10 best ways to get rid of fungus in the cellar and how to remove dampness
The cellar is an ideal place to store crops and twists, but so that they do not deteriorate for a long time, you need to know how to prevent the appearance of mold and get rid of it if a dangerous neighbor nevertheless entered the room. It is important to properly equip storage, to ensure regular maintenance, and then mold will not prevent the products from keeping cool for a long time.
What is mold
Mold is a colony of fungi. Microscopic spores are present everywhere and when they fall in a favorable place and begin to grow, black, gray and brownish spots appear to the naked eye.Dots or spots of mold can be seen on a wide variety of surfaces - these are foodstuffs, and walls in an apartment and a ceiling in a basement - in any place where it is warm and humid.
Reasons for the appearance
In the basement, mold is quite common. The fungus infects vegetables stored in the cellar, crates and boxes with food, wooden floors, doors, as well as walls and ceilings. There can be several reasons for the appearance of mold in the cellar.
Ventilation
When the air in the cellar circulates poorly due to lack of ventilation, especially in the case of stagnant air masses, the most favorable conditions are created for the growth and development of mold. This situation can arise if the ventilation system is not supplied, poorly equipped or obstructed.
Humidity
Ventilation problems also lead to increased humidity in the cellar, which can be avoided if the room is regularly and well ventilated. When moisture builds up, condensation forms, in which case mold will almost certainly appear.
wasted food
The fungus has the ability to spread quickly. If food contaminated with spores is stored in the cellar, then it can easily be transferred to other supplies stored in the basement, walls and ceiling of the room. In the presence of a favorable environment, mold brought to the surface of rotten products will grow at high speed throughout the cellar.
Contaminated wood products
No less quickly, a fungus that has infected wooden crates or other containers in which vegetables or root vegetables have been brought will spread over the surfaces of the cellar. Increased humidity and heat in the room promote the growth and development of mold.
What is dangerous
Mold is dangerous to any surface it comes in contact with. Foods affected by the fungus should not be eaten. Wooden objects and buildings can be almost completely destroyed by mold; Previously, oak houses, the floor of which was affected by mold, were burned so that neighboring buildings did not suffer. People in a room affected by mold are exposed to infection with harmful substances.
For living organisms
Mold harms all living organisms, it is dangerous to human health, since, getting into the body, it leads to the development of poisoning and allergies. Children, the elderly and those whose bodies are weakened due to illness or reduced immunity are particularly affected. Human exposure to fungi occurs through inhalation of spores, through skin contact, and also through consumption of food contaminated with the mold.
When the spores penetrate the skin, allergic reactions occur. The defeat of the mucous membranes by mold spores leads to the appearance of chronic runny nose and dry cough, the eyes can become inflamed. The fungus can cause asthma attacks and diseases of the cardiovascular system, articular-rheumatic complex.
Long-term contact with mold can even cause cancer.
For building materials and structures
A mold colony can grow on almost any material - wood, concrete, masonry, paint. The fungus not only spoils the appearance with ugly spots of various shades, but also corrodes the surface, while the rate at which the base deteriorates depends on the material and the humidity of the environment.Wooden objects and structures can turn to dust within months.
Possible treatment methods
You can and should get rid of mold. The sooner a dangerous neighbor is discovered, the more successful the fight will be. Improvised means and professional medicines will help to cope with the fungus.
Chemical products
There are many modern formulations that allow you to quickly and successfully defeat mold. When working with chemicals, do not forget about personal protective equipment for hands and respiratory organs. The following remedies have shown their effectiveness in the fight against fungus.
Formalin
Areas of the cellar affected by mold are treated with a 40% aqueous solution of formalin (formaldehyde). To do this, dilute 0.25 ml of the drug in 10 liters of water, moisten a cotton swab or cloth and remove the fungus. The product is toxic, so work with gloves and avoid contact with food.
Chlorine
For the treatment of the cellar against mold, various chlorine compounds used in the household are suitable - "Domestos", "Sanita", "Whiteness" or any other. It is applied undiluted to the fungus-infected surface using a spray bottle, brush or sponge. It is advisable to process not only a colony of mushrooms, but also to capture an area of 30-40 centimeters around it.
Leave the product to act on the mold for 10 minutes, then clean it with a stiff brush or a spatula and let it dry. After a day or two, they examine the result and, if necessary, renew the treatment against mold.
Deactin
Desactin is a powder used to disinfect products for a variety of purposes, from medical instruments to cosmetic appliances. To eliminate mold in the cellar, the drug is diluted according to the instructions and all surfaces are treated.
Sulfur fumigation
Using a sulfuric checker not only eliminates mold, but also prevents the appearance and spread of fungus in the cellar. Before using it, all the supplies stored there must be removed from the basement, because once the toxic sulfur dioxide from the ladies gets into it, it is no longer possible to eat food. If there are metal objects in the cellar that are difficult or impossible to remove, they are generously coated with grease to prevent corrosion.
When all the preparation is completed, the saber is installed, set on fire, after which it is necessary to leave the room very quickly, since the smoke is poisonous to humans. The door is closed tightly, and the cellar is left for processing. The checker burns for half an hour to one and a half hours, the door cannot be opened later for another day. Then it is necessary to ventilate the room well until the smell of sulfur disappears completely, it usually takes up to 2 days. In the cellar, after using the sulfur checker, it is advisable to carry out wet cleaning.
Folk remedies
Folk remedies are alternatives to chemical compositions for combating mold. Many of them are available or easily purchased at any hardware and hardware store.
Lime compositions
For the treatment of cellar walls and ceiling against mold, lime comes to the rescue... There are several popular recipes for lime compounds.The mixture is applied, depending on the density, with a brush or sprayer to all surfaces of the cellar, after which the room is dried and aired. Most often, the treatment of mold is carried out with the following lime compositions, which include, in addition to lime, additional ingredients:
- Quenched and bleach diluted in equal proportions in a small amount of water.
- A lime and formalin solution is prepared by adding one pound of bleach and 200 grams of formalin to a bucket of water.
- For 2 buckets of water, 1 kilogram of slaked lime and 100 grams of copper sulphate.
Acid Formulas
Acid-based preparations are effective and fast-acting. Any acid-containing cleaner found in a shed or garage, even one originally designed to clean metal machine rims, will work. But most often, solutions based on boric and citric acids are prepared to combat mold, they are safer.
To prepare a product containing citric acid, you need 100 grams of powder and 1 liter of water. The solution is mixed and the affected areas of the cellar are treated. Boric acid (1 part) is combined with 2 parts hydrogen peroxide, 2 parts vinegar and 4 parts water.
"White"
To combat mold, use "Whiteness" undiluted. For large areas, the tool is ineffective, it is better to use a professional tool. "Whiteness" is applied to mold stains with a gun or a brush, after 10 minutes it is cleaned with a stiff brush and aired for at least a day.
Copper sulfate
A solution for treating the cellar against mold colonies is prepared by diluting 100 grams of copper sulfate in 10 liters of warm water.You can enhance the effect by adding 200 ml of vinegar. The solution can be stored for up to 3 months in a ceramic or glass container. Before treatment, the affected areas are washed with soap and water and dried, then a copper sulfate solution is applied with a spray bottle or brush. After complete drying of the surface, the treatment is completed.
Temperature method
The optimal conditions for the development of mold are high humidity and temperatures of 18-20 degrees. Accordingly, if you dry the walls well and remove the temperature from the comfortable zone for the fungus, raising or lowering it, you can get rid of mold. A construction hair dryer will help to simultaneously dry and heat the walls, although fairly long exposure is required.
The high temperature mode will provide torch treatment. This method is radical. When other methods fail, the fungus is burned with a gas torch or blowtorch, after chipping away the top layer to ensure a deep impact.
You can significantly lower the temperature using a relatively new method - the use of dry ice, this method is called cryogenic blasting.
The method provides quick cleaning of mold, which instantly disappears from sudden cooling, even in hard-to-reach places. When dry ice evaporates, it does not form moisture, that is, the conditions for mold growth are eliminated. For treatment using cryoblast technology, it is best to contact a specialist.
Grapefruit seed extract
10 drops of the extract are added to a glass of water and the wall is treated with a spray bottle. The tool is not only effective, but also has a pleasant aroma.
Mechanical
Before how to remove mold mechanically, a mushroom colony is moistened with water to prevent the spread of spores. Then, using a manual or electric tool, the affected area is cleaned. You can use metal scraper, brush, drill attachment, milling is possible for concrete surfaces.
A vacuum
As a rule, the removal of mold with a vacuum cleaner is not used as a separate method, but is included in a complex of measures aimed at eliminating the problem. Often, using the device, the surface is cleaned before processing with chemicals or folk remedies. After using the vacuum cleaner, immediately dispose of the disposable trash bag or rinse the reusable container well, as any removed mold spores settle there and expect favorable conditions for development and growth.
Preparing the basement for the procedure
Before you start treating the basement for mold, you need to remove all food and furniture. If the cellar floor is earthen, remove a layer of earth 20 cm thick, as it is also infected. The part is well dried, and only after that they proceed to processing.
Disinfection of lockers and shelves in the basement
The most common materials for making shelves and shelves are wood and metal. Metal structures can be effectively treated with a diluted desactin solution according to the instructions. It is advisable to remove wooden shelves and shelves from the basement and dry them well in the sun, then apply a solution of formalin or bleach to all surfaces and allow to dry.
What to do with the foundation if the groundwater is near
The groundwater level must be monitored in advance and taken into account already during the construction phase.If the waters come close, the land is drained, a wall or trench drainage is created and a storm sewer system is built. This will drain excess water and help maintain the humidity level in the basement.
How to eliminate humidity
First, moisture enters the basement through cracks. They need to be found and eliminated, plugged with cement mortar, for which sometimes it is necessary to completely dismantle the ceiling, walls and floor of the cellar. After that, work is carried out on the external and internal waterproofing device.
External waterproofing
To prevent moisture from entering the store, it is best to waterproof the exterior during construction. If you need to redo, restore or re-equip it, then the concrete base of the cellar is exposed, cleaned, dried, and a layer of waterproofing is applied.
In this case, ready-made coating mixtures for waterproofing, priming, reinforcement, roofing materials, polymer membranes, mastics and other materials are used. Upon completion of the work, backfilling with sand, gravel and earth is carried out, the laying of geotextiles and drainage pipes. The final stage is the reinforcement and filling of the blind area.
Internal sealing device
To prevent dampness in the basement, a properly equipped internal waterproofing is necessary. If it is insufficient, the cellar must be rebuilt as follows. Before starting work, the storage is well dried, the coatings are removed from the surfaces, the cracks and cracks are sealed with cement. Then antifungal treatment of the cellar is carried out and dried again.The floor, walls and ceiling are plastered with putty, places where there was a leak are treated with alabaster.
The following measures will help to enhance the waterproofing effect:
- The cellar walls are being replastered.
- Masonry is carried out at a distance of 3 cm from the walls.
- Ventilation shafts are laid in new walls.
Cement floor
If excessive moisture accumulates in a basement with a cement floor, it is waterproofed as follows. To begin with, dismantle the old floor, then eliminate the cracks and cracks, covering them with cement. The dried surface is covered with a layer of sand or expanded clay 5 cm thick and the roofing material is laid. Additional protection of the cellar will be provided by a special waterproofing film for the floor. After that, a new screed is made, having previously repaired the cracks with bituminous mastic. For convenience, you can equip a wooden floor on the logs above everything.
Dirt floor
If the floor is clay in the basement of a private house, then its waterproofing is ensured with the help of polyethylene laid in 2 layers. To do this, remove the top layer of clay 5 cm thick, cover the floor and the lower part of the walls with aluminum foil to a height of about 10 cm and cover it with a mixture of sawdust of wood and clay in a ratio of 1 to 10 at the same height with the same layer of clay, this time covering the walls up to a height of 25 cm.
During the rainy season
When the humidity in the cellar rises directly in the rainy season, without exceeding the norm the rest of the time, the floor is covered with a ten-centimeter layer of sand or gravel, if necessary, increasing its thickness.The appearance of condensation on the walls of the cellar can be prevented by covering them with a special "breathable" plaster such as "Monolith" or "Ceresit". For self-production of a waterproofing mixture, hydro-additives are added to dry plaster, for example, "Tsemaplast" or "Palmix".
How to reinforce a thin floor
Sometimes the reason for high humidity in the cellar is thin soil. In this case, the required thickness is achieved by installing a new cement screed, under which the roofing material is placed, carefully coating the seams with bituminous mastic.
Ventilation system
The microclimate in the cellar is very important for the long-term storage of food and the prevention of the appearance of mold, while ventilation will be an integral part of the microclimate - air circulation. Depending on the size, type and purpose of storage, natural or forced ventilation is equipped with a different number of pipes. The simplest type of cellar ventilation is natural with an exhaust and supply pipe. For its correct installation and subsequent proper operation, several rules must be observed:
- In the opposite corners of the room, 2 pipes are mounted - exhaust and supply.
- The supply air supply will supply fresh air, its lower end is located at a height of half a meter from the floor, and the upper end at a sufficient height above floor level.
- An exhaust pipe, designed to remove air from the storage, is installed in the upper corner of the cellar and protrudes half a meter above the ridge. It is insulated with mineral wool so that condensation does not accumulate.
- The exterior openings of the pipes are protected from snow and rain by awnings.
- The material for the pipes can be any - metal, plastic, reinforced concrete.Recently, PVC is often used, chosen for its durability and lightness.
- The diameter of the pipes must be the same.
A well-equipped and well-maintained cellar will ensure long-term storage of inventory. If mold has started in the room, then this problem can be dealt with using modern and proven tools. Prompt and thorough antifungal treatment of the cellar will not only save food, but also protect the health of its owner.