Suffering from mold on wall?

Mold on your wall often goes hand in hand with moisture problems in your home. What exactly is mold in the home? How do you recognize mold on the wall and what can you do about it? What are the consequences for your home and your health? Find out everything you need to know about mold on walls.

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A thorough moisture analysis can properly identify the various moisture problems. This is essential to identify the ideal solution together. Could you use such an analysis? Our experts will help you for free and without obligation.

What exactly are mold on the walls?

Mold on the wall can come in different colors and shapes. The most common types indoors are white, green and black mold. Mold itself is not a moisture problem, but often a moisture problem is at the root of that mold on the wall. Each of these moisture problems has its own solutions. We'll go into that in more detail later.

How do I recognize mold on the wall?

There are several symptoms that can indicate mold on the wall. The most obvious is black or green deposits in the recesses and corners of the room. You also have something like white mold, but this kind is less easy to recognize. Usually, it gives a white appearance on the walls.

Besides the visible symptoms on the wall, there are some other things that may indicate that you are suffering from mold on the wall.

  • For example, mold causes high humidity in the home.
  • This high humidity causes you to need more energy to heat your home, so your energy bill is quite a bit higher than it would normally be
  • In addition, mold creates a musty smell in your home and you may even suffer from health problems.
mold on wall

What are the consequences of mold on the wall?

Effects of mold on the wall on your health

As you might suspect, mold (and specifically black mold) sometimes have major health consequences. Especially for children, the elderly and people who already have underlying pulmonary or respiratory complaints. An example would be people with asthma. The spores of black mold can cause a variety of health problems, including:

  • Respiratory problems
  • Fatigue
  • Nausea
  • In some cases, mold on walls leads to nerve and joint pain.
  • Allergic reactions and irritated eyes can also result from black mold.

Effects of mold on the wall on your home

But it's not just a drain on our health. Our house also sees away from mold on the wall. The longer the mold grows on the wall, the weaker that wall becomes. In the best cases, the paint starts to peel off, but if your house is a wood-frame construction, it can affect that frame as well.

The causes of mold on walls and their solutions

If you are struggling with mold on the wall, it is very wise to fight it (or have it fought). However, there is no comprehensive method to fight mold on walls, and removing mold on the wall is not enough. To get rid of mold in your home for good, follow these steps:

  1. Identify the cause of the mold
  2. Fight the cause of mold on the wall with the best suited moisture control method
  3. Next, get to work removing the mold

We discuss the most common causes of mold on the wall, and their corresponding solutions. We highly recommend hiring a moisture expert to help you figure out the cause, as he or she will assure you of a correct diagnosis.

1. Penetrating moisture

In case of penetrating damp, the outer walls of the house are the big culprit. At that point, they can no longer handle the moisture from outside - often a lot of rain - so the wall absorbs that moisture.

Permeable moisture causes mold in random places in the house, but only on the outer walls. The best solution to persistent moisture is to apply a waterproofing layer to the facades of the house. This will prevent moisture from getting inside.

2. Rising damp

Rising damp can also cause you to deal with mold on the wall. In this case, the mold spots start at the bottom of the wall, and make their way upward.

Rising damp is caused when groundwater pressure is too high and/or the water barrier in the walls is faulty. The most appropriate solution for rising damp is to have your walls injected.

Resuscitating moisture

Resuscitating moisture

Rising damp

Moisture control in walls: treating rising damp

3. Condensation water

Condensation moisture occurs when warm air condenses on a cold place in the home. Mold due to condensation moisture often occurs in places such as the kitchen or bathroom, in other words places where warm moisture can settle on the cold wall.

The solution to a problem like condensation moisture, is to install a good ventilation system. That ventilation system moves the vapor away from the room so that it has no chance to condense on the walls.

4. Cold bridges

Cold bridges also cause moisture problems. Thermal bridges are weak links in your home's insulation. They occur in places where the insulation does not fit together properly. It is often the cause of condensed moisture and mold gets a chance to form on the wall.

5. Leaks

Finally, leaks or broken pipes can also be the major culprit. This is slightly less common, but is often easier to spot. A leak often involves large wet spots on the wall where mold occurs. There is often a higher water bill. Contact a leak detection company or plumber as soon as possible so a professional can seal the leak.

Remove mold on wall

After the cause of the problem has been found and addressed, you can move on to removing the mold from the walls.

Remove mold on wall yourself or have it removed?

Whether you can remove mold from the wall yourself depends on the severity of that mold. Do you find only some black dots here and there? Then you can certainly do it yourself. Here are the following tips:

  • Scrub the wall with baking soda and water or buy a fungicide at the do-it-yourself store.
  • Take care: take good care of yourself. Always wear a mouth mask and gloves so as not to endanger your health.

Are you dealing with large, stubborn patches of mold on your walls? Then it's best to call in a professional such as AquaConsult. A professional will immediately ensure that the cause is also addressed. That way you can be sure the mold won't come back.

Preventing mold in the future

You obviously want to prevent mold on the walls rather than fight it. We give you some tips on how to avoid mold in your home:

  • Stay vigilant for moisture problems and call in an expert if in doubt or if you notice them.
  • Always ensure proper indoor temperature and humidity. An ideal humidity level here is between 40% and 60%.
  • Ventilate your rooms adequately.
Mold problems in the house

Are you suffering from mold on the walls yourself? Then contact Aquaconsult and our specialists will come by for a free moisture expertise, anywhere in Flanders.

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