Any smell evokes certain feelings: the smell of hot baking awakens appetite, the smell of perfume creates pleasant associations, the smell of gasoline is associated with cars. And what is associated with the smell of dampness, often referred to as the smell of humidity? As a rule, with 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 it can be influenced - now we'll figure it out.
The main causes of the smell of damp:
- basements with outdated utilities;
- old housing stock (cracks in the walls);
- flooded neighbors;
- leaking roof, attic;
- non-working ventilation.
If the water pipes in the basements do not change for a long time, and, as a rule, they do, then the steam they create passes through cracks in the walls, enters the apartments and settles on the walls in the form of condensate. But this reason is more suitable for the first floors of houses, since, as a rule, condensate from pipes in basements does not go higher.
With the upper floors of the building, there may be the same problem, only the cause here will be cracks in the roofs, and, accordingly, the flow through them. Damp attics let condensate into the apartments - and they smell of dampness.
On the middle floors of the building, the problem of musty smell appears due to cracks in the walls and the divergence of the seams between the slabs - rain and snow pass into these cracks and thus bring the smell of dampness into the premises.
One of the most common reasons for the smell of dampness is negligent neighbors who accidentally flooded you and your apartment. The longer the water flows from above, the more likely it is that a long-term damp smell will appear. Drying the entire apartment after this event is a rather difficult and time-consuming process. But in summer this situation is not so terrible, in contrast to the cold period of the year. If the house is weak or does not work at all, the smell of dampness will also spread to all apartments much faster and more intensely, since the natural course of air flow is disturbed, humidity rises, mold and fungus appear, and the apartment or house smells of dampness.
As a result, the aroma of the freshness of washed things, the smells of freshly prepared dishes or new furniture - all these wonderful little things in life can be overshadowed by dampness, because if a damp smell appears in the house, it will spread quickly throughout the room, penetrate into the cabinets, which means - all things in chests of drawers 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.
Everyone who is faced with the problem of an unpleasant odor from things and in the house is wondering: 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. Identify the cause, carry out preventive measures: change or repair the pipes in the basement, patch the cracks in the roofs, check the attic, plaster the walls in the places where the seams depart, close the cracks with building foam, check all ventilation, call special services to repair and clean it in case of a malfunction.
If all measures are taken and the main causes are checked, let's move on to prevention: here, frequent is the most basic remedy. Periodic blasts of fresh air prevent damp smells. If a lack of free time or a lack of desire prevent you from arranging regular airing on a schedule, you can install one that will automatically and timely supply fresh air to the room without your participation, maintaining a healthy microclimate.
If all these ventilations do not help much, it is worth checking the surfaces for the presence of mold. If he did not immediately catch the eye, then he is hiding in the corners of the walls, under the wallpaper or in places inaccessible to the eye. What will help him fight? Now there are many varieties 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 remedy you choose, just treat the places where the fungus is found and get a clean surface and destroyed the source of the smell of dampness. But let's dwell on folk remedies in a little more detail.
How else can you remove the smell of dampness in a house, room or apartment? You can not write off the folk methods of struggle. Discarding the most dense and delusional, among the "grandmother's recipes" you can find tools based on scientific laws and quite effective.
The most popular of these is a mixture of salt and ground activated charcoal. These ingredients are known to absorb moisture well, and along with it, odor. You can pour the mixture into a decorative vase and make it part of the interior. You will have to change the contents about once a week. However, in this case, the folk mixture can be replaced with modern silk gel, if you do not want to mess with vases and salt. The absorbent is well suited for weathering the smell of dampness from the closet and chest of drawers. First you need to pull out all the things from them and carefully inspect 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 with a heater. Then put a mixture of coal and salt inside. After the smell of dampness subsides, 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 is the so-called "pomanders" - citrus (orange, lemon, grapefruit), into which clove stalks are stuck - a rather beautiful and pleasantly smelling method that works for one to two months. This design is very good at neutralizing the smell of humidity.
How to eliminate the smell of dampness from upholstered furniture?
We talked about cabinets, but how to eliminate the smell of dampness from upholstered furniture? It is more difficult to weather the smell from furniture, since the base itself, as a rule, is foam rubber, it is inside, it dries for a long time and there is no guarantee that the smells will go away completely. In a good way, such furniture is taken out into the fresh air for several days, for example, to the dacha. There, under the sun, it warms up to a sufficient depth so that the smell of dampness disappears. 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. In the case when 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 weather the smell of dampness.
If we talk about protecting shoes and clothes, then again we need to return to ventilated and dried wardrobes and chests of drawers, since both shoes and clothes are stored there. Outerwear, in case of an unpleasant odor, must be dried and then washed. Hanging it in a closet that smells of damp, of course, is not worth it. It is better to protect shoes with a special deodorant and good ventilation or wipe them with ammonia, put salt inside and leave for a day.
Dampness in the premises is fraught with an unpleasant odor, black spots and mold on the walls and in the corners. Humid warm air is an incubator for bacteria and microscopic fungi that cause various life-threatening diseases: tuberculosis, colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, skin inflammation and suppuration. Dampness from the room must be removed using various methods.
Isolating source of moisture
If dampness comes up the wall from the soil in the form of groundwater, the room is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to drain. A similar situation arises with poor-quality waterproofing of the foundation. The way out will be a drainage system installed in the area adjacent to the building. If this is not possible, the damp wall is insulated by covering it with a layer of waterproof material:
- rolled bitumen;
- mastics;
- penetrating mixtures based on polyurethane resins.
The latter method is preferable. Under a layer of bitumen, the wall continues to dampen and collapse. Penetrating mixtures penetrate into the pores, making concrete and brick waterproof.
Damp basements
On the first floors elevated humidity appears due to basement flooding premises . The housing office should deal with the elimination of pipe breaks, but the owners of apartments on the lower floors can also participate in improving the microclimate by additionally waterproofing the floors:
- floor slabs are cleaned of dirt and outgoing layers of concrete;
- close up cracks;
- equalize and prime the surface with bituminous or any other water-repellent mastic.
The insulation should cover the floor and partially the walls, rising vertically on them by 10-20 cm.
Easy to use neutral sealants:
- Penetron is a building mixture of cement and quartz sand, which is suitable for waterproofing reinforced concrete and concrete surfaces.
- Waterplug is a product made of aluminate cement, sand and active chemical additives. It is used to quickly eliminate leaks in concrete, brick and stone surfaces.
The premises on the first floors need additional heat sources. They can become:
- Sun rays;
- split systems;
- floor heating systems;
- domestic electric heaters.
Additional sources are used in spring and autumn, since the humidity in the basement increases dramatically at this time of the year. Heat quickly drives dampness out of the room.
Drying methods
The fight against dampness is successful when the root cause is eliminated. Dehumidification will last a long time if you get rid of the source of the problem.
For example, if a wall becomes damp due to defects in pipes adjacent to it or as a result of inaccurate use of water (flooding), then to eliminate humidity in the room, it is enough to restore the integrity and tightness of the water distribution system.
How to maintain normal humidity in the apartment?
Alpine vents
Apartments on the upper floors are most often damp for external reasons. Humidity appears as a result of insufficient wall insulation, poor-quality processing of interpanel seams, poor waterproofing of the roof, low efficiency of central heating batteries.
The ventilation of apartments located on the fifth floors of the Khrushchev houses provides for the supply of fresh air through the cracks in the window frames, and then its removal through the ventilation shafts. Most residents eventually replace old wooden frames with plastic double-glazed windows that prevent the flow of street air. Also, ventilation on the last floors of five-story buildings is not efficient enough, since the lower levels "pull off" the main air current in the mines. As a result, mold in the corners and water on the window sills have become commonplace for apartments located under the roof.
Alpine vents help solve the problem of insufficient ventilation in Khrushchev and other panel houses. Holes for these structures are punched in the outer walls. The valves supply fresh air that passes through the room and is removed through the ventilation shaft, taking moisture.
Alpine window device
Alpine window - view from the room
Electric dehumidifiers
In rooms with poor ventilation, dampness appears even for ordinary household reasons. Daily drying of clothes, a large number of aquariums or plants, frequent cooking or showering can increase the amount of water vapor in the air to a concentration that is unacceptable for a living space.
For this reason, it is necessary to reconsider life. Linen should not be dried in rooms, but on balconies, verandas, loggias, attics. A range hood mounted over the stove will eliminate the fumes rising from boiling pots and kettles. An electric towel warmer for the bathroom will help fight moisture in this room.
It is most reliable to eliminate high air humidity in the apartment not with your own hands, but to purchase a special dehumidifier with automatic operation. This type of climate technology successfully copes with the elimination of humidity in apartments, quickly adjusting the state of the air. Household dehumidifiers are economical and compact, operate silently, and are safe to use.
Household electric dehumidifier
The principle of operation of the device is as follows:
- the fan draws room air into the machine;
- it passes through the evaporator and cools below the dew point, while the water vapor condenses and flows into the tank;
- air is passed through the condenser, heated and returned to the room.
It has a higher temperature than the original, so it is undesirable to use the device in hot weather. In the warm season, another method of drying is used - ventilation.
Airing
Airing in sunny, dry weather helps to get rid of slight dampness and is a good prevention of its occurrence. There are sanitary standards for this procedure for various institutions, including preschool and educational institutions.
Residential rooms ventilate before going to bed and after waking up, opening window or window leaves for 10-30 minutes. In the bathroom (if it has a window), the doors are pre-closed so that dampness does not spread to other rooms. The apartment is aired after long cooking, showering, washing. If the room is to dry clothes, the door to it must be tightly closed, and the window must be thrown open.
Additional heating
Heaters raise the temperature and dry the air at the same time. This function is performed by central heating batteries. If the power of the radiators is not enough, additional heat sources are installed. They will reduce the relative humidity of the air. At the same time, water vapor will not leave the room without ventilation, but dampness will become less noticeable.
For heating with dehumidification, the following heaters are used:
- infrared;
- oil;
- convector;
- fan heaters.
There are heaters that can actually remove moisture from the air by separating it into oxygen and hydrogen atoms. Under normal living conditions, it is impossible to achieve such an effect, since a temperature above +2000 degrees Celsius is required. It is typical for special hard-alloy heating elements. In apartments, cottages and summer cottages, such high temperatures are fire hazardous, so they can only be used in industrial conditions.
Folk ways
In summer, wallpaper is removed from moldy walls and treated as follows:
- Dissolve 500 g of laundry soap in 5 liters of water.
- Boil, let cool.
- The solution is evenly covered with a wall using a brush.
- Let dry.
- Repeat until the solution is no longer absorbed.
- Another composition is prepared - 100 g of alum is diluted in 6 liters of water.
- Cover the wall once.
There is a way to eliminate dampness in a private house with stove heating. To do this, new bricks are heated, laid on fire-resistant stands near a damp wall. The operation is repeated until the dampness disappears. Bricks stop absorbing moisture after 10-15 incandescences, then they are replaced with new ones. The old ones are used as fireproof coasters. Red-hot bricks should not be left overnight to avoid a fire. There should be no combustible objects near them. The method is not used in houses with wooden walls: from timber, logs or boards.
Table salt absorbs moisture from the air well. To drain the room, any open vessel with a substance is placed in a damp corner. From time to time, damp salt is dried in the oven, crushed and used again as a moisture trap. Instead, you can use other folk remedies: calcium chloride (they sprinkle roads on ice), quicklime, charcoal.
Mold on the wall of a damp room is removed as follows:
- the surface is well dried;
- one part of salicylic acid is dissolved in 200 parts of alcohol and diluted with a small amount of water;
- lubricate mold spots with a mixture.
Salicylic acid and alcohol will keep the fungus from multiplying in the old place, but it can appear on another wall if measures are not taken to drain the entire living space.
Such a problem as high humidity in the house is quite common. If it is not dealt with, it leads to health problems, damage to property and buildings. Why is high humidity dangerous? Why is the house getting damp? How to deal with the problem and eliminate its consequences (mold)? The answers to these and other questions will be discussed below.
Dampness in the house is manifested by condensation on window panes and mirrors, dampness of things, a musty smell, wet spots on the wallpaper and under the ceiling. If nothing is done, mold will grow in the room.
Dampness and mold fungi in the house threaten:
- decreased immunity;
- destruction of load-bearing structures;
- chronic colds;
- failure of electrical appliances;
- allergies;
- the appearance of stains on furniture and wallpaper;
- asthma, etc.
Causes of high humidity in the house
You can cope with dampness in the house only by determining the cause of its occurrence. Natural causes lead to an increase in humidity (laundry, wet cleaning, cooking, steam generation in the bathroom, etc.). When breathing, one person releases up to 4 liters of fluid per day. These factors do not always lead to the appearance of dampness, most often the causes of high humidity are different.
Useful advice. To find the source of dampness, you need to fix the glass against the wall at night. It must be firmly pressed against the plane of the wall. If no condensation has formed on the glass by morning, the cause of dampness is indoors.
Humidity in the house rises due to:
- hanging wet laundry indoors;
- lack of a ventilation system or violations in its operation;
- plastering and finishing works;
- insufficient;
- raising the level of groundwater;
- lack of external;
- leakage of construction pits;
- defective;
- uneven distribution of heat in the house;
- freezing walls;
- indoor plants;
- leaking roof, roof overhang defects;
- walls filled with furniture;
- damage either;
- irregular or excessive ventilation;
- improper operation of the heating system;
- improper installation of double-glazed windows, their defects, high tightness;
- problems with and ;
- the proximity of the sump;
- swimming pool located on the ground floor;
- damaged or clogged drain;
- aquariums.
How to lower the humidity level in the house
To eliminate dampness, special, drugs and folk remedies are used. Thanks to them, it is possible to significantly reduce, but these are temporary measures. To completely get rid of dampness and prevent its reappearance, it is necessary to eliminate the causes.
How to determine humidity You can dry the air with:
- Chemicals (Cerizite Stop Moisture, Stop Dampness, Drypet skit, Torrbollen, etc.). They act on the principle of a sorbent. Sold in hardware and online stores. They are mainly produced on the basis of calcium chloride.
- Air dryers.
- Air conditioners with dehumidification function.
- Heating appliances (heat-insulated floor system, heaters, etc.).
- Home remedies (salt, rice, etc.). They are placed in the corners of the room.
Dehumidifiers are of four types:
- compressor rooms (can drain large rooms, but take up a lot of space, noisy);
- with thermoelectric converters (they work quieter, but the power is much lower);
- adsorption (the stronger the sorbent absorbs moisture, the lower its efficiency becomes);
- rotary (combine the functions of adsorption and compressor equipment).
Note! Do not get too carried away with the fight against dampness. A low level of air humidity is also harmful. Its optimal indicator is 45%. Humidity below 30% and above 60% is a violation. You can measure the exact data using a hygrometer.
Measuring humidity with a device
Humidity due to poor ventilation
Very often, the cause of dampness is the poor performance of the ventilation system or its complete absence. Once this problem is corrected, the humidity level can be significantly reduced.
Ventilation cannot work properly due to:
- obstruction;
- poor sealing;
- improperly equipped exit above the roof;
- insufficient cross-sectional area of the ventilation duct.
To restore normal ventilation, you need to invite a specialist. He will inspect the system and determine the cause of the problem.
A clogged system must be purged:
- remove the grate;
- wash it with detergent;
- remove dirt from the walls with a scraper;
- vacuum the channel;
- rinse it with a damp cloth (as far as the hand reaches);
- put the ventilation grill in place.
Clogged ventilation shaft At high humidity, you can use a forced ventilation system: reversible, exhaust or supply. It is installed in the ventilation duct. When there is no ventilation in the house at all, you need to make a through hole in the wall and install a heat exchanger in it. From the inside and outside it must be closed with bars.
Another reason for dampness is incorrect installation of a double-glazed window. If mold appears on the window slopes, you need to level them and foam the cracks again. To prevent condensation from settling on the glass, do not clutter up the window sills. This prevents the normal circulation of warm air. Too large window sills lead to the same consequences. To fix this, you need to drill holes in them.
Important! Fans, hoods and air conditioners should be cleaned regularly. Otherwise, the appliance itself will become a source of bacteria and mold.
Too tight windows also cause an increase in humidity. How to lower the humidity level in this case? To solve the problem of dampness, you can use a window pressure ventilator, a hydraulically controlled ventilation valve or a ventilator. You can simply remove the rubber seal on top of the window frame. You do not need to do this with all double-glazed windows at once: first process one window, then (if it does not help) the next, so continue until the result is obtained.
The source of moisture is under the floor
If there is no ventilation in the subfield, it is necessary to equip it. Waterproofing walls and floors, sewing cracks and cracks help to significantly reduce the level of humidity in the house. For this, waterproofing plaster is used.
Dampness in the cellar may appear due to leaks in construction pits. To fix the problem, you need to seal it with waterproof clay (clay castle).
Foundation drainage device Dampness in the house leads to a change in the level of groundwater. To solve this problem, you need to properly organize the drainage system.
Another reason is poor waterproofing of the foundation.
In this case, vertical waterproofing is necessary:
- coating waterproofing;
- penetrating compounds;
- lining the foundation with waterproofing vertically.
Note! The service life of waterproofing materials is not infinite. In an old building, it may be out of order.
The cause of dampness is the roof and walls
Conventional heating methods help to warm the air in the house. They are not able to warm up the walls. Condensation forms on cold surfaces. Because of this, the humidity in the room increases.
You can fix the situation with:
- heating convector;
- infrared heater;
- increasing the footage of the heating system;
- arrangement of a warm floor;
- thermal and waterproofing of walls.
Note! Finishing materials with high acidity should not be applied to the affected surfaces. Mold spores thrive in such an environment. It is better to give preference to compositions with a neutral or alkaline reaction.
When dampness "comes" from above, wet stains appear on the wallpaper, mold spots on the ceiling and under it. Holes in the roof, damaged gutters lead to this. won't help here. Water will soak into the walls and still enter the house.
Work must be done from the attic. To eliminate the causes, it must be examined. Then, if necessary, carry out waterproofing, restoration work. It is necessary to carefully process cracks, cracks and joints. Clogged gutters can be emptied with a garden hose.
What to do if the cause of dampness indoors
Installing a heated towel rail in the bathroom When high humidity in the house is not associated with poor ventilation, a violation of building technologies, it is much easier to deal with it. It is only necessary to follow certain recommendations.
To prevent the humidity level in the house from rising, you need to:
- during the daytime (especially in summer) keep the curtains open;
- do not put unfinished linen in the closet;
- check the integrity of water and sewer pipes, eliminate defects;
- reduce the level of humidity in the kitchen with a hood;
- perform 5-minute through ventilation 3 times a day;
- during cooking, reduce the heat so that the dishes can be tightly closed with a lid;
- if it is impossible to dry clothes outside the house, let things drain over the bathroom, then hang them closer to the hood;
- keep interior doors open in the house;
- equip ventilation openings on the doors of wet rooms from below (from 200 sq. cm.);
- do not place furniture close to the walls;
- during wet cleaning in the house it is good to wring out a rag;
- do not keep buckets and baths filled for a long time;
- reduce the number of flowers in the house, reduce the frequency and volume of watering.
Useful advice! To reduce the level of humidity in the bathroom will help install a heated towel rail. It can be electric, water, combined.
How to deal with dampness companion - mold
How to deal with mold The lesion is formed due to high humidity. To prevent its occurrence, you need to understand why dampness appeared in the house. Only by eliminating the cause can you completely get rid of the mold.
With lesions in the house they fight with the help of various compositions:
- mold remover:
- antiseptic primer;
- 3% hydrogen peroxide solution;
- soda solution (1 tsp per 200 ml of water);
- alcohol;
- urea solution (temperature 50 degrees);
- 10% bleach solution, etc.
Important! Hydrogen peroxide and bleach can lighten the surface. They must be used with care. It is possible to use products on painted surfaces, but only after checking the durability of coloring pigments (in a small area).
The surface must be prepared before processing. The wall must be cleaned of wallpaper and plaster. Then dry it thoroughly with a heater. After that, you can start processing the surface. Anti-mold agents should be applied to the affected surface. Then dry the wall well.
Dampness and mold in the house are dangerous to health. They lead to the destruction of building structures, damage to property. Humidity in the home can increase under the influence of various factors. If the problem arises as a result of vital activity, dehumidifiers will help. In other cases, it is required to find out the causes of high humidity in the house and eliminate them. Otherwise, the problem will return again and again.
Ventilation ducts covered with furniture, walls covered with synthetic "non-breathing" materials, plastic windows - all this dooms the apartment to the formation of excess moisture in it. High humidity is most relevant for bathrooms, toilets and kitchens.
Harm of excessive humidity in a residential area
Dampness in an apartment can lead to many problems. Mold, bad smell, falling off wallpaper, wet spots, damaged furniture - this is only a small part of all that can overtake the owner of a damp home.
Constant dampness can provoke a chronic course of colds. Fungi that multiply rapidly in a favorable humid environment can cause allergic reactions and bronchial asthma, mold on the walls.
Checking ventilation
One of the likely causes of dampness in the apartment is clogging of the ventilation ducts. The effectiveness of the functioning of such communications can be checked with a lit match or candle.
If the flame leans towards the grate, then there is draft and the ventilation ducts are free. If the flame continues to burn vertically, then there is no thrust. The solution to this problem is cleaning the ventilation ducts.
To clean the ventilation communications in the apartment, you can use a simple mechanical method that involves the use of brushes, scrapers and other similar devices.
To facilitate the work, you can use cleaning solutions specially designed for this purpose.
In order to increase the efficiency of ventilation, a centrifugal fan can be installed instead of a grate. In any case, it will come in handy in the toilet, in the kitchen or in the bathroom.
There are two ways to deal with dampness in an apartment:
- complete isolation of the source of high humidity;
- drying out the moist environment by means of ventilation and heating.
Of the main reasons for the appearance of moisture on the walls during the cold season, one can name the high thermal conductivity of such structures. A significant difference between the air temperatures outdoors and indoors leads to the formation of condensate on the walls.
The dampening of the walls in this case occurs unevenly - mainly individual sections are exposed to the impact, especially windows and corners.
The main reason for the occurrence of such an unpleasant phenomenon is a violation of construction technology and a deviation from existing standards. To rid the walls of condensation, they must be covered with heat-insulating material, such as foam or stone wool.
Another reason for the appearance of dampness in a living room can be regular washing and drying clothes in it. Laundry should be washed in the bathroom and dried on the balcony.
If washing and drying clothes still have to be carried out in a residential area, then they should be hung as close as possible to the ventilation ducts.
Every cooking in the kitchen should be accompanied by turning on the hood. Frying pans, pots and other containers in which food is cooked should be covered with lids.
Dampness and later black mold may also appear due to the fact that there is no vestibule at the entrance to the apartment. An electric heater must be used to avoid rising humidity and to maintain a stable temperature.
If the apartment is located on the ground floor of the house, and dampness began to appear in the floor area, then the main reason for this may be ineffective waterproofing of the basement part that directly interacts with the ground.
The appearance of dampness can be prevented with the help of modern preventive measures aimed at increasing the level of moisture protection of the walls, and the destruction of the waterproofing that has already begun is eliminated through effective repair work.
In the second option, the floor covering is completely removed and all necessary waterproofing work is carried out.
If the apartment is located on the top floor of the house, then such an unpleasant phenomenon as a wall leak may appear. Water can penetrate both through the roof and along the wall through microcracks, which are present in large quantities in it.
You can determine the cause of the leak if you observe the ceiling and wall during precipitation. If the problem arose precisely because of precipitation, then you should first determine where exactly the leak appeared, and then fix it.
Repair work should be carried out using modern moisture-normalizing materials, such as dry plaster, liquid wallpaper or the so-called drywall.
The quality of the repair work carried out, aimed at eliminating dampness in the apartment, determines the comfort and convenience of further living in it.
With the onset of cold weather, windows in houses and apartments increasingly remain closed. The sun's rays do not provide heating of the premises, and the precipitation contributes to the formation of dampness inside. Residents of housing have a problem: how to get rid of excess moisture in the apartment.
Excessive humidity promotes the formation of mold, the reproduction of fungi and mites, and also impairs comfort in housing. As a result, people may develop diseases: colds, weakness, joint pain.
Causes of dampness in the apartment
- poor ventilation;
- poor waterproofing of the foundation;
- the heating system does not work;
- washing and drying clothes indoors;
- does not work well or is absent in the kitchen;
- the presence of a large number of plants;
- evaporation during cooking;
- external conditions.
The causes of dampness and ways to get rid of moisture in a private house are presented in the table.
Remedy |
|
Poor foundation protection | Creation of drainage; materials with polymer additives. |
Ceiling leak | Seal joints of floor slabs with expanding cement, sealant or waterproof putty. |
Walls getting wet | Insulation and waterproofing outside; grouting seams. |
roof leaks | Repair of the roof and drainage system; attic insulation. |
Ventilation fails | And installation of additional ventilation. |
Before eliminating the problem, it is necessary first of all to establish the causes of its occurrence by examining the premises. Moisture protection is done first in the most vulnerable places.
What should be the humidity of the air?
The room should have a device that determines the humidity. The optimal value is 60%. In the heat, it drops to 45%. The body feels discomfort in an excessively dry or humid climate. Therefore, the condition of the air in the housing must be monitored. Users of air conditioners should be aware that when they are turned on, the humidity decreases. In a humid climate, this creates favorable conditions, while in a dry climate, indoor conditions become worse.
Why reduce the humidity in the house?
Leads to allergic diseases, people are more prone to runny nose, migraines, deterioration of the cardiovascular system. When dampness appears, it is necessary to immediately decide how to get rid of excess moisture in the apartment.
The microclimate in the apartments has changed due to the modern standard of living. People began to take baths more often, wash clothes, and dry things. Within a week, one person accounts for up to 30 liters of water evaporation. In order to avoid negative consequences due to high humidity, it is necessary to find the reasons for its occurrence.
Fighting dampness in the apartment
If excess fumes appear during cooking, they can be reduced by installing an additional fan on the kitchen hood. The air must circulate so that moisture does not settle on the walls and glass. Additional ventilation helps here. In order for the hood to work effectively, air must flow through the vents.
Cover pots with lids to reduce evaporation. You can also turn on forced ventilation.
The poor condition of the ceiling also affects the indoor climate. It can be plastered again.
What are the reasons and how to get rid of excess moisture in the apartment? With the appearance of plastic windows in apartments, it deteriorated due to their tightness. Frames must be equipped with built-in ventilation. If you managed to get rid of excess moisture on the window, this is an indicator that a normal microclimate has been established in the apartment.
A cold wall can cause dampness. This is especially noticeable in panel houses. Usually the walls are insulated, then covered with drywall. In this case, the expansion joints between the panels are first sealed. This is done from the outside, because the walls are covered with plaster from the inside.
On the first floors, you can often notice the appearance of salt deposits or mold at the bottom of the wall. This could be due to dampness coming from the basement or poor floor insulation. In this case, it is sealed and insulated. Check for leaks in heating or plumbing pipes.
Ways to reduce humidity in a private house
Before you decide how to get rid of excess moisture in the house, you should identify the causes of its occurrence.
How to get rid of moisture on windows?
Drops on glasses appear primarily due to high humidity in the room.
Get rid of excess moisture on the window should be by increasing air circulation, including around it. To prevent condensate from settling, multi-chamber double-glazed windows are purchased. In addition, expensive models have air microcirculation systems. It's not worth saving.
The window sill should not block the heating radiators. If decorative grilles are used for them, it is necessary to take devices with increased power.
Do windows in the kitchen often fog up? Extraction works well with this. If it is not enough, install another one.
How to deal with mold and fungus
Mold releases spores that are extremely dangerous to the human respiratory system. It can often be seen in the bathroom in the form of characteristic black and green dots and spots. The fungus is detected by a characteristic unpleasant odor. It spreads rapidly and does not disappear on its own without special measures.
You can eliminate mold and fungus with special means. They are also toxic and should be used in accordance with the instructions provided. An effective antiseptic has an antimicrobial and fungicidal effect. It is important to choose the right composition, since many of their types act selectively.
The work consists primarily in the complete cleaning of infected places. To do this, put on and peel off the plaster from the wall. Then the infected area is treated with an antiseptic. After the walls are dried, and then the coating is restored.
Rules for the prevention of the appearance of fungi
How to get rid of excess moisture in the house? It is much easier to do this than to subsequently deal with the fungi and mold that have appeared. Actions are as follows.
- The presence of sufficient light in the premises.
- Constantly open doors and ventilation in the bathroom and in the kitchen.
- Maintain indoor humidity below 35%.
- Airing all rooms at least twice a day with wide open windows.
- Wiping walls and floors with an antifungal agent once a month.
- Do not keep geraniums and African violets indoors - sources of fungi.
A good way to prevent deposits is a household dehumidifier. It is easy to carry it to different rooms. The power is chosen large, and the device is automatic to maintain the desired humidity. The heated towel rail perfectly fights dampness, solving the problem of how to get rid of moisture in the bathroom.
Conclusion
When dampness appears in housing, you must first establish the causes and places of occurrence, and then solve the problem. And then the question of how to get rid of excess moisture in the apartment will cease to be relevant for you.
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