The sound of rain can be very relaxing, or stressful, if you have humidity problems in your home. In addition to being an aesthetic problem, saltpetre on the walls of your home is a problem that in the long term can cause structural damage and represent a risk to our health.
Saltpeter is the deposit of mineral salts that form when potassium nitrate, found in house building materials such as cement or brick, comes into contact with oxygen and excess moisture.
Mold spores, humidity and saltpetre can also be risky for our health, as they can promote the development of respiratory diseases such as asthma, sinusitis, bronchitis or allergies.
Recognizing saltpetre is very simple: it appears in the form of whitish or grey “crystals” on the walls and causes the paint to come off easily.
Removing saltpeter from walls is not an easy task and there is no product capable of eliminating it. Below we suggest a trick to contain the problem.
You need:
- A wire brush
- A bottle of muriatic acid
- A brush
- A container with water and soap
- Cement
- A sealing product
- Paint
To remove saltpetre from the walls of your home, proceed as follows:
- Wear a mask, gloves and safety glasses. With the help of the wire brush, remove all the saltpeter from the walls of the house. Immediately after, pour a glass of muriatic acid and three of water into a container and mix with a brush.
- Spread the solution with the brush. Don’t be alarmed if you notice a kind of foam: it is the result of the effect of the acid on the saltpeter. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then scrub the wall with soap and water. Rinse and blot with a clean cloth.
- Once the wall is completely dry, mix the cement or stucco to patch the wall. Let the material dry then apply a moisture sealant. Let it sit for 24 hours between coats.
- Finally, it’s time to repaint the wall to bring it back to its original appearance.
The trick described above is not always effective. Sometimes it may be necessary to apply it every two or three years, as the saltpetre tends to recur.
