Concrete is one of the most excellent materials that one can use when choosing some for driveways, patios, sidewalks, floors, and basement walls.
It is also one of the most robust materials used in the construction business. However, because of its porous consistency, it is prone to mold infection.
This happens when moisture gets trapped inside the tiny nooks and crannies. The mold then takes root in these small nooks and crannies, and the mold then spreads after it has taken root and overgrows.
Before long, you see that your once beautiful patio, driveway, basement wall, or floor is now looking ugly due to the growth of black mold all over it.
Apart from being ugly, your patio, driveway, basement wall, and floor are now hazardous to your health and the health of your family.
This is because black mold can cause serious health problems, and it can also trigger the allergy of people with such conditions.
It can also cause young children to develop respiratory problems, and this is possibly one of the things that lead to asthma (We do not have proof of this at the moment, but it is perhaps likely).
Due to this, every homeowner should get rid of the black mold that appears in the concrete in any part of the house to prevent such situations from happening.
Knowing how to remove the black mold effectively from all concrete will also help homeowners maintain the aesthetics of their homes and prevent any severe health infections that the black mold could have caused.
One of the best ways to remove black mold effectively from your concrete is by applying bleach solution, laundry detergent, and water to the areas that have been affected by the black mold.
Of course, just applying the bleach solution would not work unless you scrub the area as well.
In this article, we will look in-depth at how one can get rid of the black mold that appears in the concrete around their homes.
This article will be looking at how the black molds form in the first place before going to how you can get rid of them once they appear.
We will also be looking at how to prevent the black mold from returning, although driveways are places where you cannot possibly stop moisture from gathering since it is at the mercy of the weather all year round.
Table of Contents
Can Black Mold Grow Out On Concrete?
Most people are not aware that black molds can grow on concrete due to the complex nature of the concrete.
Black mold can grow almost anywhere on concrete, but the most likely place for the black mold to succeed is the concrete’s shady areas.
The areas do not usually get sunlight due to a shade blocking the sunlight. Other places where the black mold can overgrow are the steps, driveways, and the patio since they do not get direct sunlight to dry out the moisture.
The north-facing side of the wall is also infested with black mold. Simply put, any part of the concrete that does not get enough sunlight due to a shade blocking out the sun is a good candidate for the growth of black mold.
The black mold can grow out in places where water collects due to a leaky pipe resulting from rainwater seeping through the foundation and pooling under the concrete.
And we already know that concrete is porous, so this makes it a good candidate for the growth of black mold as the water keeps pooling under the concrete.
The growth of black mold is more seen in regions that generally experience hot and humid weather.
When black mold grows out on the concrete, you usually see them as black or green splotches on the concrete.
The molds can be white, although people commonly confuse this with efflorescence. However, efflorescence is when salt builds up on the concrete after the water evaporates into the porous surfaces of the concrete, leaving behind the salt that was inside the water.
Is Black Mold On Concrete Dangerous?
Just the same way black mold growing on the walls inside the house can be ugly looking and harmful to human health, black mold growing out of concrete can also be dangerous to the health of humans.
Black molds can cause serious health problems, and you and your family, especially the younger ones, must be rid of them as soon as possible.
Black molds can cause allergies to aggravate, cause asthma to get attacks, and irritate the nose, eyes, and throat of people who come into contact with it.
Apart from causing harm to people’s health, it can also cause severe damage to your property if it goes unchecked.
This happens when the black molds spread around the concrete to the wood used to construct the building.
When you are getting rid of black mold from inside your house, it is advisable to wear protective clothing so that you do not contact the mold spores.
The same is true for removing the black mold from the concrete walls outside.
What Can I Use To Kill Black Mold On Concrete?
You can use several things to get rid of black mold from your concrete and restore the beauty of your patio, driveway, and basement walls.
We will take a look at some of the things that you can use to get rid of the black molds that have appeared in your concrete walls, that is if you have any.
Even if you do not have any black molds in your concrete walls, it is advisable to know how to deal with them so that should they finally appear on your concrete, you would know how to deal with them.
Now, let us look at the things you can use to get rid of black mold on concrete.
Liquid Laundry Detergent
When looking to get rid of black mold on concrete, one of the most influential and common ways to do that is to use liquid laundry detergent.
Liquid laundry detergent is one of the best ways to get rid of black mold in the concrete.
Bleach
Using bleach is also another way to get rid of black mold. Apart from killing the black mold from the root, the bleach also prevents the black mold from returning to the concrete again.
How To Clean Black Mold Off Concrete Walls
To clean the black mold off the concrete walls, you can start by cleaning the surface of the concrete with a hose with running water.
This will remove most of the mold from the surface, allowing you to deal with the roots where the spores are.
However, if the concrete you are cleaning the black mold off is inside the house, you can use an unwanted sponge to scrub the black mold away.
Make sure to throw the sponge away after you have used it to scrub the black mold on the concrete wall.
Using a scraper will also help achieve the same results as the hose and the sponge.
However, you should also bear in mind that scrubbing the black mold off does not mean that the root which contains the spores has been cleaned off.
No. you would need to deal with that after scrubbing the initial mold off the surface of the concrete.
Once the root of the mold is still there, the black mold will surely grow back out again.
Getting rid of the mold under the surface of the concrete will require cleaners that can penetrate the concrete.
Although bleach effectively kills black mold, the surface tension does not make it the ideal product to use since the surface tension of concrete is not suitable for soaking.
In this case, using laundry detergent is much better than bleach.
Below is how to use laundry detergent to kill the root of the black mold inside the concrete.
- You create a solution meant for cleaning by mixing one cup of laundry detergent with a gallon of water.
- Now apply the laundry detergent solution to the floor where the black mold roots are. The answer will then soak into the pores of the concrete and kill the origins of the black mold completely. Ensure to saturate the surface enough with the laundry detergent, and then use a brush to ensure that the solution has penetrated the concrete.
- After the complete process, rinse that part of the surface concrete with clean water. You can use a hose if the concrete is outside the house or a mob if the concrete is inside the house.
- You should repeat the process if you see some mold still present in the concrete. You can use this process for all the other concrete parts that you may have infected with the black mold.
- Now, create a bleach solution by mixing one cup of bleach with a gallon of water inside a spray bottle and then spray the treated surface of the concrete with the solution and then allow it to dry. This will act as a shield in preventing the black mold from trying to grow back out again. It will prevent any new mold spores from taking root.
Using white vinegar To Clean Black Mold Of Concrete Walls
If you do not have bleach or laundry detergent available, you can use white vinegar if you happen to have that around.
The acid present inside the white vinegar can instantly kill the black molds. You can follow the same process as the one shown above when using white vinegar to remove the black mold in the concrete.
The white vinegar solution should be three parts water and one part vinegar. After that, you apply the solution to the concrete floor where the black mold is with a scrubbing brush.
Make sure that the solution penetrates the pores of the concrete so that it can kill off the black mold spores to prevent any future growth.
For black molds that are stubborn, allow the vinegar solution to soak into the concrete for some time before you scrub the area with the brush.
Doing this will help to prevent any future growth of the black mold.
Using Pressure Washer
Using pressure water is one of the best ways to get rid of black mold from concrete. This is the best way to deal with large areas of concrete that have been affected by black mold.
Using a pressure washer allows you to cover more ground easily while removing the black mold. It is advisable to use a pressure washer that has a pressure of between 1000 to 2000 PSI.
This creates a force strong enough to wash the black mold off the concrete along with the roots as well.
When you use a pressure washer, using only water alone is not enough, you would need to add a mold and mildew concentrate in the tank containing the water.
Using Mold Armor
This uses a chlorine-based solution that penetrates the concrete easier to deal with the black mold toots. It makes the removal of black molds outside relatively easy.
Conclusion
So this is how you can get rid of black mold in the concrete around your house. There are many ways to get this done. And some of the most common and easy ways have been mentioned in this article.
Make sure to wear protective clothing before going out there to face the mold. Always make sure to get rid of the black mold in your house when you see some in your home.
You can also check out how to remove black mold from the shower, bathroom sealant, and ceiling.
