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January 16, 2008
mold
Our main waste line backed up; the plumber, clearing the clog put waste water on the floor of an already damp basement (there have been repeated dampening incidents over years). We did our best to dry it, but mold has quickly appeared in that area.
Worse: a contractor, brought in to assess, inspected the entire basement and found mold on all walls throughout, front to back, c. 1000 sq. ft., not just in the wet area. Scary. He advises a big abatement job: three chemicals, wire-brushing, cement, HEPA vaccumming, paint, and intallation of a mega dehumidifer venting to the outside. And advises: "Don't use bleach" -- contradicting advice already received.
Does anyone have a sense of whether this makes sense, is overkill, will or won't work, etc.? Thanks for any thoughts.
Comments
What was his reason not to use bleach?
While Im sure there are other chemicals that do the job, Id be concerned about the health effects of those just as much as the mold.
Posted by: Mrs. Limestone at January 16, 2008 9:28 AM
Is this a finished or unfinished basement? Basement or cellar? What kinds of surfaces is the mold growing on? Can you see it in the dry areas or is it just the contractor's word? Is your basement vented to the outside? Other than this event, is your basement usually dry or damp? Hard to know what is really going on without some more detail. You might have a serious problem or the mold contractor might be taking you for a ride.
Posted by: slopefarm at January 16, 2008 9:46 AM
Thanks --
On the bleach issue: a mixture of water and bleach only adds more moisture, making it a temporary fix at best.
The cellar is broken-up cement floor; very old foundation walls (1840's), some with very old, crumbling paint; old and cracked plaster ceiling. Mold is growing on wood, brick; some stored items. I see it in the dry areas (checked what he said against some pictures). Not vented except by air moving through the front hatch. Usually a dry floor but very humid air long after any rain, etc.; plus intermittent incidents have made the floor repeatedly wet.
Posted by: whogeland at January 16, 2008 9:58 AM
I don't know what to recommend on the mold removal. I've luckily not had that problem. BUT, I have a country home with a damp basement and the one thing that helps is to install a 4" or 5" radon fan (Google radon fan) vented outside. You have to have an exit point that will accomodate a 4" or 5" PVC pipe to the outside.
It does a great job at venting the moisture-laden air out of the house. There does however have to be an outside air inlet to "draw" air through the basement. This is not normally an issue in any old basements with bilkos, coal shutes and other covered access points...i.e. they are all "leaking" air into the basement.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at January 16, 2008 10:08 AM
I could go either way on whether the contractor is right ro recommending overkill. One thing to consider is finding a way to bring two vents into the basement. This helps circulate air so the moisture doesn't hang around so much, and it helps the boiler run more efficiency while reducing the potential for a buildup of carbon monoxide levels. While removing the mold is important, you need a strategy for greatly lowering the odds that it will come back.
A 1-2 combo of bleach and detergent (I forget the order) is commonly recommended; you might start with that plus a dehumidifier (dumping the buckets if venting the dehumidifier to the outside is too difficult), but consider bringing in someone to run vents to circulate air into the cellar. More of a handyman/low level contractor than a mold guy for that job.
But I could see going with the mold guy instead of the bleach, if confirmed by a second opinion from another mold specialist.
Posted by: slopefarm at January 16, 2008 10:14 AM
The only materials in your basement where you could have a serious mold problem would be the plaster and to a lesser extent wood, which usually does not touch the ground. It is very hard for mold to grow on brick or cement.
Posted by: guest at January 16, 2008 10:38 AM
After you remove the mold however you do it, definitely immediately get a dehumidifier. Ours fills up with water entirely (it's a big one too) twice a day every day in Summer, and our English basement isn't even that damp compared to others.
Posted by: guest at January 16, 2008 1:17 PM
Thanks, all. Second opinion seems like the way to go, getting that going now.
Posted by: whogeland at January 16, 2008 2:17 PM
Contractor is FOS. Mold is the New Asbestos, everyone's looking to make a killing.
It's a pretty simple subject, look around the net and you'll find a lot.
There are two steps needed in mold remediation, and the first and most important is to ELIMINATE THE SOURCE of the moisture. Mold spores are everywhere, they can lay dormant forever. THey come to life when there is a food source combined with a water source. So take the advice of others and get yourself a dehumidifier and some kinda vent system.
THEN go after the mold. A 20-25% dilute solution of bleach is preferred. All bleach is too strong and could hurt you.
If ya don't believe me, see
http://www.cdc.gov/mold/stachy.htm
Denton
Posted by: denton at January 16, 2008 3:43 PM
You have a old basement, you have mold. Simple as that. As long as it's not growing, then don't worry about it. I agree with Denton's advice: dehumidify and vent. Then bleach. Why did the first contractor recommend against bleach?
Posted by: guest at January 16, 2008 4:33 PM
I also have a mold issue and mustiness in my basement. Who can I call to install a proper venting system and dehumidifier that does not need regular attention. I do not live on the premises so I'm looking to have a system installed that will take care of itself. Does such a thing actually exist? Who would install it? Thanks.
Posted by: guest at January 16, 2008 5:30 PM
I agree with Denton. I'm an architect and I've heard the phrase "Mold is Gold" recited like mantra by home inspectors and abatement contractors. Calm down. Stop the source of moisture. Dry out.
Posted by: HDL at January 16, 2008 5:47 PM
we did our own abatement and while it was a pain in the butt it worked. we did basically gut the floor which we were going to do anyway so this may not be an option for you.
what we did was a lot of research on solutions used to kill mold (we settled on a bleach mixture), we both wore full body tyvek suits taped at the wrists and gloves, and high quality particle masks. we sprayed everything down as we went and we carefully double bagged everything and moved the bags outside as we went along. once we were done we had a waste removal guy take all of the garbage away immediately. then we left everything bare and have made sure to keep the space dry ever since, there is now no mold growth anywhere.
as someone stated earlier though, the first order of business is to stop any water penetration at the source or nothing will work.
Posted by: guest at January 16, 2008 7:59 PM
Are mold and mildew the same? Would you use the same abatement process on both?
Posted by: guest at January 16, 2008 8:43 PM
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