Saltpeter is a phenomenon that often affects the walls of houses. These whitish halos make the paint applied to them rub off and are at the origin of the take-off of the wallpapers. This is how this problem becomes a real headache for everyone since saltpeter can reach any room of the house including the basement. So how to get rid of saltpeter in a basement? What are the best treatments that can be used to solve this problem? Groupe Fissure Expert offers you the solution you need.
What to know about saltpeter?
Saltpeter is indeed a compound containing mineral salts that is caused by high humidity in the walls (especially those inside). Beyond the destruction of paint and the take-off of wallpapers and coatings, it generates a bad atmosphere that does not facilitate breathing. It is recognized by the appearance of whitish-colored surfaces on the walls with mold as well as cracks. Capillary rise and poor ventilation are the main causes of moisture that causes the presence of saltpeter.
Saltpeter on the basement walls
When it comes to the walls of a basement, saltpeter is often more intense, as it is due to the infiltration of water into them. However, the peculiarity here lies in the fact that the rooms in the basement are not often places to live. Indeed, since no one usually lives in these spaces, we often do not bother to block moisture more firmly. This subsequently causes the lack of ventilation of the structure of the walls. However, it is necessary to give importance to the condition of the walls of the house especially if they are underground. Removing moisture from underground walls also prevents a foundation crack.
How to get rid of saltpeter?
Rest assured, the treatment of saltpeter in a wall does not involve major insulation work. At this level, you can get closer to a specialist like the Groupe Fissure Expert in order to obtain the solution to your wall degradation concerns.
By the way, we offer several treatments to eliminate saltpeter. However, some preliminary work must be done in order to find the ideal treatment for your wall. It is important to know the origin of the capillary rises and for this we must determine the source of moisture. This diagnosis is very difficult to carry out yourself and that is why we offer you the best diagnosis possible. Once the origin of the moisture is determined, we can now move on to the equivalent treatment.
The different treatments of saltpeter
Depending on the importance of moisture, we can apply various treatments for saltpeter. For an unburied wall, the work is done in two stages. It will be a question of eliminating saltpeter in the first place by brushing and energetic scraping.
Then we apply an anti-saltpeter product in order to make the stone salt disappear on your walls. This product helps treat moisture by blocking the rise of potassium salts from saltpeter. Among other things, it prevents the entry of water into the wall from the outside once dried.
When it comes to saltpeter on a basement wall, the treatment is a little bit different. The best way to eradicate it is to use a casing coating on the walls. This product is applied after passing a layer of anti-saltpeter product on the wall following brushing and scraping. The casing coating is to be applied according to the humidity of the wall. For this, it is possible to pass more than one layer of the product (one layer is carried out if the humidity is low and two layers if it is relatively moderate).
In addition, it is quite possible to apply a third layer of two kilograms per square meter. Strengthening the saltpeter treatment often involves the use of a microporous paint or an anti-moisture paint. Anti-moisture paint forms a layer that prevents moisture from rising, but it is best suited for unburied walls. Microporous paint is more suitable for basement walls in order to preserve the good condition of the foundation of your home.
Moreover, saltpeter is very common on our walls especially if they are victims of poor ventilation. The best way to get rid of it is to trust the specialists that we are. Fissure Expert sets up a treatment adapted to the situation, while taking into account the importance of moisture and also the type of wall to be treated.
