concrete or wood. Both excess vapor transfer during outside-in steam transfer, for example, in hot and humid climates, and insufficient or blocked inside-out steam transfer can contribute to an increase in humidity. Significant moistening of building structures occurs when moisture evaporates from the uninsulated soil under the house, especially in the absence of sufficient ventilation of the underground space.

Moisture transfer with air flow. Air flows through cracks in building structures, on unsealed sections of media, around communications passing through walls and ceilings or open openings, windows or doors are capable of transferring saturated water vapor from the street. Up to 98% of all moisture enters the house with air flows. All other paths account for no more than 2% of the volume of moisture in the house. An uncontrolled influx of cold winter air containing a reduced amount of moisture can lead to the opposite effect: drying out the air in the room. Insufficient or absent exhaust ventilation helps increase the humidity level in the house. Moisture transfer with ventilation air flows allows you to quickly and effectively reduce the level of humidity in the house.

The human factor in the formation of moisture inside the house. A person himself evaporates a sufficient amount of moisture into the internal environment of a living space through breathing and sweating. A family of 3-4 people evaporates up to 200 ml of moisture per hour (4.8 liters in 24 hours). A lot of moisture is formed during economic, household and hygienic activities. When wet cleaning, up to 150 ml of moisture evaporates from square meter area. Cooking food for a family of 3-4 people during the day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and washing dishes leads to the evaporation of up to 3 liters of moisture. Cooking with gas increases the amount of moisture by another 1 liter. Drying clothes indoors results in the evaporation of 4 to 6 liters of moisture. In addition to increasing the humidity in the house, drying clothes indoors leads to evaporation of detergent residues and an increase in lint in the air, which can lead to the provocation of allergic diseases. When taking a shower, 100 ml of moisture evaporates every 5 minutes. An increase in humidity in the house is caused by cooking in dishes without lids, a significant number of live plants in pots, open aquariums, and the use of air humidifiers.

From inside or outside? Capillary test. To determine the external or internal source of the formation of excess humidity and dampness on the walls or floor, a capillary test is performed:

Find an area of damp wall or floor.
Dry it thoroughly using wipes and a hair dryer.
Cover the area to be examined with a sheet of vapor-proof plastic or film.
Carefully adhere the material to the surface with waterproof plumbing tape.
After 2-3 days, examine the sheet of plastic and the surface of the wall or floor underneath it. If moisture appears under the sheet, this means the capillary origin of the incoming moisture through the building structures. If moisture condenses on the outer surface of the plastic, the source of increased humidity is located indoors. If moisture is detected both under the leaf and on the leaf, this may mean that there are two ways of moisture entering at the same time.

Options for solving problems with excess humidity in the house.

Foundation and basement.

The likelihood of moisture entering by capillary route through the foundation can be reduced in the following ways: drainage of surface water, lowering the groundwater level and waterproofing foundations and underground structures of the building.

The set of activities includes:

Installation of a system for collecting precipitation from the roof and discharging it into a storm drain. Preferred closed system drainpipes with the supply of precipitation directly into the storm sewer, without an intermediate outflow of collected water onto the blind area or soil. With an open system, drainage trays are installed on top of the blind area. If there is a system for collecting and draining precipitation from the roof, it must be regularly cleaned of leaves and other debris that can impede its operation.
Device ground slope away from the building. The minimum recommended slope width is 150 cm with a rise of 7 cm at the house, and the optimal width is 3 meters with a rise of 15 cm.
Wide waterproofing blind area around the building will help reduce watering of the soil adjacent to the foundation and basement. It is not necessary to arrange a concrete blind area: you can use a more economical soft underground blind area made of waterproofing polymer-bitumen materials, hermetically connected by gluing or fusing to the surface waterproofing of the foundation.
Foundation waterproofing It is performed in the form of sticking or fusing polymer-bitumen waterproofing materials onto a concrete surface primed with a primer. Waterproofing is applied to all edges concrete surfaces foundation, and not just external ones. You should not use roofing felt for waterproofing - its service life before cracking does not exceed 5-7 years. The installation of a vertical drainage membrane of the “Delta” type will help reduce the backwater of groundwater.
Device ring drainage around the foundation with water drainage lower along the terrain, or into drainage reservoirs or wells. It is recommended to triple at least two drainage rings - next to the foundation and next to the edge of the waterproofing area around the foundation.
When constructing a new building and laying the foundation and underground structures of basements, compacted cushions made of coarse sand, sand-gravel mixture or crushed stone(at least 10 cm thick) to reduce and break capillary pressure. The slab is laid under the foundation waterproofing material or expanded polystyrene boards with practically zero moisture permeability. All concrete structures that will be located in the ground are protected by several layers of waterproofing.
Installation protective plate-visor to protect against rain splashes and the penetration of insects along the entire perimeter of the foundation, covering the entire upper edge of the foundation, will significantly improve the waterproofing of walls from the foundation in addition to standard polymer-bitumen materials.
Do not store firewood on the blind area along the walls of the building - this impairs the ventilation of the foundation and walls, which can lead to increased moisture in the structures.

Underground.

During the construction of newly constructed buildings, it is better to avoid the construction of underground floors, as thermally and structurally irrational elements, replacing them with the construction of floors on the ground, or with a slab foundation. If you want to have an underground, or if there is an underground in an already existing building To control moisture entering through the underground, the following measures are carried out:

Soil insulation. The soil under the building within the foundation is covered with bitumen-polymer waterproofing material, thick PVC or butyl rubber film. The overlapping edges of the film are glued to the inner surface of the foundation. The sheets are glued together with an overlap of at least 15 cm. If there is a pile or pile-grillage foundation, the soil is covered without gluing the waterproofing to the piles. The waterproofing material in the underground is covered with a 10 cm layer of sand or a 5 cm thick screed to ensure its mechanical protection.
Adequate ventilation of the underground space. If there is no insulation of the soil under the building, vents with a total cross-section of at least 1/400 (requirements of the International Building Code - 1/150) of the underground area must be installed in the foundation. Vents should be located opposite each other to ensure cross ventilation and no further than 90 cm from the internal corners of the foundation. The minimum cross-sectional area of one vent is 0.05 m2 (for example, 20 by 25 cm). If you have properly insulated soil, you can avoid vents in the foundation.

Walls

Lower parts of external walls, the walls to which the roofs of extensions or lower levels are adjacent are most susceptible to the effects of reflected precipitation splashes and snow accumulation. To prevent waterlogging of these parts of the walls, the following measures are taken:

The minimum recommended height of the foundation or plinth under the outer part of the wall should be 60 cm. If the height of the foundation is less, then it is necessary to protect the wall with a splash-reflecting canopy, or install walls overhanging the foundation with waterproofing of the lower edge. Also, the lower 50 cm of external walls made of mineral materials, or with finishing made from them, can be protected from moisture with a calmatizing hydrophobic impregnation.
The walls to which the roofs adjoin can be protected with a layer of waterproofing and covered with a wall metal profile.
The lower parts of external walls should not be covered tall plants, store firewood nearby, as this impairs air circulation and the natural drying of the walls. In addition, deposits, reflected from objects near the outer walls, can land on areas of the walls less protected from moisture.

Particular attention should be paid hydro-vapor barriers around windows and doors. Windows should be equipped with drip sills that prevent droplets from flowing down the lower surface of the sill toward the walls. Most windows and doors are now installed using polyurethane spray foam. Polyurethane foam with an open cell structure is not an obstacle to vapor transfer and moisture penetration.

Therefore, immediately after curing polyurethane foam should be covered with vapor barrier tape from the inside and waterproofing vapor-permeable tape from the outside. To seal gaps, you can use pre-compressed self-expanding sealing tapes - PSUL. It is better to additionally insulate the slopes around windows and doors to prevent them from cooling and the formation of condensation.

Exterior decoration and curtain wall facades.

The basic rule for constructing multilayer walls to prevent their overmoistening is formulated in paragraph 8.8 of SP 23-101-2004 “Design of thermal protection of buildings”: To provide the best performance characteristics in multi-layer building structures, layers of greater thermal conductivity and greater vapor permeability resistance than the outer layers should be placed on the warm side. This means that the materials exterior finishing should not interfere with natural vapor transfer through wall materials. This situation may arise with the outer coating of vapor-permeable wall materials, such as autoclaved aerated concrete, vapor-tight insulation, brickwork, plasters and paints, installation of suspended vapor-tight facades without ventilation of the gap between the walls and the facade.

Flat ledges on the walls, not equipped with protective canopies or slopes to drain water, ledges with a negative slope on the walls are a place for precipitation to collect, with subsequent moistening of the walls and the penetration of moisture into the house by capillaries. Uncleaned gutters result in overflowing water hitting the walls.

Internal vapor barrier of walls. The main purpose of internal vapor barrier is to reduce or prevent vapor transfer through vapor-permeable wall materials. The installation of proper vapor barrier is especially important for preserving the properties of porous, cellular and fibrous thermal insulation or structural thermal insulation wall materials. When thermal insulation materials are moistened, their thermal conductivity increases exponentially. The main mistake made when installing a vapor barrier is the lack of sealing of the joints of sheets of vapor barrier materials and their abutments to walls and structures. Be sure to seal any holes or punctures in the vapor barrier that may occur during construction. The vapor barrier material itself can only withstand the diffusion transfer of moisture. However, as is known, 98% of moisture is transferred not by diffusion, but by air currents. In the presence of microgaps and cracks in joints and abutments, the effectiveness of vapor barrier is significantly reduced, and the risk of moisture in wall materials increases significantly. A continuous additional layer of vapor barrier plaster or paint on the interior surfaces of the premises will reduce the risk of dampening the walls from internal sources of moisture.

Cold attics. The main sources of moisture in attic spaces serves as penetration with air leaks from the underlying premises through leaks in the attic floor. To ensure normal humidity conditions in the attic, it must be well ventilated through ventilation openings in the gables, dormer windows. It is recommended that at least half of the ventilation openings be 1 meter higher at the ridge in relation to the rest. IN hip roofs Ridge ventilation must be provided. To prevent condensation, all ventilation and chimney pipes passing through a cold attic must be insulated. It is prohibited to vent the exhaust ventilation of premises into the attic space.

Warm attics. The main mistake when installing warm roofs is insufficient ventilation gap, lack of ridge ventilation and blind lining of overhangs, blocking under-roof ventilation. Existing ridge vents, roof vents and soffit perforations can become clogged with pollen, cobwebs and leaves, leading to poor ventilation in the under-roof space of warm roofs.

Ventilation of premises. Ventilation plays a major role in removing excess moisture from the home. Natural ventilation is usually not enough for effective ventilation of places with high humidity: in bathrooms, saunas, kitchens, technical rooms. In such rooms it is recommended to install local exhaust ventilation, which allows you to quickly remove excess moisture. Exhaust fans can be adjusted to automatic switching on when a certain level of humidity in the room is reached. The recommended minimum ventilation level for bathrooms is 80 to 100 cubic feet per minute (CFM) and 150 CFM or more for kitchens. The minimum recommended duct diameter for local ventilation is 100 mm. The simplest way to install forced local exhaust ventilation is to route the air duct through the wall.
Best result control of humidity in the house is achieved by installing a supply and exhaust ventilation system for the whole house. When calculating the supply ventilation of a house, the required volume of air flow is calculated using the formula: CFM = 0.03 x area of the house + 7.5 x (number of bedrooms + 1).
If there is no supply ventilation system in the house, it is recommended to install windows with microventilation valves and wall air supply valves KPV. It is especially important to have fresh ventilation in rooms with heating devices with an open flame, in kitchens with gas appliances and in boiler rooms.

Control of internal moisture sources.

A significant contribution to the increase in humidity can be made by open or hidden (in walls, ceilings, underground, ground) leaks of water pipes and sewers. You can determine the presence of a hidden water supply leak using a water flow meter, which will show water consumption when there is no consumption.

You should dry your clothes outdoors or in a drying machine. Open aquariums can be closed with a lid. A supply of firewood should be stored in the house for no more than 1-2 days. When a large number of people live in a small room, you can use a mechanical dehumidifier.

Conclusion.
You should think about controlling humidity in a house at the stage of its design, providing all the necessary structural barriers for the penetration of moisture into the house and its structures, both outside and inside. The layout of the house, the location of windows and doors, elements of natural and forced ventilation should facilitate effective air exchange and removal of moist air.

A thoughtful analysis of the causes of high humidity in an already built house will help you make the right decision about possible ways to solve problems with excess humidity.

High humidity and associated problems - mold and mildew - are not uncommon. A few tips on how to get rid of dampness in an apartment or private house will help you forget about this trouble. To combat dampness effectively, you need to determine the cause of its occurrence. This can be a consequence of life activity - steam from the bathroom or shower, things drying in the apartment - or defects made during construction. Often high humidity is a consequence of an improperly organized ventilation system or blockage of ventilation ducts.

"Symptoms" of high humidity

The normal relative humidity in an apartment is about 50%. If this indicator is exceeded, then this must be dealt with. You can measure humidity using a hydrometer, but there are some “symptoms” that clearly indicate that its level in the room is elevated:

steam or drops of condensation on window glass;

mold on the walls or ceiling;

smell of dampness (mustiness);

things in the room are moistened.

Increased humidity in the bathroom and kitchen

Getting rid of dampness that appears after cooking, boiling things or bathing is quite easy. Most often, it is enough to organize ventilation. If for some reason this cannot be done, you can install a dehumidifier in your home. For these rooms, a model with a capacity of 10 liters per day is suitable. Since humidity due to life activity is not constant, it is better to choose a portable dehumidifier and use it, if necessary, in the room where you need to reduce the moisture at a particular moment.

This device will also help out during repairs, because industrial humidity appears in the house when plastering surfaces and wallpapering, and it is not always possible to remove it by ventilation. For the kitchen it will be important to use a hood of sufficient power. If things are often boiled there, food is prepared for big family, then the extraction capacity must be at least 500 m?/hour.

Organization of ventilation

Properly organized ventilation will help reduce humidity in the apartment and prevent problems associated with dampness. Of course you do major renovation Not everyone can decide to install ventilation shafts. In this case it will do technological innovation– window pressure ventilators. They automatically create the necessary draft taking into account the difference in pressure outside and inside the house.

Hygro-controlled exhaust grilles installed in existing ventilation ducts, is another useful device. Their action is based on regulating the draft flow depending on the humidity in the room. However, it is worth noting that if the channel is clogged or has insufficient diameter, then installing such equipment will not help remove dampness. In this case, first of all, it is necessary to clean the clogged shaft, and only then install forced ventilation.

How to deal with dampness in an apartment on the ground or floor

Apartments on the ground floor are chronically “sick” from high humidity. Getting rid of dampness in them is sometimes quite difficult, because the reason here may be due to improper construction of the foundation of the house. If such a defect is present, it is impossible to eliminate it yourself. In this case, only additional heating and forced ventilation will do.

If the cause of humidity is insufficient waterproofing, then the dampness can be reduced. To do this, it is necessary to arrange a coating or adhesive waterproofing floors with crack filling waterproofing plasters. It is more difficult to cope with moisture penetration through interpanel seams. This problem is a construction defect, and it is felt by residents of all apartments in the building. To eliminate it, you can contact the Housing Office or collect the necessary funds at a meeting of residents and order seam sealing from professionals.

How to reduce moisture for residents of the top floors?

Residents on the top floor suffer from dampness in the absence of pitched roof. Moisture penetrates through the ceiling. It is impossible to eliminate its penetration by waterproofing the ceiling in the room, since any solution in this direction will be unreliable. The water will simply “bypass” the obstacle and go into the walls. But there is still a solution. In order to get rid of dampness, you need to insulate the floor on the floor above the apartment. This is the attic or, as it is officially called, the technical floor. When renovating, special attention should be paid to sealing joints and seams, since it is mainly through them that moisture enters the apartment.

There are cases when access to the attic is closed due to various reasons, for example, the premises have been rented or sold, and the new owner does not allow anyone there. Here the question of how to dry the air in an apartment becomes problematic. There is only one way out - waterproofing the roof. Not everyone can afford the financial investment for such repairs, so you will have to demand that the leaks be repaired from the organization servicing the house, or collect funds from all residents of the riser.

Private house and high humidity problems

In a private home, excess moisture may be the result of insufficient waterproofing of the foundation, moisture penetration through cracks in the walls, or insufficient ventilation. One of the reliable methods for eliminating dampness in a house is to install a proper drainage system on the site. This is especially true if there is a high groundwater level.

The second method is external and internal waterproofing of the base. External vertical insulation can be done after the construction of the house, but horizontal insulation is done only at the time of laying the foundation. We must not forget about floor insulation in a private house. A concrete floor is more reliable for preventing moisture penetration, but high-quality insulation can be provided for wooden floors.

Waterproofing walls in a private house can be done by applying a layer of plaster of the following composition:

1 part cement;

1 part sand;

1 part silicone or synthetic latex.

This dry plaster mixture diluted with water and applied to the walls in the usual way. This will strengthen the walls and serve as a barrier to leaks.

When the humidity in the apartment is high, something needs to be done urgently, otherwise many problems may arise, including the formation and proliferation of fungus. In addition, dampness can lead to a musty smell in the room. That's why everyone should know how to remove excess moisture in the apartment.

It is advisable that the humidity in the room be at 60%. In hot summer weather this figure can be reduced to 45%. However, it should be remembered that a person feels uncomfortable in an overly dry room. That is why those who prefer to solve a similar problem with the help of an air conditioner should monitor the air condition and be aware of how to remove high humidity in the apartment. In the process of work this air conditioning equipment reduces the humidity level in the room. This must be taken into account when using it.

On top of that, remember: if you prefer to dry things at home without ventilating the apartment, the air humidity will quickly increase, and such conditions will become ideal for the development of mold.

How to measure in a residential area?

You can determine that the moisture content in the air in an apartment exceeds the norm by looking at mold on the wallpaper and wet walls, and also using a hygrometer. Moreover, this household measuring device It's not very expensive. To control the level of dampness in a room, you just need to hang it on the wall like a regular thermometer.

Harm from excess humidity in the apartment

Excessive dampness in a room will first of all have a bad effect on a person’s skin, for example, rashes will appear or even allergies will occur. In addition, excess moisture can provoke the development of other unpleasant diseases. Children and the elderly will be the first to suffer from high humidity, since their immunity is weakened.

Magazines and newspapers in a damp room become unusable over time. Also, due to excessive humidity, the room begins to smell like mold. And this one bad smell quickly saturates clothes and furniture. In addition, if there is excess moisture, food spoils much faster, so you should figure out how to remove high humidity in the apartment so as not to constantly throw them away.

The main reasons for the increase in indoor humidity

The reason may be poor-quality waterproofing of the walls of the house from the foundation. This happens due to a violation of technology during its construction. In such a situation, it will be difficult to get rid of the problem, since such construction defects are practically irreparable, but it is still worth finding out how you can remove the humidity in the apartment in order to improve living conditions.

The most common cause of excess humidity in rooms is a violation of natural ventilation. Often, after replacing old windows with new, more airtight double-glazed windows, dampness develops in the apartment. This usually happens due to a violation of air circulation, which causes humidity to appear, which condenses on windows, walls and even provokes the growth of mold.

There is another source of increased humidity in the apartment - the release of water into the air when family members breathe. And we are talking here not about milliliters per day, but about liters. Therefore, you should definitely find out how to remove humidity in an apartment, otherwise you will not be able to avoid negative consequences.

In addition, constant drying of laundry indoors can worsen the humidity situation. Another factor that increases moisture is heating. Moreover, even when the radiators in the room do not heat well, dampness may appear.

If the roof of a house is leaking, then high humidity can be eliminated only after it is repaired.

How to remove humidity in an apartment?

To normalize the microclimate in the room, there is no need to curtain the windows sunny days in damp areas. You should not dry your laundry in the apartment; it is better to hang it on the balcony or loggia.

Many people, when faced with a similar problem, look for any information on how to remove humidity in an apartment using household appliances. Today, many different devices that absorb moisture are sold. They contain an absorbent substance that absorbs all excess water from the air.

To prevent an increase in humidity in the apartment, you must always ventilate the rooms after the following manipulations:

It is recommended to install a hood, especially when the cause of increased moisture is gas stove or a shower with constant fumes.

PVC profile windows can also lead to increased humidity in the room. When the glass unit is hermetically sealed, the air exchange between the interior of the house and the street is disrupted. To prevent this from happening, it is better to buy plastic windows having a built-in ventilation system.

Candles, hair dryers, heating devices and even indoor plants will help eliminate dampness in the apartment. But the most effective method of reducing humidity is air conditioning. IN modern models In addition to cooling and heating, there are additional functions such as dehumidification and air purification.

Dampness in an apartment can occur if the plumbing is in poor condition. To reduce air humidity, you will have to eliminate the causes of the leak, for example, by replacing outdated pipes.

How to remove humidity in an apartment using folk remedies?

If walls without wallpaper are covered with mold, you can get rid of it using a solution of laundry soap. It's easy to do: detergent dissolve in 5 liters of water, then bring to a boil. The resulting mixture is applied evenly to the walls with a brush and left until completely dry. The procedure should be repeated several times until soap marks form on the surface. Then they can be treated with another composition, to create which you will need 6 liters of water and 100 grams of alum.

Many people are interested in knowing how to remove humidity in an apartment using grandma’s method. For example, calcium chloride, which perfectly absorbs moisture, will also help combat this problem. Containers with it are placed in damp corners of the room. But in order to use calcium again, it will first have to be dried in the oven and then crushed. By the way, you can use charcoal or quicklime instead of this product.

Other tricks for eliminating excess moisture in the air

Before removing high humidity in an apartment, you should familiarize yourself with other traditional methods in order to choose the most suitable option. For example, you can get rid of dampness using bricks. They must be heated and placed against the moldy wall on any fire-resistant surface. It is advisable to do this until you can get rid of the dampness. It should be taken into account that after 10 heatings the bricks stop absorbing moisture. In addition, there should not be any flammable objects near them.

But to combat black mold spots on surfaces in damp rooms, you will need a solution of the following ingredients:

The walls must first be dried, and then the antibacterial substance must be dissolved in alcohol and diluted with water. The resulting composition should be applied directly to the mold stains. This folk remedy will help quickly eliminate them, and it will also prevent the occurrence of dampness.

How to avoid high humidity in the room?

If you do not want to face such a problem, you need to carefully choose your indoor plants. Remember that tropical flowers need frequent watering. It is better to give preference to cacti, although some of them are not very attractive.

When renovating rooms with high humidity, it is advisable to purchase mineral-based materials, as they are able to regulate the level of dampness in the room and do not create a greenhouse effect.

When fighting excess moisture in the air, most people forget that dryness is no less dangerous for human health, which is why it is so important to maintain the microclimate in the apartment at an optimal level.

Options for getting rid of dampness indoors

Excessive dampness often becomes a diagnosis of private houses, city high-rises and dachas. In the cold season, it manifests itself as mold on the walls and windows. Many owners begin and end the fight only with the fungus, because it has a sharply negative effect on the health of the residents. In this case, the root cause - increased humidity - is ignored, so the mold soon returns. Only an analysis of the situation and an integrated approach will help you get rid of dampness.

Causes of high humidity

There are several hundred types of household mold in nature. The main factor in their appearance in residential premises is excessive dampness. The fungus forms in places with poor ventilation on surfaces prone to sudden temperature changes. In other words, if in your home cold wall, a dark coating will appear in poorly ventilated corners as soon as you turn on the heating system.

In high-rise buildings, mold can occur due to global disturbances in the air circulation system. Check the draft in your ventilation ducts using a regular match. Its weakening or cessation occurs for the following reasons:

mistakes made by builders even at the stage of building a house;

illegal interference in the integrity of the channels of your vertical neighbors;

failure of parts of the system due to the old age of the house.

It is difficult to eliminate ventilation in a high-rise building. Building management companies, as a rule, do this only if a global restructuring or reconstruction of the building is planned. You will have to rely on folk remedies to eliminate dampness in the room. In the private sector, such problems are relatively easier to solve, because everything depends only on the owner.

Attention! On the first floors of apartment buildings or in private houses, dampness may appear due to flooding of the basement due to a burst of water supply, groundwater, or poor thermal insulation between the wall and the foundation. Mold forms at the bottom of the wall.

Step 1. Fight against fungal plaque

To get rid of dampness, first of all you need to identify and eliminate all fungal plaque on the walls. Delay can cause the development of diseases. Fungal spores enter the lungs with air and disrupt the functioning of the respiratory system. Dampness and mold can cause acute respiratory infections, bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory diseases, including tuberculosis. In addition, it suppresses the immune system. For residents of the house, especially children and the elderly, this manifests itself in a deterioration in health, allergic reactions and exacerbation of all kinds of ailments.

During the cleaning process, it is important not only to clean, but also to disinfect all surfaces where there is fungus. Use any suitable means:

chlorine bleach and other chemicals;

vinegar;

hydrogen peroxide;

soda;

ammonia;

tea tree oil, etc.

Attention! Wear gloves and a mask when working with any type of cleaning agent against dampness and fungus.

It is important that during close contact the spores do not get into large quantities into your respiratory tract. When using special store supplies Do not under any circumstances mix one with the other. This may cause a chemical reaction with harmful consequences for you. The video will help you understand in more detail how to combat mold and dampness.

If mold has extensively covered the surface of the wallpaper, get ready to rip it off the wall. The mycelium of the fungus is located under the paper layer. There are no means to kill it without damaging the wallpaper itself. In this case, the plaster will probably also have to be removed. First, thoroughly clean the surface of fungus, and then treat it with an antiseptic. For example, an aqueous solution of office glue (1:4) or urea. Before any further work to get rid of dampness, the wall section must be completely dry.

Step 2. Finding and eliminating the root cause of dampness

Diagnosing the problem is the key to getting rid of dampness. Take the glass, press it against the wall and fix it in this position. After 2-3 hours, remove and check the surface:

dry - source of indoor humidity;
damp - dampness penetrates from outside.

In the second case it is easier to understand. Your task is to reduce the temperature difference from which the walls suffer due to dampness. There are two ways to do this. It's better to use them in combination.

Thermal insulation of the wall. Cover it with breathable insulating material. Today, many people choose external insulation, but experts advise first of all to carry out work inside.
Check and, if necessary, upgrade the heating system. Perhaps it is cluttered or not powerful enough to warm up and protect certain corners of the house from dampness.

Advice. Often, large-sized furniture becomes the cause of the formation of harmful plaque if it interferes with the normal ventilation of the wall adjacent to the street. Do some rearranging.

Traditional methods to get rid of dampness due to poor ventilation:

white mold usually appears in flower pots as a reaction to excessive moisture or the use of certain fertilizers. Human exposure may manifest as an allergy;
green mold may appear on food: eating contaminated food risks causing serious illness. Green mold also occasionally affects building materials, for example, brick;
black mold– enemy number 1. This is the most common type of mold and can affect any surface: wallpaper, paint, plaster, boards, concrete, etc. If left untreated, it can subsequently cause insomnia, dizziness, fever, headaches, and in the worst case, asthma, bronchitis, dermatitis, pneumonia and even lung cancer;
blue mold often appears on wooden surfaces in the house: parquet, frames, furniture, etc. They begin to acquire an unpleasant dull blue tint, the paint layer is destroyed, and even the paint coating cannot save it;
mold rotting- another enemy of wood. Depending on certain features, the tree may acquire a gray or brown tint, become lighter, cracks appear on it, etc.

None of the things we know can resist mold. finishing materials. But besides harming the repair, it also toxic to human body , especially children's. Depending on the level of mold spread in the apartment, the symptoms may be different: first there is an impact on the respiratory system, and then on the entire body as a whole. Evidence of the negative impact of the fungus is the appearance of a cough, runny nose, lack of air, difficult to diagnose chronic diseases - all this is the reason for being in a damp room contaminated with mold.

Mold can also cause nausea, vomiting, headaches, and fatigue. In addition to the fact that it looks unaesthetic, it also has a destructive effect on building materials: it penetrates the structure, quickly spreads and occupies more and more areas. That is why, after detecting even hints of mold, it must be eliminated immediately.

Causes and signs of mold

To get rid of mold once and for all, it is enough to clearly determine the cause of its appearance in your apartment and eliminate it. The fact is that fungal spores are present in any room, but the basis for their development is favorable conditions, which become reasons for the appearance of moldy spots in different parts of your home:

high humidity combined with poor ventilation, which often happens in the kitchen or bathroom, in apartments on the first floors, houses where humidification is abused, etc.;
freezing of walls;
ground dampness;
leaking water pipes;
roof leaks;
poorly heated room.

Everyone has probably already encountered the phenomenon of mold and can easily recognize it: it is the appearance of an unpleasant damp smell, spots of black, gray or white. To get rid of mold forever, you need to apply a set of measures, and in addition to the means described below aimed at combating already existing fungus, be sure to eliminate the cause of its appearance.

In general, all work to combat mold in the house comes down to the following list of measures:

clean the affected surface from mold;
treat the surface with a mold repellent;
Throw away all items severely damaged by fungus;
create normal conditions in the room: good ventilation, normal heating, eliminate all sources of high humidity.

At the moment, a lot of anti-mold remedies have been invented, each of them is applicable in certain conditions and differs in some features.

Ways to get rid of mold

You can fight mold both with special means, which are sold in a sufficient assortment on store shelves, and with folk methods. The latter will be less harmful to the person himself, will cost less, and are not always inferior in effectiveness to their professional counterparts.

Method No. 1. Antiseptic primer

This is the most proven method that will definitely help in the fight against fungus. In construction stores, such products are presented in a wide range: Fongifluid Alpa, Dali, Olymp Stop-mold, Biotol-spray, etc. Applying them to an infected surface not only helps get rid of the fungus, but also prevents its occurrence in the future.

Working with such a solution is very simple: it is either sold ready-made or requires the addition of a clearly defined amount of water, as indicated in the instructions. Next, you just need to apply the resulting composition to the required surface, and you’re done.

Important: you need to apply an antiseptic primer only to a well-cleaned surface, so all material affected by fungus must be carefully removed, and if it has become deeply ingrained, then you will need to clean all layers down to the brick or concrete slab. Then the primer is evenly applied with a regular paint brush onto a dry surface. When the protective layer has dried, you can begin finishing: gluing wallpaper, painting walls, plastering, etc.

Method number 2. Bleach

Bleach is an easier way to get rid of mold in your home, a worthy replacement professional means. Conventional bleach contains sodium hypochlorite (it is also present in many special products as an active ingredient), which has a detrimental effect on mold and its spores, so this reliable way get rid of almost all types of mold. But you can’t use bleach on all surfaces, as they can fade, deteriorate, etc. Bleach is great for glass, tiles, bathtubs, and other non-porous materials, but it won't work on drywall, wood, etc. The fact is that the active substance, chlorine, in this case does not penetrate into the material where the mold particles are located, but acts only on the surface. And the water that is part of such a solution is absorbed by porous materials, leading to even greater mold development.

Working with bleach can hardly be called safe, as it can corrode the skin of your hands and cause poisoning with toxic fumes. Therefore, it can only be used in a well-ventilated area and wearing rubber protective gloves. The solution is prepared from bleach and water in a ratio of 1:10, applied with a brush and wait until completely dry. As in the previous case, the previously damaged surface must be cleaned.

The common vinegar that everyone has in their kitchen is weak acid, which is poisonous to many types of mold. Its advantage is that it does not emit any dangerous fumes, so it is completely safe to use.

Vinegar is sprayed onto the prepared surface, and then wiped with a dampened rag; after an hour, the surface is washed with water and the room is well ventilated. In particularly damaged areas, it is better to carry out this procedure several times at intervals of one week.

Method number 4. Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is another poison for most types of mold. You can buy a 3% peroxide solution at any pharmacy; its smell is not so harmful to humans, so working with it is more or less convenient. It should be applied to a prepared surface cleaned of mold, but since peroxide also has a bleaching effect, it is better not to apply it to painted surfaces, but to choose a different method.

Method No. 5. Ammonia

Ammonia works similarly to bleach: it works great on mold on hard, non-porous surfaces, but is not very effective on porous materials. It does its job perfectly when mold has formed on e.g. tiles or glass.

Ammonia must be mixed with water in a 1:1 ratio and sprayed onto the contaminated surface, and after an hour, rinse the solution with water and ventilate the room well. You need to work with ammonia very carefully, as its pungent odor can cause dizziness, headaches, etc. Be careful not to try to use it in combination with bleach, as the reaction between the two will release toxic gases.

Method number 6. Baking soda

Baking soda is one of the easiest and safest ways to get rid of mold, and it does not harm either humans or pets. It is enough to prepare a solution of soda - dissolve a teaspoon in a glass of water - and spray the surface affected by mold with the resulting mixture. You can also wipe moldy things, walls, objects with a sponge soaked in this solution. After an hour, the surface needs to be washed with water, but it is not recommended to completely wash off the soda solution from it: soda is not capable of harming the material, but it perfectly protects against the recurrence of fungus.

Borax is a natural material, so it cannot harm human health. It is often used to disinfect toilets and drains, acts as an effective fungicide, insecticide and herbicide, in general, it is an inhibitor of mold growth and a toxin for it.

It is recommended that before starting mold cleaning work, first vacuum the surface with a fine filter, so that during the process as few pores as possible fly in the air and enter the respiratory system. The working solution is prepared as follows: 1 glass of borax is diluted in 2.5 liters of water. The borax solution is applied to the surface with a stiff brush, while simultaneously removing the fungus itself from walls, objects, floors, etc. It is advisable to walk over the surface with such a solution several times; there is no need to wash off anything, since in the future the borax will become a reliable protector against mold.

Method No. 8. Tea tree oil

Tea tree oil is one of the most effective natural remedies that are absolutely harmless to humans. Although this oil is not cheap, you will need very little of it; it has strong antibacterial and antifungal agents.

For one glass of water you will need a teaspoon of tea tree oil. This mixture is added to a spray bottle and applied to the damaged surface, or used to apply it to a sponge; there is no need to wash it off, since this solution will reliably protect against possible reappearance fungus.

Tea tree has its own specific smell, but it is harmless and will disappear after a while. By the way, the prepared solution for combating mold can be stored for as long as desired, since it does not lose its strength over time and does not deteriorate.

Method number 9. Grapefruit Seed Extract

This product is similar in action to tea tree oil; it is also expensive, but it is odorless and has a disinfectant and deodorizing effect.

The solution is very simple to prepare: one glass of water requires only 10 drops of grapefruit seed extract. Again, we use a sprayer for application, and after application we do not wash off the solution, since the longer its contact with the damaged surface, the better, and in the future this solution will protect walls and floors from the appearance of new mold stains.

Method No. 10. Potassium permanganate solution

Ordinary potassium permanganate also has a detrimental effect on mold. The damaged surface can be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate: add a teaspoon of potassium permanganate to 1 liter of water, and spray or wipe the damaged areas with the resulting composition. The solution does not need to be washed off; it will be effective for some time.

Method No. 11. Lavender and Rosemary Fragrance Oil

These oils contain substances that can counteract the development and activity of mold, so just add a few drops of aromatic oil to a glass of water and then treat the surface: unpleasant odor There will be no chemicals, these oils are non-toxic for humans, and they perfectly kill most types of mold.

Method No. 12. Stationery glue

Many craftsmen get rid of mold using office glue, which is diluted one to one with water. The method is effective in some cases, but it does not cope with all types of mold, and if the affected area is not very large.

Method No. 13. Iodine solution and camphor balls

An iodine solution and camphor balls will only help if you have just discovered small traces of mold, and you don’t want to use more aggressive means of control yet. Therefore, in an infected room, you can place containers with iodine solution or place camphor balls.

Method No. 14. Lemon acid

To combat fungus, use citric acid or lemon juice, which have the same properties as vinegar - this is a weak organic acid, which negatively affects the development of fungus. A teaspoon of citric acid is dissolved in a glass of water, and the surface is treated with the resulting solution. This method is great for tiles.

Method No. 15. Hydrogen peroxide+vinegar+boric acid

All these components are able to cope with mold at the highest level, and together they give an absolutely amazing effect. Water must be mixed with peroxide, vinegar and boric acid in a ratio of 4:2:2:1, and then spray or wipe the surface.

Method No. 16. Let's get rid of it for sure

Even if you have dealt with the mold that has formed in accordance with all the instructions, there is still no guarantee that it will not appear again. It is important not only to remove the fungus that has already appeared, but also to eliminate all possible reasons its reappearance. This is why you need:

reliably insulate an apartment or house;
repair or replace the heating system;
install an air conditioner to dry the air;
adjust the ventilation system;
dry clothes not in the room, but on the balcony or purchase washing machine with drying function;
use a hood when preparing food;
ventilate all rooms well;
eliminate leaks in the roof, taps, etc.;
geraniums and violets are an excellent place for mold to grow, so their presence in the apartment should be limited;
The most risky places from the point of view of the appearance of mold should be regularly wiped and sprayed with anti-fungal agents.

How to remove mold smell?

Often, after removing mold from an apartment and subsequent ventilation, the smell of rot still does not leave the room. You can fight it with products that absorb odors. So, you can pour baking soda on the place where the fungus used to be, and after a few hours remove it with a vacuum cleaner: soda perfectly absorbs odors, so after this procedure the smell will either disappear or become much weaker.

You can use charcoal as an odor absorber: briquettes are simply placed around a room with an unpleasant odor, and after a while not a trace of it will remain.

Mold in each room has its own characteristics, so the approaches to combating it should be slightly different.

Removing mold from walls

At the first signs of mold, you need to act immediately, since within 10-12 months it can reach concrete or brickwork. Therefore, you should remove the damaged layer of finishing, wet the wall a little so that mold spores do not scatter throughout the room, and remove the layer of plaster, then thoroughly clean off all the plaque and thoroughly sweep the room, dry the walls and treat with the selected anti-mold preparation.

If the walls are painted, then the mold spreads more over the area than inside, and after removal paint coating, you can begin the process of neutralization, moving from simpler means to the most powerful.

Plasterboard ceilings and walls differ in their structure: they are porous, so you need to take into account that mold can develop deep into the material. In this case, professional products are suitable.

In rooms on wallpaper, fungus spreads at lightning speed, so in most cases you will have to remove the wallpaper. This can only be avoided in the initial stages of mold development.

In this case, a solution of vinegar, ammonia, special compounds, lavender oil, a solution of potassium permanganate or a solution of hydrogen peroxide are ideal for fighting fungus. But still, it is unlikely that you will have to avoid dismantling at least part of the wallpaper, since all of the listed means can slightly change its color, and the likelihood that mold is already firmly entrenched in the apartment and is developing under the wallpaper is high.

Removing mold from the bathtub

In the bathroom, the most vulnerable places are the joints between the plumbing and the wall, treated with sealant, as well as the seams between the tiles. A black coating very quickly appears there, which is not washed off - mold.

In this method you need to act according to old scheme: remove the affected area, i.e. moldy sealant, treat it with the selected product, and reapply the sealant. The seams between the tiles are cleaned with a metal scraper, and then grout with antiseptic properties is used there.

If mold appears on the ceiling, then moisten the area a little with water and leave for 2-3 hours, then remove the whitewash and plaster, and putty all the resulting unevenness. Next, we use a primer that contains antifungal agents, and after it dries, we apply a penetrating primer. All that remains is to sand the surface, and the ceiling is ready for further finishing.

You can also get by by applying a solution of bleach, soda, vinegar or tea tree to the affected area of the bathroom ceiling.

We often underestimate the harm that seemingly ordinary mold can cause us. It is extremely dangerous not only for building materials, but also for health, so you need to start fighting it when it first appears. But at the same time, it is important to eliminate the causes of mold in order to get rid of them, otherwise all efforts may be ineffective.

How to get rid of dampness in a room using folk remedies

All about concrete and gypsum products

Increased humidity in the house can be caused by various reasons. Almost every second owner of an apartment and private house faces this phenomenon. Humidity causes mold.

Therefore, it is imperative to combat excess humidity in the house. The source that causes this phenomenon should be found and appropriate measures taken. It is worth saying that fungus and mold appear in the house precisely because of high humidity. In addition, dampness worsens the health of all residents living in the house. Therefore, today the portal Beton-Area.com will talk about how to get rid of dampness in the house using folk remedies?

High humidity in the house: how to deal with it

Why does dampness appear in the house?

The cause of dampness is directly sought in the territory of the house itself. To quickly get rid of dampness in the house, you need to find the place where mold accumulates, and only then think about what can be done in such a situation. If the wall facing the street is subject to increased dampness, then it must be lined with reliable insulating material. Mold does not only appear in private homes. Quite often mold occurs in modern apartments. This problem worries the owners of apartments on the first floor very seriously. Typically, in such rooms, mold forms in the lower part of the walls. Contributes to this whole line unpleasant reasons. It could be:

Poor insulation between foundation and wall.
Damp basement with pipes constantly leaking.
Poor ventilation.

It is worth saying that eliminating dampness in a private home is much easier. After all, you just need to organize proper ventilation or install thermal insulation materials. IN apartment buildings It is very difficult to combat this phenomenon. Here, the main reasons for the appearance of this factor are hidden in the first stages of construction. And if the developer misses important points, then the apartment will always cause unpleasant problems for its owners. Moreover, being in this room will adversely affect the health of all household members. People who are constantly in an apartment with high humidity can get sick: asthma, tuberculosis and other more serious diseases.

What methods will help get rid of dampness in a private home?

Now it’s time to understand what to do about dampness at home and how to get rid of this unpleasant phenomenon in your home. It is imperative to combat dampness in the house.

In this case, you need to use all modern methods.

So, a special product that can be purchased at any supermarket will help get rid of mold and dampness in the house. However, this remedy may not seem effective if the cause of the mold lies in other factors. For example, the use of special means will be a useless measure if there are problems with ventilation or airing in the house. If the building was constructed incorrectly, the remedy may also not be effective. After all, you need to fight the main causes of mold.
Mold on the walls in the house can form due to poor heating. Indeed, block walls can let the cold through. In addition, they are filled with bulky furniture that does not allow heat to pass through. All these reasons contribute to the formation of mold, which releases dampness and unpleasant substances into the indoor air for years. Some people believe that such problems are very easy to solve with the help of a special product from the supermarket. However, it is not. This will require drastic methods. Even an air conditioner that simply circulates damp air around the apartment will not bring the desired effect. But there is no need to despair! After all, if the house is constantly damp, you should simply install plastic windows that will not have partitions. The window will allow natural light to constantly enter the house. In addition, with such an item you can provide high-quality and constant ventilation of the room.
Mold is very difficult to combat. And every homeowner with such an unpleasant problem should remember this. In this case, you will need not only patience, but also a lot of effort. To make your family nest comfortable and cozy, you need to remove fungus and mold from the walls of the house. For such work you will need to purchase high-quality antiseptic, which will clear the walls of fungus and make them aesthetically pleasing again.
If the walls of the house are covered with wallpaper, then they are removed. In addition, plaster affected by fungus is removed. In order not to harm your health, all work must be done wearing a mask. Before treating with an antiseptic, the walls must be cleaned of fungus and mold. Only after this can they be treated with antiseptic and creosote. Other compounds can also be used to treat walls. For example, you can dilute office glue with water in a ratio of 1:4. Walls can be treated with urea. All of the above products should be applied only to the affected areas of the walls. Before application, the affected areas on the walls must be heated to 50 degrees. After finishing the work, the walls must be completely dry.

How to get rid of dampness in an apartment and in a house? This question will be relevant at any time. It was said above that this process is difficult and painstaking. In addition, after removing mold in the room, it is necessary to create special conditions that will prevent the formation of mold and increased dampness.

Increased humidity in the house: methods of control, causes

So, sunlight and fresh air will help prevent the appearance of mold and dampness in the apartment. In addition, you should not cover all the walls in the room with furniture. Some plants can increase humidity in rooms. Therefore, it is necessary to remove from the room where there is high humidity: geraniums and violets. If there is observed in the home normal level humidity, then you can forget about mold and mildew for a long time. Experts do not recommend drying wet laundry in an apartment or house. In addition, for repairs you need to purchase dry construction mixtures.

A good effect can be achieved by insulating facades using insulation or polystyrene foam. Dampness in an apartment is quite common. Therefore, everyone should know how to get rid of this phenomenon. In a room with high humidity there should be normal air circulation.

That's why interior doors It's better to keep them open. But the doors to the kitchen should be closed while cooking. In this case, it is recommended to use a hood and vents to ventilate the kitchen.

For high-quality ventilation of the bathroom and toilet, you need to equip it with good ventilation. There is no need to invent something new or look for expensive solutions.

To maintain good health and excellent well-being, it is imperative to remove mold, mildew and high humidity from rooms. In addition, you need to monitor the condition of your home and prevent this problem from occurring. For example, if an apartment or house is equipped with poor-quality heating, then you need to purchase a heating convector that will dry the walls warm air. During wet cleaning, you should wipe the floor well and monitor the condition of the walls, on which the appearance of fungus has already been recorded.

If all methods to combat the fungus have already been tried, if there is no good result, or there is no time to deal with such problems at all, you need to contact a special company that will send competent employees to combat this problem.

With the onset of autumn, gray spots may form on the surfaces of ceilings and walls in a private house. They indicate the presence of dampness. Rooms are ventilated less often, and the amount of precipitation increases. The material from which the building structure was erected does not dry out completely. Availability excess moisture is a serious problem. It is necessary to wage a decisive fight against it. Such a situation can lead to various diseases. The structure will begin to gradually collapse. In order to understand how to get rid of dampness in the house, you need to understand the reasons for its appearance. Only then will it be possible to find effective ways to combat this unpleasant phenomenon.

Consequences of excess humidity

Why should you deal with dampness in a private home? For creating comfortable conditions living room, the moisture content in the air in the room should be within 40-60%. Deviation from this norm causes negative consequences:

increases the likelihood of fungal mold;
the immune system deteriorates;
the risk of bronchial asthma, skin and colds increases;
the resulting condensation spoils the furniture;
surface of stone and concrete structures begins to crumble;
on metal structures corrosion occurs;
wood products rot.

Causes of moisture

The causes of excess moisture can be external and internal factors. On initial stage the sources of its appearance should be found. It is necessary to conduct a thorough inspection of the building structure:

the reliability of the waterproofing and drainage structure and the integrity of the roofing system are checked;
areas where damp spots appear are examined;
window and door frames, pipe and roof joints are inspected.

When deciding how to get rid of humidity in the house, you should take into account that its appearance may be the result of human activity. The moisture content in the air increases during the process of washing clothes, cooking, and watering. indoor plants, shower procedures. Helps dry the house correct system ventilation. If there is no natural circulation air masses, favorable conditions for the appearance of fungal formations are created. They feel especially comfortable in warm and enclosed spaces. The process of their reproduction becomes avalanche-like if the air contains more than 70% moisture and temperatures exceed 18 degrees.

Before dealing with humidity, the level of its content in the air mass is determined. A hygrometer is used to carry out measurements. If there are elevated indicators, they find the sources of excess moisture and then move on to solving the problem. Let's look at the most common causes of increased moisture and ways to eliminate them.

Poor quality waterproofing of the base

The presence of groundwater close to the surface of the earth can pose a serious threat to the integrity of the foundation. In order to eliminate this problem, a waterproofing layer is laid on the foundation. In its absence, water can easily end up inside the room. The consequences can be quite sad:

rotten wooden baseboards;
wallpaper coming off the wall;
collapsed plaster covering;
fungus in places of greatest accumulation of moisture.

Poor foundation insulation needs to be repaired immediately. If the building structure does not provide for a basement, a horizontal waterproofing coating is installed on top of the basement covering. It will protect the walls from exposure to capillary moisture. As alternative option vertical insulation is used. A trench is dug around the perimeter of the building. The wall covering is cleaned of dirt and a roll or coating waterproofing is applied on top.

Basement renovation

If damp spots appear on the ceiling and walls of the basement, you should first check the reliability of the waterproofing structure. If the insulation is installed poorly, moisture will accumulate on concrete and brick surfaces. In the future, the basement may be completely flooded with water. Groundwater easily penetrates into the porous coating.

To eliminate these phenomena, it is necessary to re-insulate the treated surfaces:

they are first cleaned of fungal mold and disinfected using special solutions that prevent their formation;
Cement mortar is applied to the seams;
leaks are eliminated using quick-hardening compounds;
a coating repair material is applied to the treated surface;
Before laying the external insulation, the backfill of the base is excavated;
hot bitumen or cold bitumen mastic is applied to the outer and outer surface of the walls;
roofing material is laid on top;
the floor is covered with a clay layer and carefully compacted;
sand or crushed stone is poured on top;
final insulation is carried out using cement mortar;
The ceiling surface is treated with a waterproofing paint coating.

Incorrect operation of the drainage system

When answering the question of how to remove dampness in a house, it is necessary to check the operation of the drainage structure. During long-term use, the drainage system may become clogged or destroyed. In such a situation, the surface of the walls will constantly get wet. The first step is to repair damaged pipes and gutters or replace them.

Additional protection of walls can be achieved using the following building materials:

cement plaster;
waterproof compositions with a mineral base;
special mastics;
paints with water-repellent properties;
bitumen insulating coatings;
vinyl siding;
hanging PVC panels.

Getting rid of excess moisture inside the house

Why does dampness in the house appear on the surface of the walls indoors? The reason may be a difference in the values of internal and external temperatures. To remove condensation, the building should be insulated from the outside. This will lead to an increase in the thickness of the walls and shift the dew point inside the building structure. In this case, even if there is a high moisture content in the air, condensation does not form.

Insulation of wall coverings is carried out in a certain sequence, taking into account technological features designs. When laying insulation material, the following rule is observed: each subsequent layer must have greater permeability to moisture. Then it does not accumulate in the room, but leaves it freely.

You can remove dampness from your home using high-quality installed system ventilation. It is necessary to ensure proper circulation of air masses. Ventilation shafts must be in good condition. A comfortable microclimate in bathrooms and kitchens is created by using forced ventilation.

To save wellness The humidity in the room should be maintained within acceptable limits. Increased moisture content can lead to premature failure building structure and the occurrence of various diseases.

Any smell evokes certain feelings: the smell of hot baked goods awakens the appetite, the smell of perfume creates pleasant associations, the smell of gasoline is associated with cars. What is the smell of dampness, often referred to as the smell of humidity, associated with? As a rule, nothing good: if a musty damp smell appears in the apartment, then it causes nothing but discomfort. Why it appears and how to remove the smell of dampness in a house, apartment or room, what causes it and how you can influence it - now we’ll figure it out.

The main reasons for the smell of dampness:

basements with outdated utilities;
old housing stock (cracks in the walls);
neighbors flooded;
roof or attic leakage;
non-functional ventilation.

If water pipes in basements have not been changed for quite a long time, and, as a rule, this is what happens, the steam they create passes through cracks in the walls, enters the apartments and settles on the walls in the form of condensation. But this reason is more suitable for the first floors of houses, since condensate from pipes in basements, as a rule, does not escape higher up.

The same problem may occur with the upper floors of a building, only the cause here will be cracks in the roofs, and, accordingly, leakage through them. Damp attics allow condensation into the apartments - and they smell damp.

On the middle floors of a building, the problem of musty smell appears due to cracks in the walls and divergence of the seams between the slabs - rain and snow pass into these cracks and thereby bring the smell of dampness into the rooms.

One of the most common reasons the appearance of the smell of dampness is due to careless neighbors who accidentally flooded you and your apartment. The longer the water drains from above, the greater the likelihood of a long-term damp smell. Drying the entire apartment after this event is a rather difficult and time-consuming process. But in summer this situation is not so bad, unlike in the cold season. If the house is weak or does not work at all, the smell of dampness will also spread throughout all apartments much faster and more intensely, since the natural flow of air is disrupted, humidity increases, mold and mildew appears, and the apartment or house smells damp.

As a result, the fresh aroma of washed clothes, the smells of freshly prepared dishes or new furniture - all these wonderful little things in life can be overshadowed by dampness, because if the smell appears in the house, it will quickly spread throughout the room, penetrate into the cabinets, and therefore - all the things in the dressers will smell bad. In addition, the smell of dampness contributes to frequent colds, joint problems, chronic bronchitis and other diseases. How to remove the smell of dampness, what methods exist and how to apply them? Let's understand further.

Anyone who has encountered a problem unpleasant aroma from things and in the house, they wonder how to get rid of the musty smell. The very first and logical solution is to eliminate the cause of the smell of dampness in the apartment. Find out the cause, carry out preventive measures: change or repair the pipes in the basement, patch cracks in the roofs, check the attic, plaster the walls where the seams are leaking, cover the cracks with construction foam, check all ventilation, call special services to fix it and clean it in case of a malfunction.

If all measures have been taken and the main causes have been verified, let’s move on to prevention: here, frequent is the most basic remedy. Periodic flows of fresh air prevent the appearance of damp odors. If a lack of free time or lack of desire prevents you from arranging regular ventilation on a schedule, you can install one that will timely and automatically supply fresh air to the room without your participation, maintaining a healthy microclimate.

If all this ventilation doesn’t really help, it’s worth checking the surfaces for the presence of mold. If it doesn’t immediately catch your eye, it means it’s hiding in the corners of the walls, under the wallpaper, or in places inaccessible to the eye. What will help you fight it? Now there are many different types of fungus, and in addition, there are smart folk remedies: bleach, ammonia, borax, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar - based on the same chemistry. However, no matter what product you choose, simply treat the areas where the fungus is found and you will get a clean surface and the source of the damp smell destroyed. But on folk remedies Let's go into a little more detail.

How else can you remove the smell of dampness in a house, room or apartment? It cannot be written off and traditional methods struggle. Discarding the most dense and delusional ones, you can find among “grandmother’s recipes” remedies that are based on scientific laws and are quite effective.

The most popular of them is a mixture of salt and ground activated carbon. These ingredients are known to absorb moisture well, and with it the smell. You can pour the mixture into a decorative vase and make it part of the interior. The contents will have to be changed about once a week. However, in in this case the folk mixture can be replaced with modern silka gel if you don’t want to bother with vases and salt. The absorbent is well suited for removing the smell of dampness from closets and chests of drawers. First you need to take out all the things from them and carefully examine them for the presence of fungus. Then, if there is one, treat it with all of the above methods (except for ammonia), dry the inner walls using a heating device. Then put a mixture of coal and salt inside. Once the damp smell has subsided, place fragrances or fragrant herbs like lavender inside the cabinet and the problem will be solved.

Another folk way to hide the smell of dampness - the so-called “pomanders” - citrus (orange, lemon, grapefruit) in which clove stems are stuck - a rather beautiful and pleasant-smelling method that works for one to two months. This design neutralizes the smell of humidity very well.

How to eliminate damp smell from upholstered furniture?

We talked about cabinets, but how to eliminate the smell of dampness from upholstered furniture? It is more difficult to remove odors from furniture, since the base itself, usually foam rubber, is located inside, takes a long time to dry, and there is no guarantee that the odors will go away completely. In a good way, such furniture is taken out into the fresh air for several days, for example, to the country house. There, under the sun, it warms up to a sufficient depth for the smell of dampness to disappear. But, if this is not possible, you can dry the furniture using household heaters and fan heaters. If possible, you can replace the upholstery with a new one. If this is not possible, try pouring green tea, coffee (or other aromatic herb🙂) for 8-10 hours - these ingredients have a rich and specific aroma that can eliminate the smell of dampness.

If we talk about protecting shoes and clothes, then again we need to go back to ventilated and dried closets and chests of drawers, since both shoes and clothes are stored there. Outerwear If there is an unpleasant odor, it must be dried and then washed. Naturally, you shouldn’t hang it in a closet that smells damp. It is better to protect shoes with a special deodorant and good ventilation or wipe them off ammonia, put salt inside and leave for a day.