Mold on wallpaper? Why does it happen and what to do about it?
Usually, it is pure horror. After years, you move the fridge and find areas with mold on the wallpaper, or you take down the curtains to give them a wash and here, too you find mold on the wallpaper. The first questions usually are, where does the mold on the wall come from and why exactly did it find the good conditions to grow here and how to go about mold remediation.
Immediate construction defects are not always the reasons behind mold growth. A reason for mold on wallpaper and/or mold on the wall could be for example that a cupboard stood too closely to the wall (only for exterior walls) leading to the dew point falling low which causes the condensation of water on the wall. This water cannot evaporate easily enough due to the cupboard. This allows for good growing conditions for mildew and mold on the wall.
The same applies for mold on wallpaper behind heavy window curtains. Here too, the reason for mold on the wallpaper and/or mold on the wall is often the condensation of water.
In order to control mold growth you should leave a gap of 10cm between the wall and the cupboard or heavy curtains or replace them with lighter curtains made of material which is permeable to air. Taking these measures should remove the good growing conditions for mold on wallpaper.
Mold remediation for affected areas can be down as described below...
First of all you should take down the moldy wallpaper, generously. In order to avoid mold spores to get airborne it is important to soak the affected wallpaper with water. Should you find mold on the wall underneath the wallpaper this area should be washed down with strong alcohol of 80% alcohol per volume. (For mold remediation with alcohol open the windows to ensure good ventilation and do not smoke or work with naked flames. Fire Hazard!) Afterwards you can burn the affected areas with a gas burner. Again, make sure that all flammable materials are removed and the alcohol has evaporated completely. Before re-wallpapering the area leave it to air properly and heat the room so that any remaining residual water in the wall can vaporise.
After this treatment and taking precautions the mold on wallpaper should not return. In case mold on wallpaper does return there might be other reasons and causes for it.
Again, please note that for large scale of mold growth (greater 0.5m²) a certified specialist company for mold remediation should be consulted in order to identify the exact causes for mold on the wall or mold on the wallpaper.
Best of luck with your mold remediation!
