mold on wallpaper

deni100

how do i get rid of horrible black mold off my wall paper?

Ebe_Scrooge

Quick answer - wipe it off with a mild solution of bleach ( don't overwet it or it'll start to peel off ).

But you need to remedy the cause of it really, otherwise it'll just come back. Most likely damp - either due to lack of ventilation in the room, which is relatively easy to fix, or it may be coming in through the walls or ceiling, which is trickier and will probably need a qualified tradesman to have a look.

myhooose

Having just bought a house with damp problems i have been reading up the subject.

Apparently the black mould can only grow with pure water. This water is from condensation. Penetrating or rising dampness will have come through the brickwork and will contain salts and not be pure. So the mould is likely to be due to condensation caused by poor ventilation. Is the affected wall north facing per chance?

myrnahaz

You'll need to be brave with this suggestion, but try squirting a little Dettol Mould & Mildew Spray onto the marks. We have awful condensation problems in our house (dehumidifier runs 365 days a year - new downpipes & drains being installed as I write), and I use loads of this spray on the walls. I tried it on the wallpaper in desperation one day - bleached wallpaper was better than black mouldy paper - and it worked a treat; removing most of the worst marks. Don't use too much as the wallpaper will already be a little loose from the damp atmosphere. And open the windows as it is pretty strong.

littlesnuggy

myrnahaz wrote: »

We have awful condensation problems in our house (dehumidifier runs 365 days a year - new downpipes & drains being installed as I write)

Suggest you look at getting a positive pressure unit installed instead of the dehumidifier. It will constantly regulate relative humidity to the ideal band (40-60%) and will eliminate condensation. They work by drawing in more fresh air from outside than they take out, which raises the air pressure inside and forces the moisture-laden air out through the weak parts of the building. You can get them with heat recovery units in them too, so they transfer the warmth from the outgoing air to the incoming air, making them cost neutral to run (dread to think how much you're spending on that dehumidifier!)

savemoney

If you have mold cleansing it with bleach will kill it but it may easily return again because there is some problem with your house, normally you dont have problems with mold this time of year unless its some how hidden out of site like behind a outside wall where a washing machine may have been or a settee

It could very well be you need you need ventilation normally dont get mold as the weather is better and warmer so water doesn't condense on walls if its cold outside

littlesnuggy

carly wrote: »

littlesnuggy wrote: »

can you recommend somewhere to get one of these , or a brand to look for. Sounds just what my MIL could do with for a very mouldy old bungalow. Thanks in advance for any advice

This is a national company that installs them. I know they install both Kair and Envirovent units. Not sure if any of the manufacturers will sell directly to you for you to put them in yourself; they're usually installed by companies like the one linked above. I think you'd definitely need an electrician at least. HTH

Mr_Warren_2

littlesnuggy wrote: »

Suggest you look at getting a positive pressure unit installed instead of the dehumidifier. You can get them with heat recovery units in them too, so they transfer the warmth from the outgoing air to the incoming air, making them cost neutral to run (dread to think how much you're spending on that dehumidifier!)

Can you expand on the subject please, this is far more interesting than other Grannie's lotions and potions.

The issue here is that condensation will re-appear so better treat the cause and effect in the first place.

littlesnuggy

Mr_Warren wrote: »

Can you expand on the subject please, this is far more interesting than other Grannie's lotions and potions.

The issue here is that condensation will re-appear so better treat the cause and effect in the first place.

OK....

Positive pressure units are usually installed in a loft space (where available) with a vent on the landing ceiling, which basically looks just like a smoke alarm. The unit draws air in from under the eaves, warms it slightly and then diffuses it down into the property through the vent on the ceiling. You don't feel a draught as it's very gradual The amount it draws into the property is higher than the amount which it takes out / naturally escapes (e.g. it brings in 5 parts of air, and takes out 4 parts). This raises the air pressure in the building - you would never detect this, it's not like being on a plane or something, it's very very slight. This effectively forces some of the 'old' air out of the building.

If you don't have a roof void, you can install a 'through the wall' one on an external wall, much like an extractor fan, which does exactly the same thing, but probably couldn't do one room due to the vent not being in a central place.

Cost-wise, it might be somewhere around £650 for the unit including fitting from a specialist firm, depending on ease of access etc.

The benefits of using these are that they are on constantly, not on a sensor-tripped activation like many dehumidifiers / extractor fans which sense when the humidity rises too high and then come on - these units keep the RH constantly in the healthy band (incidentally, if you get RH to about 45%, the dust mite cannot survive or breed and you can therefore eliminate them and alleviate a lot of respiratory conditions).

There was a study done at De Montford university where they installed these units in some housing assoc. properties. They asked the occupants beforehand if 'they felt ill'. About half of them said yes, they had various illnesses and the other half said they felt fine. After having these units in for a while, they asked them the same question.... Some of the 'ill' ones said they felt better, but the most interesting thing was that many of the people who'd said they felt fine said they now felt better - they'd been suffering from breathing poor quality air without even realising what they were feeling wasn't normal / healthy!

Drier air is also a lot cheaper to heat than moist air... a different study on heat-recovery positive pressure units said that people with them installed saved between 9% and 21% on their energy bills. They use minimal energy to run, but you get more than that paid-back in lower heating costs.

Think that should cover everything - going to go and hide in shame for knowing so much about such an obscure topic now !! Do ask if you've got any other questions though

Mr_Warren_2

Thank you for this summary.....i have other questions as Mother-in-Law's bungalow suffers from black mould too.
- Can you give us a link to show us the said unit for size, look etc?
- Has the vent (from unit to house) got to be in one single point of the house or do we need outlets in different parts of the house (ie. in each room)?
- If the property is already fitted with double glazed units, does this contravene the installation and proper functioning of the unit? (in this case the only exit way is via the fireplace (gas real flamme heater).
- Other points re.installation that i have not covered.

Many thanks