How To Kill Mold in Your Basement

When you start to work with mold it is a good idea to nail down the causes and sources of the moisture that mold needs in order to grow. In any mold-cleaning projects for basements, to be effective you need to look at the levels of humidity, and see where the moisture is coming from.

Basements are prone to mold problems because basements are situated at low elevations, next to ground moisture. Also, since water runs downhill, basements are the natural destination of any leaks anywhere in the house above.

A warm, moist, poorly ventilated basement is an ideal place for mold to grow and can be a large problem in many homes. So here's what you need to do:

1. Find the sources of moisture.  First, stop all the water leaks. Repair plumbing fixtures and all leaks coming from above.  Move water sources away from basement walls and floors and let them dry out. Look at increasing ventilation or maybe adding a dehumidifier. Here are the most common sources of basement mold problems:

Look at the basement ceiling for water stains. If there is water coming down, it will usually leave a stain track. This can be followed right to the source and stopped.

Air conditioning (and sometimes heaters) Often air conditions and tubing will have condensation which could feed mold problems. Condensation usually happens when warm, moist air and cold air run into each other.

If the basement has windows, look at the corners, the fitting and any cracks. Look for water stains or ways water could get in.

Check the dry wall and wall panels along the perimeter walls. Look for water stains. Check to see if they have any mold or mildew problems inside.

If there is carpeting, pull up a corner and check for moisture stains or mold underneath.

2. O.K. Now it's time to get down to the fight! First, make sure that everyone present is wearing a painters' face mask to protect their lungs from the mold spores that you are going to stir up! Then, go after the mold, attacking it at the source.

Remove all damaged and un-salvageable building and other materials.

Spray affected areas where mold is visible, with a cleaning product or antifungal liquid (there are several good types that are commercially available). This will loosen the spores and surface material to prepare for surface scrubbing.

Get the mold off of affected areas. Wipe them down, sand the area or attack the mold using a sander or a wire brush.   

Use your antifungal liquid to spray again, then clean again.

3. Finally, either spray with long-lasting anti-mold fungicide or paint with anti-fungal paint, to make sure the mold does not come back.

Also, take care to make sure that the future humidity levels of the basement area remain low.