White mold in the basement

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If you discover white efflorescence in your basement, it is usually not mold, but saltpeter or other salts. Such efflorescence is nowhere near as harmful to health as mold, but it is a clear indication that the masonry is very damp and needs to be treated.

A coating that looks like white mold often forms on damp cellar walls.
A coating that looks like white mold often forms on damp cellar walls.

What you need:

  • brush
  • Deep ground
  • expert advice for permanent removal
White mold in the basement is mostly saltpeter
  • Nitric efflorescence is not particularly dangerous to health. They arise when organic substances with the lime react in the masonry. This white one Mould occurs mainly in old stables, where urine or manure came into contact with the masonry.
  • Have a specialist check whether the white mold in the cellar is due to saltpeter or other salt efflorescence. The treatment of the masonry is different in each specific case. Salt efflorescence rather speak in favor of ascending humidity, that is, a leaky horizontal barrier, whereas saltpeter tends to indicate a leaky vertical barrier.
  • If the saltpeter layer becomes too thick, waterlogging can build up behind it, which promotes mold growth. You should therefore carefully remove the efflorescence mechanically, for example with a brush. Wear a fine dust mask, because nitric dust irritates the airways.
  • Now treat the affected areas with deep primer (available in the hardware store) in order to contain renewed blooming. However, this is not completely prevented, so without a thorough renovation of the masonry, efflorescence will occur again.
  • Nitric efflorescence is an indication of possible greater health hazards. Mold will likely also form on the damp masonry. Its spores easily get into the respiratory tract and can trigger allergies and infections, even if it occurs in the basement.
    • Remove saltpetre in the basement - this is how you eliminate the causes

    Saltpeter is characterized by unsightly white edges of a crystalline structure ...

  • Treating the affected masonry with cola is an insider tip, but this cannot be recommended. Cola can also be used to remove saltpeter from the surface of the basement masonry, but it has no depth effect and does not change the salt balance in the masonry.
  • The efflorescence will continue to occur as long as the moisture transport in the masonry is not stopped professionally.

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