Mold is the common name for a fungus, which, in turn, can be moldy (grows on stone, concrete, paint), blue fungus (grows in the fiber of wood), rotting fungus (bacterial, white, brown rot growing on wood), yeast fungus (on food products). Molds are found almost everywhere. They are found both in a person’s home and in the external environment.

WHAT IS IT?

Bluishing, greening of surfaces, peeling of walls, terry or a growing “beard”, black spots indicate the presence of mold.
It is not difficult to notice fungal damage to wood: dark spots, grayish coating, damp wood.
As for the color of rot, it can be red, white, gray, yellow, green. Red rot strikes conifers, white and yellow - oak and birch, green - oak barrels, beams and cellar ceilings.
Dry rot on wood is gray in color and forms a fluffy, cotton-like mass; Sometimes this fungus resembles smooth gray sheets with areas of lemon and lilac color. The affected tree becomes Brown color and is covered with cracks located along and across the fibers.
Wet rot resembles thin ropes or dark-colored veins. In some places (for example, behind baseboards) it looks like grayish sheets. The affected tree darkens and cracks appear.

CONDITIONS FOR THE APPEARANCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF MOLD

Mold spreads through the air as microscopic spores. When it hits a damp surface, it sprouts in the finest threads.

Mold and mildew love moisture. Unfortunately, all materials around us contain moisture to one degree or another. In facades made of stone and concrete, moisture is formed as a result of condensation, that is, it settles on the surfaces of the walls in the form of small droplets. Condensation may appear in the cold season due to insufficient wall thickness. In bathrooms (not to mention baths and saunas), condensation is a common occurrence - the result of the difference in temperature between the surface and the air adjacent to it. Rain has a beneficial effect on mold growth. Moisture penetrates through pores, holes, cracks or leaking seams in buildings. Groundwater and sedimentary water have the unfortunate property of being absorbed into the base of a building or into the walls. The appearance of mold on unprotected materials in this case is inevitable. Structural moisture is initially present in new structures and can accumulate during the production of building materials, as well as during construction itself. Moisture accumulation is possible due to unbalanced air exchange in the room.

In addition, mold feels great when negative temperatures. She, like trees in winter, does not “live an active life,” but does not die either. As the temperature rises, the mold begins to sporulate again. High temperatures are capable of killing mold, but to destroy some species it is necessary to expose them to a temperature of plus 100 C° for 1-2 hours.

An unfavorable condition for wood rot is dry wood with a moisture content of no more than 20% (if the wood moisture content is below 15%, the development of rot does not occur at all). Lumber can easily reach such a moisture content during natural drying from January to July in conditions middle zone. But moisture can be contained not only in the original wood. The main sources of wood moisture in the structures of various buildings and structures include ground (underground) and surface (storm and seasonal) water. They are especially dangerous for wooden elements located in the ground (pillars, piles, etc.). Atmospheric moisture in the form of rain and snow threatens the ground part of open structures, as well as external wooden elements buildings. Wood is also threatened by operational moisture that occurs inside residential premises during cooking, washing, drying clothes, washing floors, etc. Condensing on the surface or in the thickness of structures, this moisture is dangerous primarily because it is usually detected only when when in the fence wooden structure or its element, irreversible changes have occurred, for example, internal decay.

WHAT IS MOLD DANGEROUS?

The affected material becomes a source of mold spores, so the first sign of mold contamination is the appearance of mold spores in the air. Just as radiation or heavy metals affect the body invisibly, mold also affects a person, his health and housing.
Here is a short list of diseases associated with mold: migraine, runny nose, otitis media, bronchitis, rhinitis, bronchial asthma, cardiovascular disorders, mycotoxicosis. Sometimes people with weakened immune systems may develop mold infections internal organs. All of these diseases are chronic and cause difficulties in treatment. Allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, affects over 36 million people. In most cases, the root cause of this disease is allergenic mold. Among the huge number of mushrooms, allergenic properties have been found in approximately 300 species. The number of people suffering from mold allergies increases every year and these are mainly people with bronchial asthma. At least 15% of children with bronchial asthma show increased sensitivity to mold allergens. The disease is characterized by a gradual onset and protracted course.
In hospital conditions, even fatal infections can occur in weakened people.

When mold spores enter the gastrointestinal tract, a food allergy develops.
Mold is considered the most poisonous yellow color, which produces the strongest aflatoxin. Yellow mold affects food products (liver, fish, milk, rice, and groundnuts are most susceptible to damage).

More than 100 toxic compounds found by scientists in mold may not show their presence in the body for a very long time. But after a few decades, they can cause the rapid growth of cancerous tumors.

WOODEN HOUSE AND MOLD.

Mold is the worst enemy of wood. Wood that dries naturally is at risk of rotting for a long time. It is also threatened by fungi and mold.
Fungal spores and bacteria can get on the wood in the forest or during transportation. They just need to get in favorable conditions to begin to develop rapidly. Imagine such a common situation - building materials were purchased in the spring (which means this is a “winter forest”, considered the healthiest), and its use begins only in the second half of summer. During storage, the wood was stacked and covered with polyethylene, wrapped as tightly as possible. Everything seems to be correct. But they didn’t take into account one thing - the greenhouse effect. And this effect is simply a blessing for mold. The same wood would be intact if the stack was simply covered with something from the rain on top, but thanks to the open walls it would be ventilated.
Similar phenomena may occur in finished buildings. Mold and blue fungi mainly spoil the appearance and also indicate temporary moisture in the wood. The real enemies of wood are mycelium, which destroy fibers and cause softening of wood, which causes significant harm load-bearing structures. Mold and blue stains do not impair the strength of the wood, but rot destroys the wood and over time makes it unsuitable for use (while infecting neighboring boards and beams). Wooden houses do not die from old age: wood is durable enough to last for centuries, but suitable conditions preserved for thousands of years. All because the tree got sick... with house fungus. Blue easily penetrates through the varnishes and paints that cover the wood. Blue discoloration occurs at high air humidity and temperature plus 10-25 0C.
Promotes the development of blueness and stillness of the surrounding air. The blue color itself does not change the mechanical properties of wood, but is a precursor to rotting, and its presence indicates a high moisture content of the material.
Bacterial rot destroys wood cells from the inside and causes cellulose to decompose. Because of this, the tree darkens and turns gray. White rot provokes the decomposition of cellulose and lignin - an organic polymer compound contained in the cell walls of vascular plants and causing them to become lignified (wood hardwood contains 20-30% lignin, conifers - up to 50%).
Brown rot “splits” the cellulose, causing the wood to split. The area of ​​the tree affected by this rot turns brown. Wet rot is more typical for houses with increased dampness; dry rot appears in damp places, but then can spread to dry wood, brick, and plaster. Note that darkening of wood does not mean it is diseased. Any untreated board changes color in the fresh air. This is a kind of natural oxidation.
The appearance of house fungus is not difficult to notice: a white fluff or a cotton wool-like accumulation of white threads first forms on wall logs, floor boards, and wall cladding. Then yellow, pink and lilac spots appear, which over time turn into gray films with a silvery tint. The wood darkens, cracks and crumbles. The fungus grows catastrophically quickly, especially in buildings made of soft wood; Pine and oak wood is less damaged by house fungus.
If the house fungus is not destroyed in a timely manner, then in 6-8 months it can “eat through” the wood. The most terrible enemy of a tree is the white house mushroom. It successfully disguises itself as ordinary mold. But this is until the fungus shows its character. Under certain conditions, in a month it can “eat” an entire oak floor 4 centimeters thick!
Wood is a “living” material that contains moisture. A growing tree is fed with water through its roots and trunk. In lumber and wood products, the structure of the cells of a growing tree is preserved, and therefore the board absorbs water, and through the transverse planes to a greater extent than through the longitudinal ones. Moisture is what fungi need.
In addition to wood, mold can have a destructive effect on almost any material. It easily destroys paint and varnish coatings, stains brick, cement and concrete (a concrete slab affected by fungus crumbles in just a couple of years).

AND A FEW MORE facts:

• For the first time, the fungus Stachybotrys atra, which attracted the attention of scientists several years ago and has been linked to the deaths of several infants in Ohio, has been isolated from the lungs of a seven-year-old boy. This mold, one of hundreds of thousands of fungi found in nature, can cause serious health problems if it grows in the home. Inside living quarters, it turns into a dangerous enemy of the human body, especially harming infants and children. The fungus Stachybotrys atra produces toxic spores that are easily inhaled. On outdoors They are destroyed relatively quickly, but in a damp, poorly ventilated room, on heating pipes or on cellulose coverings, mold grows quickly. In the home where the fungus was later discovered, children suffered from migraines, coughs, watery eyes and constant fatigue, forcing them to visit their pediatrician frequently. The mother fell ill with hormone-dependent asthma. None of the family members were tested for the fungus, but their Scottish collie, Rocky, who was suffering from vomiting and diarrhea, was tested. He was diagnosed with a fungus that had settled in his gastrointestinal tract. Case Western Reserve University scientists later discovered a link between Stachybotrys atra and an unusual rate of infant deaths from pulmonary hemorrhages. The 10 babies who died from this cause lived in poor, water-damaged homes in Cleveland, all of the homes concentrated in one area. Since then, there have been 160 such reported cases in the United States.
• The cause of death for those who opened the tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs was yellow mold that released aflatoxin. Aflatoxin causes severe pneumonia and liver cancer.
• The African Bantu people deliberately store food in such a way that it becomes moldy for the sake of taste. This nation suffers more than anyone else in the world from liver cancer; they die before reaching the age of 40.
• In India for mold development ideal conditions. Cirrhosis of the liver is common here in children fed yellow rice. It's all contaminated with aflatoxin.
• In the old days, a hut infected with white house fungus was immediately burned so as not to infect neighboring buildings.
• In 1997, American astronaut Michael Foale, who was visiting the Mir station orbit, claimed that the inside smelled of mushrooms and dampness. And its walls in many places are covered with multi-colored mold. Like, fungal spores make your eyes water and your skin itchy. Only recently, Russian scientists from the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems confirmed this information. It turns out that our astronauts and ground scientists knew about mold even without Foale. Moreover, they tried to fight it with a special antifungal cream. But without much success. Fungi spoiled plastic, metal and even glass - they almost gnawed right through the porthole. According to Alexander Viktorov, head of the department of sanitary-chemical and microbiological safety, mold became especially voracious, reacting to solar activity. It is not surprising that there is a version in which mold is the main culprit for most problems at the Mir station. Including the on-board computer. Recently, the situation could have worsened catastrophically, and the mold had grown so much that further operation of the station in habitable mode was excluded. Perhaps it was the defeat in the battle with fungi that forced the Mir to be sunk.

1. The most vulnerable to mold damage are the walls and corners of buildings. They must have biocidal protection.

2. Take a closer look at the arrangement of furniture: if bulky objects are placed close to the walls, limiting air circulation, then droplets of condensation will soon appear on the walls, and then mold.

3. A common cause of rotting exterior window frames is loose or cracked caulk on the bottom of the frame. Make sure that the putty does not come off the glass and rainwater did not penetrate the inside of the frame.

4. The appearance of mold on the wall with a balcony is usually associated with improperly installed gutters and poor waterproofing. Make sure that the external drain is not clogged or standing water. If the drain freezes in winter, it can tear at the seam, and in the spring a fungus will settle in the wall nearby.

5. Active ventilation of premises reduces the risk of mold. An unfavorable microclimate for fungi is created. When ventilating in the cold season, it is better to fully open the window (balcony door) for a short time. Opening the vents for a significant period of time helps to cool the walls.

6. There are three basic rules in the fight against mold - reduce humidity inside the home (no unheated rooms in the building in winter, no drying clothes in the room, repair of leaking taps, fewer indoor plants), ensure good ventilation (more frequent opening of windows, increased bathroom ventilation rooms) and eliminate mold.

DURING CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIR

1. Drainpipes must be installed so that the vertical seams are away from the wall and at a distance of at least 3 cm.

2. To protect the balcony floor from moisture, you need to lay a dense epoxy or polyurethane coating on it, and the floor must have a sufficient slope. Then the water will flow smoothly down.

3. It is advisable to build houses from dry materials to avoid the appearance of structural moisture.

4. Better protection synthetic putties provide protection against moisture and retain elasticity for a long time.

5. The more cement in the plaster, the stronger it is. Therefore, plasters made of lime-cement composition are considered more resistant to water than lime plasters.

6. All wood building materials must be treated with antiseptics during construction.

7. If the fungus has already appeared, waterproofing the material will not lead to its “clogging.” The fungus must be destroyed before applying the waterproofing coating.

Provide good ventilation. Thoroughly ventilate areas where mold can form - attics, basements, bathrooms. If the bathroom is very wet after a shower or bath, it should be ventilated.

Do not allow water to leak from taps, as this increases humidity.

Wipe wet areas with a dry cloth.

It is possible to reduce indoor humidity using an air conditioner. But remember that the air conditioner itself can become a source of fungi and their spores. Use an air conditioner with fungicidal “impregnated” filters or other technologies that prevent mold from growing inside. The use of air purifiers is recommended. The most effective purifiers are those with HEPA filters.

It is necessary to provide good heating if there is no central heating (at the dacha). And if it is not central enough, it is possible to additionally heat the room. Don't turn off the heating at night. The formation of dampness on the walls is much greater when the room cools down.

The rooms should be ventilated for a short time, but intensively. All windows and doors must be open. Short and intense ventilation will not dissipate heat from the walls, so heat loss will be small. Windows slightly open are not an adequate alternative to opening them wide for a short period of time.

If your home has a serious mold infestation, the only solution is to call in experienced help. In many cases, the positive effects of moving from a damp and "moldy" home to one without such problems have been documented.

Air out wet clothes before storing them.

Avoid keeping dried flowers and wreaths in your room, which often contain mold.

REMEMBER that preventing the appearance of mold is much easier and cheaper than removing the fungus and eliminating the consequences of such damage!

Mold is a fungus that can spread on any surface and on stone, concrete, brick, wood and many other materials.

It is necessary to take measures to detect and destroy the fungus as early as possible.

House mushroom has many names, for example:

• Home mushroom
• House sponge
• tree mushroom
• Nozdrevik Destroyer

House mushroom likes to settle on a cut down, dead tree. Having appeared in the house, it destroys wooden floors and structures with lightning speed, which in turn can lead to the collapse of the structure. It is necessary to get rid of house fungus because tree mushroom,even in unfavorable conditions it can develop in a sterile form (i.e. without the mushrooms themselves), the mycelium begins to grow abundantly, which, just like in a full-fledged fruitful form with mushrooms, leads to destruction and rotting of the tree.

The house mushroom is a lover of basements and cellars!

Most often, house fungus develops on the inside of floor boards, on beams that rest directly on moist soil. It can be extremely difficult to destroy house mushrooms in such places without special equipment. Such an assistant in eliminating fungus in the house is XILIX GEL and the Zhuk microwave installation.

Conditions for the development of house fungus

• Lack of light
• Stuffy, stale, stagnant air
• Humidity, dampness (especially in baths and saunas)

What does a house mushroom look like?

Small light and white dots that you may have noticed on the tree, but did not pay attention to it, eventually merge into plaque and slimy spots. Then a silvery plexus appears, similar to a web (this is a mycelium). The mycelium grows quickly and takes up everything large territory under the floor on the surface of the wood. As a result, the mushroom becomes very thick, leafy and acquires a shine and ash-gray color.

The house mushroom is increasingly acquiring a brownish color with light spurs that cling to the slightest roughness and cracks, thereby moving from one part of the house to another.

The house mushroom prefers coniferous species, but deciduous species are not immune from it if all favorable conditions for its existence are met. Sturdy oak buildings, under the influence of a wood-destroying fungus, collapse like houses of cards.

Under the destructive influence of wood fungus, the tree turns brown and turns into dust. It becomes brittle and brittle. Painted floors oil paint They are most destroyed by the influence of house fungus, since the underside of such a floor is protected from light and from drying out.

White fungus in the basement and under the floor: what to do?

White fungus that can be found in the basement wooden house The same applies to house mushrooms. How to destroy white wood fungus in a wooden house? The best option is to call our specialists, they will help remove fungus from a wooden house.

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How to recognize that the floor is attacked by wood fungus?

The presence of a house mushroom can be easily determined by the black spots scattered on the upper surface. If the wood is painted with adhesive paint, then individual fluffy yellowish areas appear on the surface. Wood affected by house fungus easily cracks and breaks and makes a dull sound when tapped. The affected tree begins to absorb water heavily. The mycelium of the mushroom can transfer water to the most distant rooms, nourishing the mushroom.

In the process of their life activity, the spent bodies of the fungus, when rotting, emit a disgusting specific aroma that is very harmful to health. Often it is the nasty smell that becomes the reason why people call our specialists.

Microwave heating method is an effective means of combating

To destroy the existing house and tree fungus, many means have been and are being proposed; unfortunately, none of them can be considered radical. Until the mushroom covered the whole house, it makes sense to cut out the affected areas and replace them with new ones.

All materials around the affected area are heated in the microwave to a temperature of 60 to 70 degrees to kill the remnants of the mycelium and are impregnated with antiseptic and fungicidal solutions. Preventive disinfection of the premises against house fungus spores takes place.

XILIX GEL guarantee against bugs and mold for 10 years!

HOW XILIX GEL CURATIF FONGI PLUS WORKS

Prevention

Treatment

Absorption of Xilix gel into wood. XILIX GEL

Professional destruction of house fungus

Our specialists will carry out professional treatment against house fungus. In order to remove house fungus and prevent its reappearance and destruction of wood, you need to approach the problem comprehensively:

Stages of treatment against house fungus

• Mechanical cleaning. Specialists remove the visible layer of the body of the fungus and mycelium. I sand and rub the surface.
• Impregnation deep and surface. The mycelium of the fungus in the wood structure and on the surface is destroyed
• Disinfection of premises from fungal spores. To prevent re-sprouting
• Microwave drying of walls. Microwave heating to eliminate high humidity and completely destroy fungus in the house.
• Treatment with Xilix gel. treatment of low basement from house mushroom with a brush using XILIX technology

  The main reasons for the appearance of house fungus in the house

  • Poor ventilation- one of the common causes of mold fungus in the room. Bathrooms and kitchens especially suffer because of this, where the default humidity is high. Sealed plastic windows, infrequent ventilation, clogged or bricked-up ventilation systems are excellent opportunities for the spread of fungus.
  • Current water supply and pipes. Regular leaks under the bathtub or in the walls must be repaired immediately upon detection. Otherwise, after some time, fungus will creep along the walls.
  • Freezing of walls. Decoration Materials do not adhere securely to walls. They freeze and swell. Black mold often forms under the plaster. Mostly black spots form in the corners.
  • Roof leaks. In clear, dry weather this will not cause you problems. But with the first serious rain, streaks will appear. Water will moisten the building materials and give fungal spores an excellent platform for germination. And in winter period the icing will melt during the first thaw, and the frozen water will remain in the plaster.
  • Ground dampness. In such situations, mold and mildew appear at the joints of walls and baseboards.
  • Insufficient or no heating. A freezing room becomes covered with mold over time.

  How much does it cost to get rid of house fungus? Prices

  Room area	Impregnation	Mechanical stripping	Disinfection from spores	Microwave drying of walls	Complex (3 year warranty)
  1-2 sq.m.	from 1000 rub.	from 1000 rub.	from 500 rub.	from 2000 rub.	from 3500 rub.
  3-5 sq.m.	from 800 rub.	from 850 rub.	from 350 rub.	from 2000 rub.	from 3000 rub.
  5-10 sq.m.	from 650 rub.	from 700 rub.	from 200 rub.	from 1800 rub.	from 2800 rub.
  10-20 sq.m.	from 500 rub.	from 600 rub.	from 100 rub.	from 1500 rub.	from 2500 rub.
  20-50 sq.m.	from 400 rub.	from 500 rub.	For a present*	from 1500 rub.	from 2500 rub.
  50-100 sq.m.	from 300 rub.	from 500 rub.	For a present	from 1500 rub.	from 2000 rub.
  More than 100 sq.m.	negotiable
  LINEAR METER (along the baseboard, along the seams, along the joints of the walls)	1000 rub.

Infection with fungus and mold on wooden floors is a common problem faced by home and bathhouse owners.

Spores actively develop in a suitable habitat, so get rid of them using wet cleaning impossible.

For effective elimination fungus in the underground, it is necessary to find out the cause of its appearance, remove the formations and, if necessary, replace the floor covering.

Types and signs of fungal formations

Mold and fungi are the simplest forms of microorganisms that have long existed in nature. The following types of fungus develop on wooden surfaces:

• House sponge;
• White house fungus;
• Basement fungus.

Such formations carry a hidden danger not only for modern coatings, but also for human health. Fungal spores provoke frequent headaches, difficulty breathing, night cough and allergic reactions.

The spread of fungal formations is accompanied by the appearance of the first signs:

• Strong smell of dampness;
• Brown, black, dark gray and white spots with uneven edges and their further darkening;
• Wet areas flooring with color fading;
• Blistering, cracking and falling of the plaster layer.

To take effective measures to eliminate fungus on wooden base, it is necessary to find out the main reasons for its appearance.

Reasons for appearance

The key reasons for the appearance of fungal formations are high humidity and poor ventilation. High humidity occurs due to oversaturation of soils with melt and underwater waters.

If a building is erected on such soils, then with insufficient waterproofing, the likelihood of fungus appearing is especially high.

Poor basement ventilation also leads to mold and mildew.

High humidity can occur not only in utility rooms, but also in living spaces. Most often this occurs due to poor quality wet cleaning, insufficient or excessive air humidification.

How to remove and destroy

Elimination of fungal formations under the floor should be approached comprehensively.

It is not enough to identify the cause of the appearance and remove fungal formations mechanically; it is necessary to create a suitable indoor microclimate that will prevent the emergence of new foci of infection.

If a large area of ​​the floor is infected with fungus, then it will not be possible to completely get rid of it. Experts recommend removing the old flooring and replacing it with a new one.

In addition, it is important to remember that if there is a large area of ​​floor contamination, fungal spores can spread throughout the room.

The key areas of work to eliminate fungus from wooden floors are as follows:

• Cleaning surfaces from formations mechanically;
• Treating surfaces with antifungal compounds;
• Replacement of damaged coating elements with new materials;
• Arrangement of a good ventilation and waterproofing system.

Antifungal drugs

The following can effectively get rid of all types of fungus on wood:

Sulfur based checker

This is the most effective preparation available, which allows you to quickly eliminate any mold and mildew. You can purchase it in specialized construction stores or on the market.

Sulfur gas is extremely dangerous for the human and animal body, so the room must be treated in the absence of strangers and with the windows and doors closed.

The checker is placed in a metal container, set on fire and left until it burns out completely. You can open the room no earlier than after 10-12 hours. The treated area is thoroughly ventilated and dried.

Chlorine-containing preparations

The most popular is plain white.

A high concentration solution is prepared for surface treatment. When working with white, it is recommended to use a respirator, protective gloves and protective clothing.

Whiteness thoroughly cleans all surfaces from fungal spores and mold. After treatment, it is recommended to ventilate the room.

Antifungal primer

This is a specialized antifungal agent that allows you to quickly solve the problem with fungal formations. It can be purchased at any hardware store.

The primer effectively eliminates lesions and prevents their reappearance. Antifungal primer is applied to a previously cleaned surface. If the surface is deeply damaged, it should be cleaned to a clean base. The primer is applied in several thin layers with a wide paint brush.

Vitriol

To effectively eliminate fungus, you can use solutions of copper and iron sulfate. To obtain a concentrated solution, a clay base, vitriol solution and boiled water are used. The prepared ingredients are diluted in a liter of water, after which the affected surface is treated with the solution.

You can get rid of the lesion and prevent its appearance on the tree using special antiseptic compounds developed for wood.

They contain components such as ammonium, sodium fluoride and zinc chloride. The drug in the required dosage is diluted in water to obtain a concentrate, which is used for spraying the surface.

For effective fight homemade remedies are suitable for fungus - table vinegar, baking soda and ammonia. Most often they are used for safe prevention, but for the comprehensive elimination of fungus it is worth using more professional drugs.

How to destroy fungus step by step

How to get rid of fungus from flooring? You can perform a similar procedure yourself, following the step-by-step instructions.

1. First you need to prepare the infected room. Remove clean clothes, furniture and household items from it to a suitable place, and pack contaminated items into garbage bags. Carefully seal the garbage to prevent the spread of spores and take it to a garbage disposal.
2. It is better to take household items that have come into contact with the contaminated surface outside for further disinfection.
3. In the room, tightly close windows, ventilation and other openings, and doors.
4. Next, you need to dismantle the affected floor covering. If the fungus has affected a small part of the floor, only that can be removed. In case of extensive damage, dismantling of the entire coating is required. If the room uses a coating such as parquet or laminate, dismantling should begin from the corner. If carpet or linoleum is used, it is removed along with the padding.

The affected areas should be moistened generously with water to avoid the spread of fungal spores throughout the room. Soft flooring cannot be restored, but laminate and parquet can be disinfected and reinstalled.

1. For surface treatment, it is recommended to use any antifungal agent described above. For example, prepare a concentrated solution of vitriol or antiseptic primer. Small areas treated with a brush, and large ones with a mop or paint brush. Mechanically, using a scraper, clean the floor of fungus, then apply an antiseptic and leave for a quarter of an hour. After which you need to moisten the surface again with an antifungal solution and clean it with a scraper.
2. If the parquet and laminate boards are slightly damaged, they can also be treated with an antiseptic solution, and fungal spores can be removed using a vacuum cleaner. Finally, the coating should be additionally treated with an antiseptic and left to dry for a couple of days.
3. All items that have come into contact with the contaminated surface are treated with a light borax solution diluted in water.

The fight against fungal infections requires mandatory disinfection or replacement of the affected floor covering. Timely prevention will help avoid the emergence of new foci of infection.

Ecology of consumption. Estate: A fungus that appears on the walls of a wooden house can quickly lead to the destruction of the wood and damage to the entire building. It also has a harmful effect on the health of people living in the house, causing allergies, asthma and other unpleasant diseases.

A fungus that appears on the walls of a wooden house can quickly lead to the destruction of the wood and damage to the entire structure. It also has a harmful effect on the health of people living in the house, causing allergies, asthma and other unpleasant diseases. In addition, black or brown spots on external and internal walls, ceilings, beams and other structural elements do not in any way add aesthetic appeal to the building.

Add here an unpleasant musty smell and it becomes clear that it is necessary to fight the slightest manifestations of fungus using all available means.

Fungus - what is it?

The fact that the fungus has settled in your home and is leading a quite comfortable existence is evidenced by darkened wooden parts. Depending on the type of uninvited guest, the process of seizing territories may not be very noticeable at first or, conversely, rapid and irreversible (unless, of course, the fight is started in time).

Wood is afraid of almost all types of fungi that can settle in the house. Several varieties are the most famous and harmful.

1. White house mushroom.

The most dangerous and rapidly developing pest, capable of destroying a house almost to the very foundation. House fungus spores travel vast distances through the air, on clothing, and on the fur of domestic animals. It belongs to the tinder fungi and is not found in nature. The appearance and development of the fungus is promoted by humidity in the house of up to 95% with poor ventilation.

The best place for the appearance of porcini mushrooms are basements, cellars and the lower floors of houses. From there he easily moves to other rooms, and especially loves buildings made of soft wood. Houses made of oak and pine suffer less from the effects of house fungus.

The beginning of the infection process is easily determined by the appearance of wet spots and the accumulation of white cotton wool-like threads on the walls. The wood underneath becomes soft and darkens greatly; later multi-colored spots appear on it, which then turn into silver-gray films. The wood begins to crack and crumble.

An active house mushroom can wear away wood in about six months. The fungus forms large fruiting bodies on the lower surface of rotten logs.

2. Rotting fungi.

They are divided into white, brown and bacterial rot. Each type acts on wood differently, but the result is always the same - destruction of its structure. Rot can also be wet or dry. Usually suffers from wet rot raw wood. Very often it affects elements located close to water pipes, especially leaking ones, located in close proximity to the ground.

Dry rot, despite its name, also occurs in damp places. Its appearance is indicated by spores in the form of reddish dust, which quickly turn into mushrooms. Fungi develop rapidly, forming gray stripes on the tree that penetrate deeply into its structure.

3. Blue fungi.

These insidious pests are capable of destroying paint and varnish by penetrating into structures and allowing moisture to enter.

These fungi do not have a destructive effect on the structure of the tree, but they warn the owner that his house needs urgent protection, giving the wood a gray-blue color.

4. Actinomycetes.

A hybrid of algae and fungi can soften the wooden parts of a house, completely destroying the structure.

5. Molds They are happy to attack not only wood, but also concrete, stone, tiles, and fabric.

They can develop not only in wooden, but also in brick or panel houses. They spoil the appearance of surfaces, destroy walls and ceilings, and negatively affect the health of home owners.

Why does fungus appear and how to remove it?

The main reason for the appearance of fungi of all types is high humidity. Improperly organized heating and poor waterproofing, irregularities in the plumbing, lack of ventilation in the room - these are the factors that can give impetus to the appearance and development of uninvited guests.

In wooden houses, the floor most often suffers from fungus. Removing fungus is quite difficult. Previously, in villages, when a house fungus was discovered, for example, they preferred to burn the affected house to prevent the infection from spreading further. Now such radical methods, of course, are not used, but quite a lot of effort will be required to destroy the fungus, especially when running forms defeats.

If the fungus has just begun to develop, you can use home remedies such as furatsilin, vinegar, chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide. In severe cases, fungicides must be applied. The process of killing fungus consists of several steps.

• We wash the affected wood several times with water or a weak solution of vitriol with special additives. This is necessary in order to prevent the spread of spores. Usually a larger area is treated than the affected surface.
• Remove visible traces of mold and mildew with a scraper or a hard wire brush. If necessary, you can strip the wood deeper until a healthy layer appears. All removed pieces must be burned.
• The surface is thoroughly dried and treated with antifungal agents. All work to destroy the fungus is carried out only in personal protective equipment - a respirator, goggles and gloves in order to prevent fungal spores from entering the respiratory system.

The most important thing is to take timely measures and act at the first manifestations of fungal infection. Otherwise, serious problems may occur. published

Once upon a time, I moved into an apartment in a “Finnish” two-family house, entrances on opposite sides, post-war construction. Everything would be fine, only the walls are filled with rubbish and there is no proper cellar. But people lived before me, got out as best they could; They dug a cellar between the foundations of the ovens and stored vegetables, pickles and preserves there. A foundation with ventilation windows, a subfloor 50 centimeters from the ground, that is, there was natural ventilation under the floor.

When, after the main arrangement, I got to the cellar, I was in a state of shock for a week! Having gone underground I discovered a kingdom house mushroom! Everywhere where the flashlight beam rested, a white blanket of mold hung, lay, and, in my opinion, even moved. Beneath this layer were more ancient layers of multi-colored mold. In some places the thickets were so dense that it was difficult to discern the boundaries of the cellar. Individual threads were as thick as a finger! It became clear that the cellar had not been used for a very long time. Some strange-looking insects were crawling, mosquitoes were flying and something else! The air was poisoned by mold, rot (a rat had died somewhere), high dampness (although the soil under the house was completely dry, even dusty!), my patience only lasted for 5 minutes and I flew out of there, and they also shouted from the room to quickly close basement hatch - it stinks!

The beginning of the fight consisted of removing the mushroom thickets - from one square meter I tore off a bucket of mold with a tamper! I was angry that I couldn’t remove the bulk of it—I couldn’t reach it, and it was purely wooden surfaces You can’t pick off the mushroom - there are roots left in the cracks, and these are already seedlings!

The posted photos of the house mushroom were not taken by me. I couldn't find anything on the internet close to what I encountered! At that time I had no time for photographs. And now I have nothing to photograph on this topic!

Having more or less cleared the space for potatoes, I didn’t look into the basement for a month. When the time came to lay the blanks, another shock - the mushroom sprouted new shoots, systematically filling the space I had conquered!

During this month, I, a city dweller, learned from literature that my house should be burned down 🙂 or systematically doused and smoked with all sorts of chemicals. It’s true that they didn’t write anywhere about how to continue to live in the ashes or not to poison yourself and your family with chemicals!

Since in the past I had a passion for chemistry direct relation— he immediately categorically refused the services of her dear one. But the score in the hand-to-hand battle was not in my favor! The house mushroom is scary not because of its creepy appearance, but because it quickly destroys the tree. And if in my case you don’t fight it, then you can soon be left without a floor, and the house is already many years old!

I found a way out of the situation in the barn while unpacking the remaining boxes that had not been opened since the move. One of them had an experimental setup (fun in free time), in which, among other things, a powerful source of hard ultraviolet light was used in the form DRL lamps without a flask (well, where else could you get such a source in Soviet times, and a powerful one at that?). I tore out the cartridge and choke from it, extended the wires and hung this miracle in the basement.

After turning it on, about twenty minutes later, a well-known figure crawled out of the cracks in the hatch. bad smell ozone mixed with nitrogen oxides - we had to cover the hatch with rugs to reduce the penetration of the smell. I left the device on all night. I turned it off in the morning, and when I returned from work I immediately went to check the result. I immediately noted - fresh air and a draft that wasn’t there before! The whole mushroom turned brown, thinned and looked like a dirty cobweb. For the first time I saw the gaps from ventilation windows! The rotting smell has been greatly reduced!

I fried the basement at night with ultraviolet light for another week, and as a result, the mushroom completely disappeared, even from the neighbors! I specifically checked, using a long pole with a fixed mirror, all the places hidden from direct rays - the mushroom was dead! Along with the fungus, the number of insects also decreased sharply.

What damaging factors led to this result?

• First of all, it's tough. ultraviolet radiation. As is known from physics, ultraviolet radiation is dangerous for organic life in large quantities. Anything that comes under direct irradiation quickly loses the meaning of life!
• Secondly, this is ozone, poisonous in large quantities, very aggressive triatomic oxygen, which is formed from the attack of oxygen molecules by ultraviolet light. Ozone actively tears all organic matter to shreds, especially if it is in a gaseous state (the smell of rot is organic matter). Ozone is heavier than air and the living things that escaped direct ultraviolet rays poisoned by ozone (crawling insects). Another big plus of ozone is that it doesn’t last long. Due to the instability of the ozone molecule and the always huge number of objects ready to be oxidized by atomic oxygen, its concentration quickly disappears!
• Thirdly, these are nitrogen oxides, which are formed due to ozone and, again, ultraviolet radiation. Nitrogen oxides have practically no effect on plant organic matter - the concentration is too low. But there is “organic matter” in basements and cellars, for which nitrogen oxides are not the last reason to leave your home. Read about this “organic” below.

I was prompted to write this article by information from one of the forums, where a question was asked about combating mold and house fungus. I was amazed that the answer was the same as what I read in Soviet literature, when few people knew about the Internet! After googling a specific question, I became convinced that all the information on the Internet is a complete reprint Soviet articles without any comprehension, analysis taking into account modern realities, with virtually no warning about precautions when using chemistry. In a rare case, it has been reported that this chemical attack has a short-term effect and must be repeated periodically (for the chemical industry to prosper!).

In the wake of demand, our chemistry (and some garages :)) launched the production of special compounds to combat mold and house fungus, making money from the insufficient education of our people. Along with the fight for a clean environment, we are being asked to fill our homes with chemicals, where we and our children spend most of our lives!

Mistake in the fight against mold chemical methods, is that we forget that mold is the first plant substance that quickly populated our planet at a time when it was impossible to live on it by our standards! Also mold will be the last to die before the dying Sun burns our planet! For mold after billions of years of hardening during survival in extreme conditions Our chemistry is like grain to an elephant! So why waste money by poisoning yourself and your children?

I leave the choice up to you; everyone will have their own reasons for using one or another method in the fight against this evil.

What does this simple device consist of?

Everything you need to assemble this device is sold in electrical goods stores. We will need a DRL lamp of 125 (or 250) watts, a choke also of 125 (or 250) watts (for each power of the lamp there is a corresponding choke with a similar power, if the powers of the lamp and the choke do not match, the lamp either will not light up or will fail). A ceramic socket for an E40 type lamp is also required. The cable is sufficient for 1.5 square meters, determine the length according to the installation location.

Please note that everything (except the cable) listed is considered industrial goods, therefore, not every electrical goods store may have them! If you are unlucky with stores, then with the help of “liquid currency” you can purchase all of the above from a familiar electrician.

For reference, here are the prices in the store closest to me:

• DRL lamp 250 watts - 330 rubles.
• Choke 250 watts - 890 rubles.
• Cartridge E40 - 70 rubles.

Accordingly, a 125-watt lamp and choke are cheaper!

If you purchase a lamp BOO inspect the internal burner through the transparent section of the glass of the flask in the area of ​​the base; it should not be black or smoky - this is a sign of a burnt out lamp!

There is a type of DRL lamps - which work without a choke; they are not suitable for our purposes!

We assemble the circuit, hang the cartridge in the right place and check whether the device works. If the lamp burns steadily 7 - 10 minutes after switching on, then everything is fine. Unplug it from the outlet and proceed to preparing the lamp itself.

To do this, unscrew the lamp, let it cool, wrap it in a rag and carefully break the bulb (preferably at this moment wear safety glasses!), being careful not to damage the internal structure! We remove the broken glass and carefully use pliers to remove the remaining glass in the area of ​​the base so that you don’t cut yourself later when screwing the lamp into the socket. Now the lamp can be screwed into the socket. You will have to twist it while holding on to the glass pin glued into the base, from which comes the wire armature that holds the burner and supplies voltage to it, so without fanaticism, do not twist the burner and do not short the wire armature to each other!

I repeat — Screw the lamp into the socket and unscrew it only after completely de-energizing the device! The wire fittings in the lamp are exposed conductors and if there is a connection error, for example, a switch, there may be a phase on them, so remove the voltage from the device completely!

Now all that remains is to wipe the quartz burner tube stained with your fingers with alcohol or acetone to remove grease marks and you can put the device into operation.

What can't you do with this device?

• You can't carry it turned on ( high risk of electric shock)!
• You can’t admire how the burner lights up and works ( radiation power is approximately equal to manual power arc welding- rapid burns to unprotected eyes occur)!
• Cannot be used for tanning ( skin peels off the next day)!
• You should not stay in a room where this device is turned on for a long time ( Possibility of ozone and nitrogen oxide poisoning)!
• Do not turn on if there are fuels and lubricants, oily rags, cans of paint, gas cylinders, rotting in large quantities vegetables, flammable dust is present (flour, powdered sugar, sawdust, coal, peat, etc.) ( Possible outbreak from ozone oxidation)!
• Do not place close to wooden objects and structures ( Burner heating temperature is very high)!
• Do not leave your favorite animals and plants indoors ( the consequences are sad)!

Provide the ability to turn the device on and off from the outside, so as not to catch “bunnies” and inhale ozone again!
After turning off the device for about an hour or two, do not enter the room, let it ventilate!
If you weren’t careful and grabbed “bunnies” ( the appearance of pain in the eyes, during sleep the eyes fester, it hurts to open them, it hurts to look at bright light ) - instill eye drops (2% solution of albucid, citroploxacin - akos, 2% solution of lidocaine, sulfacyl sodium, riciniol base, or carefully inject tetracycline eye ointment under the eyelids; you can use folk remedies - a bag of drunk tea, crushed raw potatoes...) and be sure to consult a doctor.

The second enemy is mice!

Another opportunity to use this homemade product!

After defeating the house mushroom, I hurried to put the lamp in the shed, but in vain!
Autumn was coming to an end, and one day before the frost, my basement was attacked by rats and voles. My family will remember this night for a long time! There was a continuous squeak in the basement, some kind of showdown was taking place, there was a loud glass jars, I could hear them eating my potatoes in the basement! Along the entire perimeter of the apartment floor, this gray bastard was furiously gnawing new holes, trying to break into our living space! The dog was scratching the floor and rushing around the apartment growling and barking, the children were squealing! Cursing, screaming, squealing, barking - urbanites collided with wildlife :)!

In the morning we go to work, the children go to kindergarten and school, 4 o'clock in the morning - the Corvalol is completely drunk, and we are at war, we are under siege! Neither hitting the floor with a stick nor turning on the light in the basement produced any results! We were simply ignored, we were superfluous at their celebration of life! I remembered the lamp, flew to the barn to get it, hung it in the basement under the malicious glances of rodents, closed the hatch, turned it on, waiting! You can hear the “spectators” gathering closer to the lamp to look at the “gift.” After 15 minutes, the weak and alarming squeak gradually turned into panic! The dog is going crazy again, a child's squeal, but without the swearing and screaming! Some kind of racing began in the basement, which quickly escalated into a stampede! There was silence! I didn't turn off the lamp all night.

Conclusions.

The experimenter's rules are to draw conclusions! Main conclusion: This device also works against rodents! How? Not entirely clear! The experiment was carried out dirty, without preliminary preparation, without working out every possible factor :). And I have no desire to conduct such detailed experiments on mice - not my topic! All conclusions are based on guesswork!

• Ultraviolet- hardly! In such a short time, pain in the eyes does not immediately occur ( in a person! Tested on myself, although anything can happen)!
• Ozone- Maybe ( I haven’t tested it on myself, I completely trust the theory)!
• Nitrogen oxides- Also an option!

Although, if we take into account that these rodents lead a mainly twilight lifestyle, then the sensitivity of the eyes to ultraviolet radiation, which is unusual for them, should be different from the human eye.

Ozone and nitrogen oxides are quite stinky even for a person accustomed to artificial technical and chemical odors. Our sense of smell is weakened by our lifestyle; we cannot hear many smells at all! In animals it’s the other way around; the possibility of survival depends on the acuteness of their sense of smell! And it is quite possible that the smell, which is pungent even for humans, can cause unbearable pain to animals or lead to a spasm of the lungs!

Now the lamp is firmly established in the basement, I often turn it on when I hear new guests!

Observation.

One morning in the yard I found a dead rat on the path. Judging by the trail, she dragged herself with all her might away from the house. But the condition of her eyes struck me: they were white, like boiled fish! It turns out that even while dying, she tried to leave the place that was dangerous for her! This observation confirmed my guess that poisoning rodents in such houses is to your own detriment!

I'll try to explain.

Any animal in case of poisoning or illness understands that for some time it will not be able to fend for itself, which means it needs to find a secluded place where it can lie down without fear of being eaten! What could be safer for a house mouse or rat than the basement of a house, with numerous dug and gnawed passages?

But we poison rodents precisely in order to destroy them! And so the poisoned rat dies under the house or in the passages inside the walls, in the floor and begins to decompose, poisoning the air and making our life unbearable for 2-3 months! Where to look for it? Going through the boards of the house looking for a corpse?

The lamp does the opposite: all its damaging factors let rodents know that this place is very dangerous for them. A stinking mixture of gases easily passes through their passages, driving everyone out. The second time the rodents do not return! Of course, then new rodents will come to the “free territory”, but it’s easier for me to plug a plug into a socket than to look for a new victim of poison!

One more observation.

When I moved in, I discovered that several floorboards had been turned to dust by some kind of insect. The carpenter who came to the rescue determined that it was a borer beetle. The damaged floorboards were replaced, and when he left he was “happy” that I might have to completely replace all the wood in the house! You can’t just get the beetle out! And I have not made of wood only two stoves and slate on the roof!? However, after using the lamp, I only replaced one floorboard myself, which I had not noticed before, and I no longer see any traces of the grinder! I'm not sure if it's the lamp! But anything is possible!

Business possible!

To the most enterprising, I give an idea for a small business - the destruction of house fungus in basements, cellars, and garages.

Most of these places are electrified by the owners, and technical knowledge and technical curiosity among the population has recently tended to zero. As a percentage of the entire population, there are now fewer and fewer people who, having actually seen the device described in the article, will be able to determine what it was before and what can be done with it! Thanks to the modern school Unified State Exam (which teaches guess answers from several possible options) and for the most part " nominal» higher education producing « conditionally educated specialists"It is now becoming possible to profitably use " ancient secret technical knowledge«!

At the end of the article I can safely say: CHECKED - IT WORKS!