# Mold - Help me rid my basement of this Formidable Foe! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 2, 2005, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mold-help-me-rid-my-basement-of-this-formidable-foe/329092 "2005-11-02T16:15:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mold-help-me-rid-my-basement-of-this-formidable-foe/329092/1 "2005-11-02T16:15:52Z")
After much discussion and a very bad event - will explain later - my wife and I are back in Connecticut. The home we are renting (whilst looking to buy) has a distinct smell in the basement. Upon closer inspection I see mold. I do not think it is in the dry wall, but I can see it between some of the insulation in the floor boards. My allergies along with my wifes, have been going apeshit. Will running a dehumidifier help that much? What else can I do? HELP!!! ---
**Author:** ![eviladam\_part\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/da6949/32.png) [@eviladam\_part\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eviladam_part_2)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mold-help-me-rid-my-basement-of-this-formidable-foe/329092/2 "2005-11-02T16:19:01Z")
try some mold killer, or anti-mold products. ---
**Author:** ![Rouge\_Mod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8dc957/32.png) [@Rouge\_Mod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rouge_Mod)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mold-help-me-rid-my-basement-of-this-formidable-foe/329092/3 "2005-11-02T16:23:25Z")
> [@eviladam](#): > > try some mold killer, or anti-mold products. Good ideas. I would also recommend an anti-mold agent. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mold-help-me-rid-my-basement-of-this-formidable-foe/329092/4 "2005-11-02T16:28:23Z")
As someone with really bad mold allergies, my advice to you is to look for another house that doesn’t have this problem. You’re renting. Consider it a gift from Og that you found this out now before you bought the house. You may eliminate the mold, but will you be able to fully address what made the house vulnerable to that problem to begin with? Whatever this house has going for it, it’s not worth your health. It \*might \* be worth the money to fix, but not worth ongoing health problems. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mold-help-me-rid-my-basement-of-this-formidable-foe/329092/5 "2005-11-02T16:29:49Z")
> [@Harriet the Spry](#): > > As someone with really bad mold allergies, my advice to you is to look for another house that doesn’t have this problem. You’re renting. Consider it a gift from Og that you found this out now before you bought the house. > > You may eliminate the mold, but will you be able to fully address what made the house vulnerable to that problem to begin with? > > Whatever this house has going for it, it’s not worth your health. It \*might \* be worth the money to fix, but not worth ongoing health problems. I agree. But we are not buying this house…just renting it from a relative until we find a house to buy or build. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mold-help-me-rid-my-basement-of-this-formidable-foe/329092/6 "2005-11-02T16:30:41Z")
Mold in Basement veteran: I run a most Energy efficient De-Humidifier I could find. I used lots of rags and spray bleach. I bleach cleaned walls, rafters and furniture. \*\*It was a lot of work. \*\* I used a small window fan to exhaust the air out of the basement while I was working. I have aggressively attacked the leaks in my basement with Pipe Repairs. (Done) Waterproof where the Cinder Block and Cement floor come together. I use a Hydraulic cement and Dry-Loc water proofing paint. My basement is much better than it was. Cleaning the rafters was a nasty job but needed. \*\*It was a lot of work. \*\* Bleach is a great and cheap mold killer. \*\*It was a lot of work. \*\* Jim ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mold-help-me-rid-my-basement-of-this-formidable-foe/329092/7 "2005-11-02T16:30:54Z")
As I read it again, may be it isn’t this house you are looking to buy. Still, mold can be a serious problem and is probably something your landlord is accountable to fix. It may even be a reason for you to break your lease. Look into what your state has to say from a landlord/tenant/building code perspective. ---
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mold-help-me-rid-my-basement-of-this-formidable-foe/329092/8 "2005-11-02T16:32:49Z")
Any mold that you would kill would be visable only–what about the mold that you can’t see? I’m not trying to contribute to paranoia, but there’s been some disturbing media reports on the hazards of mold. Personally, I’d bow out of the rental asap. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mold-help-me-rid-my-basement-of-this-formidable-foe/329092/9 "2005-11-02T16:35:30Z")
And now I see you’re renting from a relative. So I change my advice to, they better let you out of that lease! But if you do decide to get this cleaned up, don’t have the mold-allergic people (you) do the cleaning, and ask a professional how long you should stay out of the house. Because the cleaning process stirs up the mold into the air. You could get really sick. Another short-term alternative might be to find a way to seal off the affected areas. Can you close the doors and any ventilation to affected rooms? If it’s something like the whole downstairs, though, this is probably not realistic. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mold-help-me-rid-my-basement-of-this-formidable-foe/329092/10 "2005-11-02T16:37:52Z")
Does anyone else think that while Mold is a problem, the current frenzy over it is over the top? Some hard work and a good de-humidifier should rectify the situation. If renting, I would discuss it with the landlord and see if they will compensate you in reduced rent for the clean up. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mold-help-me-rid-my-basement-of-this-formidable-foe/329092/11 "2005-11-02T16:46:14Z")
If you are allergic, it’s not over the top. You really shouldn’t be living around it. My mother and I have both gotten very sick from this on separate occasions, she had to be hospitalized. Sure, like everything for some people this is the “disease of the week.” But the OP is talking visible mold and allergic people who are already experiencing symptoms. I for one think he should take it seriously. Seriously as in move his family out, not sue the relative or burn the house down. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mold-help-me-rid-my-basement-of-this-formidable-foe/329092/12 "2005-11-02T19:12:07Z")
My house has moderate mold problems, but we are able to keep on top of it. IMO, there are three keys… 1. Humidity. This is by far the worst culprit. A dehumidifier works wonders, and uses very little electricity. Weatherizing your windows and walls so they don’t sweat in cold weather and contribute to humidity is also important. 2. Heat. Room temperature an above, mold doesn’t seem to like. But when rooms get colder, our mold rate increases. Insulate and heat your basement. 3. Light. Dark places (behind bookcases, inside closets, behind picture frames) promote mold. This has caused us to double our big spring cleanings, and rearranging the furniture a couple of times a year, which has helped enormously. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mold-help-me-rid-my-basement-of-this-formidable-foe/329092/13 "2005-11-02T20:01:59Z")
When fighting mold, remember that it was here first and doesn’t like us very much. Basically, mold will grow wherever it’s warm, wet and it has food. \*\*Warm \*\* - not too hot and not too cold. If you’re comfortable, odds are that the mold is too. So this isn’t going to be easy to stop. \*\*Wet \*\* - without a water source, mold will not grow. Here in Alabama, humidity alone makes it very hard to fight mold. \*\*Food \*\* - mostly cellulose. The paper backing on most drywall? Perfect for mold. Leaves, lint, whatever? Mold digs it all. > [@EPA](#): > > **Ten Things You Should Know About Mold** > > 1. Potential health effects and symptoms associated with mold exposures include allergic reactions, asthma, and other respiratory complaints. > > 2. There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture. > > 3. If mold is a problem in your home or school, you must clean up the mold and eliminate sources of moisture. > > 4. Fix the source of the water problem or leak to prevent mold growth. > > 5. Reduce indoor humidity (to 30-60% ) to decrease mold growth by: venting bathrooms, dryers, and other moisture-generating sources to the outside; using air conditioners and de-humidifiers; increasing ventilation; and using exhaust fans whenever cooking, dishwashing, and cleaning. > > 6. Clean and dry any damp or wet building materials and furnishings within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth. > > 7. Clean mold off hard surfaces with water and detergent, and dry completely. Absorbent materials such as ceiling tiles, that are moldy, may need to be replaced. > > 8. Prevent condensation: Reduce the potential for condensation on cold surfaces (i.e., windows, piping, exterior walls, roof, or floors) by adding insulation. > > 9. In areas where there is a perpetual moisture problem, do not install carpeting (i.e., by drinking fountains, by classroom sinks, or on concrete floors with leaks or frequent condensation). > > 10. Molds can be found almost anywhere; they can grow on virtually any substance, providing moisture is present. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods. So to fight mold, you have to kill the mold and control the moisture. Borax works well (1 teaspoon to 2 cups hot water in a spray bottle). Bleach and vinegar also work. Humidity should be kept below 60% to inhibit mold growth. [From the Connecticut Department of Public Health…](http://www.dph.state.ct.us/BRS/EOHA/mold_problems.htm) - Lots of links for more help. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mold-help-me-rid-my-basement-of-this-formidable-foe/329092/14 "2005-11-19T16:52:16Z")
[QUOTE=DeVena] Bleach and vinegar also work. I think that should read bleach OR vinegar. Combining bleach AND vinegar produces toxic gas (similar to bleach and ammonia). Don’t do it.