Mold Cleanup in Basements

The basement is one of the most common areas of mold growth inside the home. The water intrusion that causes mold growth in basements can happen in many ways, but is most often the result of improper or damaged drainage around the home or from the failure of the sump pump.

Moldy Basement Walls

Basements have evolved over time from seldom used cellars to full fledged living areas complete with bedrooms, family rooms, and entertainment centers. As part of the living area, the basement should be treated like any other part of the home with regards to mold removal. A simple fungicide treatment or cleaning treatment is not usually a sufficient remediation procedure in a basement as it may be in a crawl space or attic.

Mold abatement in a basement usually consists of one or more of the following steps:

• Set up containment as necessary to help prevent the further spread of mold spores.
• Locate and repair the source of the water that is causing mold growth.
• Remove porous materials that have mold growing on them.
• Clean the mold from wood using hand sanding, media blasting, or other methods.
• Dry the remaining materials to pre-loss levels.
• Clean non-porous materials with mold growth on them, and all other exposed surfaces to remove settled spores and hyphal fragments.
• Apply a mold preventative treatment to remaining wood.

Generally, HEPA filtered air scrubbers are placed in the area during the cleanup process to help remove contaminants from the air, and are left in place following the remediation for a period of 24-48 hours.