How to Deal with Mold and Mildew in Basements Following Floods
June 21, 2010
If you have a water leak or flood then you may well have to deal with mold and mildew afterwards. Basements can be the ideal environment for mold and mildew to grow as are often dark poorly ventilated areas with plenty of dead organic material such as old furniture. If you add some moisture to this mix you have a great place for developing problems with these fungi. If you find that you have a problem with either of these two infestations it is important that you deal with it as soon as possible. If it is left unchecked, mold and mildew could end up costing you a small fortune to remedy and it is also known that some types of mold can cause serious health problems for the inhabitants of the home.
What to do if you spot mold or mildew in your basement
If you have had a leak or flood recently then you should be keeping your eye out for either of these problems arising. The best thing to do would be to stop these fungi occurring in the first place by using a borate based solution on surfaces after a flood but this is not always practical. It is also worth pointing out that even if you haven’t had a water leak recently you should still be regularly checking your basement for any problems.
Once you have spotted mold or mildew you need to work fast. As long as the mold isn’t too widespread you should be able to deal with the problem without outside help. Sometimes though you may find things have gone too far and you need the help of the experts – no shame in that. After you have assessed the extent of the problem you then need to get to work. It is recommended that you take precautions while dealing with mold as some of the spores could be quite toxic. It is probably best that you were clothes that cover your whole body and put on glasses to protect your eyes – it is often suggested that you wear a respiratory mask especially if dealing with black mold. Bleach or vinegar is frequently used to get rid of mold and you should give the area a good soaking in it. Some experts argue that it is more effective to use products specifically designed for mold and mildew and follow this up with a borate based product after the clean.
