Mold in Basement Tips

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When I discovered we had black mold in our basement after a severe flood, I thought I had seen the last of it after a thorough cleaning. About a week ago I discovered that the toxic fungus was back.

And the cause? It wasn’t because of hidden mold as I initially assumed. It was because of a water drainage problem that happens in basements all around the Midwest every time it rains.

The worst part is, I soon learned that not only was the water drainage a problem, I’d also become affected by the musty smell of the fungus. Unfortunately there’s not a lot that can be done about the drainage I’ve learned.

However, keeping the basement dry using dehumidifiers and a sump pump have been of some help. Still, it’s back to cleaning up the mess once again.

While removing the mold may seem like a difficult task – just swipe with a cleaner and you’re done, right? Wrong. It’s not that easy. So you’ll want to pick a day when you have several hours to devote to this task.

I know it may seem like a real pain, but it’s better to tackle this problem than let things get worse. And if you live in a state where water drainage in basements is a problem, believe me it will get worse.

So arm yourself with a pair of rubber gloves, a paper surgical mask, a scrubbing brush, dry rags and a good black mold spray that can get the job done permanently without damaging the environment or your health (you’ve already got enough to worry about with toxic mold poisoning.).

Now, before you begin, remove and seal anything in a bag that has a porous (absorbent) surface and get rid of it. I know this sounds pretty darn extreme, but since mold tends to hide deep down below the surface of porous materials, they generally can’t be cleaned (ex. Insulation).

And unfortunately drywall happens to be one of them. If the surface is non-porous, you can safely scrub the material with the fungal cleaner and a brush.

You’ll want to start by ensuring that there are no leaky pipes or cracks in the walls. If there are, you’ll need to replace the pipes or repair the cracks. Also check for gaps in the window seals.

After all of the repairs have been made, follow the manufacturer’s directions on the mold spray and use the scrub brush to thoroughly clean the surface area.

Next, rinse the area with water and dry it with a clean rag or old towel.

Once all of the affected areas have been cleaned you can use a dehumidifier to remove any remaining moisture in the room.

To help prevent a future mold problem when possible, you may want to consider painting your basement walls and floors with a paint that is specifically made to resist mold. You may also want to consider storing items such as seasonal clothing, cardboard and other porous materials elsewhere.

And to help assure of items being damaged from future mold in basement problems, consider raising furniture and other removable materials off of the floor and away from walls.