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…
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.
Basement mold is the most common mold that you will encounter in your home. This is because the basement is underground and is usually not developed as the rest of the house, and so is the perfect breeding ground for basement mold. It is often a storage area where there is little heat and it is also where moisture can build up from condensation on the pipes or even a leak. The mold can actually build up quite a bit in the basement if you do not keep a close watch on the conditions, such as excess moisture and damp conditions which are the prime breeding areas for basement mold.
Once mold spores settle in your basement, they will keep growing. Mold in basements can be found on wood, ceiling tiles, wallpaper, cement, sheet rock and insulation. There is no realistic way to get rid of all the basement mold that you have because mold spores are everywhere. Once you do find mold in the basement, though, you have to look at methods of basement mold removal.
http://www.waterproofingpa.com/
Are mold and mildew the same? Would you use the same abatement process on both?
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.
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.
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.
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?
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
Thanks, all. Second opinion seems like the way to go, getting that going now.
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.