Basement Mould Problems

[August 18, 2003]

Q. I have patches of white fuzzy growth on my basement concrete floor. There is evidence of moisture seepage in the area. There is another area of the basement near this one that appears to have had mildew growth on the sheetrock near the floor level. That area does not appear to remain damp. The white fuzzies have turned black and when hit with Clorox bleach they appear to return in a short period of time. The basement has on occasion had that basement smell, I think this might come from excess moisture in the area, I am not sure. Any advice that you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

 A. Your first step should be to test the air of the basement, all rooms above, attic, and the outward air flow from heating/cooling ducts for the possible presence of elevated levels of airborne mould spores, which, if present, would indicate a possible health problem, especially if the mould test results should higher levels of mould indoors compared to the outdoor control test. You can hire one of our Certified Mould Inspectors. Your next step is to stop water entry into your basement. You might want to get recommendations and bids from several basement waterproofing companies [waterproofing has to be done on the outside of basement walls and foundations]. Water problems mean mould problems for your house. A third step would be the placement of a high capacity dehumidifier into your basement that is programmable to run to keep the basement humidity level at 30 to 40%, rather than 60% or higher that makes mould growth possible. A fourth step would be to kill and remove visible mould growth. Follow the suggestions provided at Mould Removal The moldy sheetrock needs to be removed and discarded. Any moldy timbers will need either to be replaced or have all mould removed as deep into the wood as the mould has grown. The cleaned out, mould remediated areas will need 2 wet sprayings of antimicrobial protective coating.
 

[August 5, 2003]

Q. I finished a basement last year and moved in December. The last few months in Ohio have been very wet. A wet sour smell started in my wall near the sliding door. I could not stand the smell. We ran the dehumidifier in the room all the time, pulling 2 gallons out a day. I know that when we put up the insulation in the month of July, we noticed that the vapor wrap around the door had moisture behind it. I went to the Internet to make sure what we were doing was the right thing. I was confident enough to go ahead and continue putting up the vapor wrap. I have since had a 3x3 foot hole cut into the drywall. The dry wall was very dry. Behind the plastic in-between the double layer of insulation near the door in the middle was very wet and the start of mould, but down on the foundation stud was a strange and smelly pile of mould. I have seen mould grow in a way of looking like spores. This was really weird to be in a pile about 2 inches with a very wet content. I was able to just pick the pile up with a bag. It almost looked like a very large pile of mouse droppings but very moist and it would almost break apart. At first sight I thought it might be something dead but there were no bones. I do think that the initial mould on the insulation would be from the seem around the door. We are going to reseal around the door on the out side. This other thing has me upside down. I don’t know where to go with it. Any ideas ?

A. You need to send a sample both the wet mould and the other discovered mould growths to our Mold Inspector Laboratory for mould analysis and mould identification. There is a serious possibility that the wet mould is the deadly toxic mould Stachybotrys which thrives in on-going wet conditions. You also need to mould test the air of all rooms of your basement, rooms upstairs, attic, and the outward flow from heating/cooling ducts for the possible presence of elevated levels of airborne mould spores, which, if present, are an indication of a possible mould infestation problem. In the area of the water intrusion around the sliding door, you need to remove and discard all affected building materials, seal the area against future water intrusion [seal from the outside of course], treat the cleaned out areas with antimicrobial protective coating, and then re-test the area and the room air to make sure you have solved the mould problems before you rebuild with new building materials. Follow the mould remediation tips at Mould Removal. You can also conduct your own mould inspection and testing by using a Do-it-BEST-yourself Mold Test Kits.
 

[August 1, 2003]

Q. I moved into my house around 3 years ago, the house sat empty for about 1 1/2 years with no power. Unfortunately the sump pump wasn't working, because of the power being turned off, which left two feet of water standing in the basement for quite sometime. Since the problem was found, the basement was pumped out and a new sump pump was installed, meanwhile, mould and mildew was building up on the floor joists above. Since I have moved in, I have had no trouble with water in the basement, just very damp. I run a dehumidifier as often as I can, but this isn't satisfying enough. First, I need some answers on the best way to remove the mould/mildew and the terrible smell. Second, what can I do to keep my basement not have so much moisture? Purchase a second dehumidifier?

A. Purchase a digital hygrometer [about $30 from Home Depot, Lowe's or a large hardware store] to monitor the humidity level in your basement, all rooms of your home, and your attic. If the indoor humidity is 60% or greater some or all of the year, that is enough moisture in the air to cause massive mould infestation both in your basement and through out the home. By having had standing water in the basement before you bought it and visible mould growth on your basement ceiling, there is a very good chance that you have substantial mould growth in the floor and walls above the basement and that your home's heating/cooling equipment and ducts are mould-contaminated. Your first step is to thoroughly inspect and mould test your entire home to determine how widespread mould infestation is. Use our do it yourself mould test kits or hire one of our Certified Mould Inspectors. Because of the large volume of water [which would have caused mould-causing high humidity] standing for so long, there is a likelihood that mould remediation of your home is going to cost thousands of dollars or tens of thousands of dollars. Please read and follow the detailed steps required for effective mould removal at: Mould Removal.


................................................
Also visit these pages---
[Mould Testing][ New York City Mould Guidelines] [Clothes Mould] [Recreational Vehicle Mould Problems] [Wall Paper Mould] [Air Conditioning, Heating, and HVAC Mould Problems] [Crawl Space Mould] [Top Ten Mold Mistakes To Avoid][Bathroom Mould] [Basement Mould] [Chlorine Bleach is Not Effective to Kill Mould] [Siding Mould] [Roof Leaks and Mould Problems] [OHSA Mould Guidelines] [Laundry Room and Washing Machine Mould Problems]