Mold in a bungalow: causes, consequences, solution

A microscopic fungus that grows on almost any surface is called mold. Its appearance in residential premises is not uncommon: colonies affect furniture upholstery, and wall materials, and hide behind water pipes. Mold in bungalows in coastal areas is especially common. This is facilitated by a humid warm climate, natural finishes, irregular cleaning, closing of the premises after the end of the tourist season, and lack of heating. But the main reason for the occurrence of fungus in a bungalow is inefficient ventilation.

Often, when designing houses, owners refuse to install supply and exhaust systems so as not to spend money on the development of project documentation, the purchase of equipment, and its maintenance. The result of such savings is constant dampness in the room, and it is no longer necessary to wonder where the mold came from in the bungalow.

What threatens mold?

The appearance of a fungus in a bungalow violates sanitary and hygienic standards: the guest house becomes uninhabitable. But the guests themselves will not want to stay in such a room: it looks untidy, the air smells of dampness and rot. Mold growth leads to:

• Damage to finishing materials: wallpaper moves away from the walls, paint crumbles, the floor begins to creak and rot, the room needs repairs.
• Dilapidation of textiles: curtains, bed linen, furniture upholstery. All this also needs to be replaced.
• Corrosion of supporting structures: the bungalow loses its strength, and becomes dangerous for living.
• Creating a fire hazard situation: the insulation of the wires cracks, the cable is exposed, the risk of a short circuit increases.
• The fungus harms not only the environment but also the person. Disputes provoke the development of chronic asthma, respiratory diseases, allergies, leading to acute toxic poisoning.

The controlling authorities will most certainly close the dangerous facility and impose penalties on the hotel, which will lead to losses and a serious blow to the reputation. To avoid this, it is necessary to protect the bungalow from the fungus.

How to remove mold from a bungalow?

The first step is to understand where the mold came from. Its spores are present everywhere, but they begin to develop only when they enter a favorable environment: damp, dark, and musty. Mechanical ventilation effectively copes with these problems: it accelerates the air masses around the room, keeps them in motion, and normalizes air humidity.
The second step is to eliminate the grown colonies. For this you need:

• Take out all the furniture affected by the fungus from the guest house: it needs insolation.
• Boil textiles (curtains, linen) or wash with a disinfectant.
• Replace affected trim elements (e.g. wallpaper) with new ones. If somewhere the mold has eaten into the walls or floor: carefully scrape off with metal brushes, and treat the surface with a protective compound.

The third step is to make sure that mold does not appear in the future. An effective method of protection against fungus: creating a good ventilation system.

Ventilation as a method of protecting the bungalow from mold

The organization of ventilation as a preventive measure will once and for all forget about the problem with dampness, and its main consequence – mold. To do this, you do not need to purchase expensive electrical equipment: you can create inexpensive but effective ventilation if you use solar-powered devices. This will get rid of fungal colonies and optimize maintenance costs.
The use of solar air collectors is a popular practice in European countries. Their installation does not require the development of project documentation, or coordination with regulatory authorities, and does not create a load on the power grid. Collectors work autonomously, they do not need constant human control. This is environmentally friendly and silent equipment that does not disturb the comfort of guests.
Mold in a bungalow causes serious damage. To prevent them, it is worth considering the creation of a well-thought-out ventilation system. This can be done with minimal spending by using solar-powered devices.

Remove mold from guest house