Basement Mold Questions and Answers
Q. We have a problem
with what we think is mold. Last summer the water company delivered a water
meter that was covered in 'white stuff' and we foolishly allowed them to put
it in our house. Now we have little white hairy patches growing in several
places in the basement. My husband has used Clorox and borax according to
directions...and everything else he can think of. Nothing seems to eradicate
this problem. Is there another method he should be using? The basement is
being heated, but the house is closed up for the winter months. [June 13,
2003]
A. You need to first stop water
intrusion if you want to stop mold growth. Use a digital hygrometer [$30
from Home Depot or Lowe's] to check the humidity level in all rooms of the
house, crawl space, basement, attic, etc. throughout the year. You must keep
year-round humidity to no more than 30 to 40% to discourage mold growth.
Check your roof very carefully for any water leaks. Check your plumbing
{water supply as well as drain pipes] for any possible leaks. A
Certified
Mold Inspector can use a hidden moisture meter to scan all of your
ceilings, floors, and walls for hidden moisture problems. If you have
secured your home against water problems, read the detailed mold
remediation tips at
Mold
Removal.
Q.
We are in the process of buying a house. During the whole home inspection,
the inspector found evidence that there had been water problems that had
been improperly fixed. We had a company that deals with water proofing
basements etc come in to do an estimate. Their person found mold in the
crawlspace. My questions are: if the
moisture problems in the crawlspace are fixed properly and we then had the
duct work scrubbed and sanitized, would the house be safe? If there is mold
in other areas of the house now, would it die if the moisture problems are
successfully dealt with? What other issues should we be looking out for?
Should we just walk (run?) away from this home if we can? We know this
is a costly problem - we would be requiring the seller to pay for any work
that needs to be done. [June 9, 2003]
A. The water problems in the basement and crawl space can cause mold
infestation not only in the exposed wood of the crawl space area/basement,
but also into the floors and ceilings of the rooms above the basement/crawl
space. It is very likely that the mold remediation of the house you are
thinking of buying will cost from thousands of dollars to tens of thousands
of dollars. Obtain from the home seller a 21 day extension in the scheduled
real estate closing date to allow enough time for comprehensive mold inspection, and testing,
and for obtaining mold remediation bids from reputable, experienced,
well-trained
Certified Mold Remediators. You will need to hire a
Certified
Mold Inspector completely and thoroughly
inspect and mold test the entire house including inside the flooring above
the crawl space/basement, inside all walls above that area, and inside
heating/air conditioning ducts and equipment. In addition there need to be
air tests done in the crawl space/basement areas, all rooms of the house,
plus crawl space, basement, and attic for elevated levels of airborne mold
spores, a sure sign, if present, of a serious mold problem. |
Toxic
Mold Inspection 
