How do you get mold and mildew off of walls? My landlord recently installed a new gas heater that does not vent to the outside. As a result, there is a lot of excess moisture in the house and all of the outside walls get mold on them. I have a de-humidifier running 24/7. It helps but it is not a cure.
Is there a way to get rid of the mold so it will stay gone? Aside from getting a different heater that is.
Incidently, this heater is one of the new type that burns 99.9% clean. It really cut down on my gas bill, but at the expense of moldy walls. I have tried spraying the walls with bleach water, which makes it go away, but it comes right back within a week.
Cheezit, bleach kills mold and such dead. You saw the result. It goes away. Then new growth starts. Mold/mildew is ubiquitous, of course, so unless you saturate the environment with bleach… if…
So, another way (theory for me) would be to cover walls with fungicide paint. I know that it exists (where?), but I do not know whether it’s suitable to use in home. I also am not sure that it will kill everything (allm mold/mildew).
Well, as they say, cheap things in life are expensove!
You need to get some cross ventilation going. Mold and mildew in the quantities you are talking about can’t be helathy. It can also cause damage to the fixtures and contents of your home. Have you told your landlord about the problem? If he values his carpeting, woodwork and plaster/drywall he will be doing some venting.
The trouble is the dark stuff you see on your walls/ceiling is only a small part of the whole ‘plant’. Most of it is buried in the paint, and often right through the wood/plaster. Wiping it with bleach simply burns off the exposed parts, and it reshoots from ‘below ground’.
I’m not recommendimg it, but in theory you could use a fungicide to achieve a more long-term control, but those things are so hideously toxic I wouldn’t even consider it.
Like everyone else said, the damage this mould and the heater discharge is probably causing to you and the building more than warrants getting the problem fixed properly.
There are a number of fungicides that are available for the general public to use but I have no idea how effective they are.
IIRC burning gas produces moisture and so is adding to your problems.
You need to turn off that heater(when it is cold this might not be an option) and get some airflow to dry things out.
Check outside as well, is there a faulty rain-gutter or cistern overflow that is soaking the wall from the outside.
Bleach did work for me, I used that gel type and painted it on good and thick and stayed out of the way until the fumes went.I repeated this mainly because I was such a tightwad I’d bought it therefore I’m going to use it.
If the inside walls don’t get mold on them then it is very likely that your outside walls are poorly insulated causing condensation on them in the winter when it is warm and humid inside and the outside walls are cold.
Try to get your landlord to insulate your exterior walls. That will help control the mildew and lower your heating bills.