Mold infestation is a very common, but dangerous, problem to have in an unfinished basement. Basement mold can cause health problems for your family and destroy your home and possessions. However, it’s also a problem that is easily preventable — especially if you’re planning on finishing your basement.
For today’s post, were going to discuss three tips for preventing mold. Although it’s best to work with a licensed, professional contractor, like MDV Remodeling, we also understand that some homeowners may want to get started on the project on their own. Below are our tips to help you avoid a problem right from the start.
Causes of Basement Mold
Before we get into our list of tips, it’s important to understand what causes basement mold in the first place so that you can avoid the effect! Basements typically involve physical conditions that don’t exist anywhere else within your home. Cool and potentially damp masonry walls and floors are nothing like the dry, wood-frame walls you see above ground in most homes. Problems arise when conventional, above-ground construction practices are applied to subterranean spaces.
Most important of all, start by being realistic about just how dry your basement is–realistic and skeptical! Gravity is always striving to bring liquid, mainly water, into any basement, and water is the key ingredient that spawns mold, mildew, and consequently, harmful basement air quality. This is why perennially-dry conditions are so important. If your basement leaks visible water, even occasionally, postpone your finishing project until that is fixed and tested.
Tip#1: Do the Vapor Barrier Test
First, tape three to four pieces of clear plastic vapor barrier (about 5″ by 5″) on walls and floor, and then watch for moisture. Water that sneaks into your basement in the form of vapor is every bit as mold-encouraging as actual flooding. These pieces of test plastic will let you see if this is happening before surfaces get sealed behind wood. Besides moisture behind the plastic, you may see white and fluffy mineral efflorescence, which is the crystallization from dehydrated salt water from the atmosphere when exposure to air. Efflorescence can occur in natural and built environments. Also documented is the inward migration of moisture, and this happens most often where walls meet floors in a subterranean environment.
Tip #2: Apply a Good Waterproof Coating
The right kind of waterproof coating can stop both liquid moisture and the invisible moisture movement that causes efflorescence. Even if your basement appears dry, a waterproof coating applied to the inside surface is wise insurance before you start putting up finished walls and floors. The only drawback to waterproof coating is that it needs to be applied over bare, clean masonry only, because it won’t work properly over old paint.
A reliably waterproofed basement is the starting point and water creeping into your basement from the soil is only part of the mold hazard. Condensed moisture from the air during hot, humid times of the year may also kick start hidden mold growth and harmful air quality if you don’t take measures to prevent or stop it. The trick is making sure this air doesn’t come into contact with cool basement wall and floor surfaces, and this is where a couple of strategies are crucial.
Tip #3: Avoid Direct Contact between Carpeting and Basement Floors
Preventing condensation is the main reason that you must never install carpet directly on a basement floor. Even with appropriate padding, the potential for air infiltrating the carpet and condensing against the floor is too great. In fact, you’re much more likely to have condensation occur within a carpet than directly on concrete surfaces because the carpet keeps the surface cooler. This is where a basement subfloor comes into play — a subfloor will keep basement air from ever contacting cool surfaces that often trigger condensation.
These three simple preventative tips can help you avoid major damage down the road if you are planning on starting a basement refinish on your own. If you are thinking about finishing or remodeling your existing basement but don’t know where to begin, contact the professionals at MDV Remodeling for a fast, free estimate!
*header image courtesy of Claire P/Flickr.com