Basement "Remodel" - Mold?

[BanjoCy]

So, a while back we had a little water get in the basement. We determined that the existing sump/tile system was not doing it's job and found a reputable waterproofing contractor to fix the problems.

Anyway, prior to doing his work, we were required to remove a shower from the basement bathroom so they could have access to the foundation/floor joint. I started on this the other day, planning on removing the tile, and then the flooring etc (it's an old shower, so they just put ceramic tile on top of drywall).

Anyway, got about 80% of the tile off and was working towards the bottom of the walls. I pried on one of the tiles and a 12x18" section of drywall just crumbles right out of the wall. With the insulation and framing exposed, I can see some mold on the insulation and on the back of the drywall panels.

Basically, this mold started when the previous owners had water damage and failed to repair anything but the carpet. However, at least this mold doesn't seem to be of the harmful variety, as we've lived with it for over a year without really having any kind of problems.

After looking around a little more, it appears that most of the walls in the finished basement have "rotted" drywall towards the bottom. I originally only planned on re-doing the walls in the shower with cement backer board, but now I'm thinking I'll have to redo everything in the basement.

I was planning on just cutting off about 4 ft of drywall on each wall and washing everything down with water/bleach. Is that the right way to do this? Then I can just patch up the drywall with some new stuff and call it good?

 

[cytech]

That is what I would do, I think I would paint over the stuff you dont replace with some kilz too.

 

[Clonehomer]

With that much typically you should go through specialized mold removal. The process is similar to asbestos removal. I've always heard the rule of thumb that anything more than 10 ft x 10 ft should require more than just removing it yourself. The reason is to prevent those mold spores from coming loose and flying all over.

 

[oldman]

Personally, I think mold fears are way overrated. I would bet that most homes have some kind of mold lurking in the shadows. I'd wear a dust mask, and not get too wild with the demolition, but I don't see why you couldn't do this work yourself. Just my opinion.

 

[Vicarious]

Here are two sites that are helpful in determining what kind of mold you have and how to clean it up. One from the State of Wisconsin Mold In Your Home: Cleaning Options and the other is from the Center for Disease Control CDC - Mold - General Information: Facts about Stachybotrys chartarum and Other Molds . I think you have a situation that you can handle yourself.

 

[1100011CS]

Here are two sites that are helpful in determining what kind of mold you have and how to clean it up. One from the State of Wisconsin Mold In Your Home: Cleaning Options and the other is from the Center for Disease Control CDC - Mold - General Information: Facts about Stachybotrys chartarum and Other Molds . I think you have a situation that you can handle yourself.

Good info, thanks. Getting ready to do this in my basement too.

 

[Clonefan94]

Personally, I think mold fears are way overrated. I would bet that ALL homes have some kind of mold lurking in the shadows. I'd wear a dust mask, and not get too wild with the demolition, but I don't see why you couldn't do this work yourself. Just my opinion.

This is very much the case. It's kind of like the Gluten Free hysteria going around. Yeah, mold can be a problem to few, but it's usually very few and the majority of people are living around mold every day and have no idea. If you haven't already noticed symptoms, and discussed them with a doctor, you more than likely don't have a major issue to worry about. A respirator, gloves and plastic bags are probably really all you need.

 

[3TrueFans]

This is very much the case. It's kind of like the Gluten Free hysteria going around. Yeah, mold can be a problem to few, but it's usually very few and the majority of people are living around mold every day and have no idea. If you haven't already noticed symptoms, and discussed them with a doctor, you more than likely don't have a major issue to worry about. A respirator, gloves and plastic bags are probably really all you need.

I'm starting to get the feeling that you're in the Gluten industry.

 

[Wesley]

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[BanjoCy]

Agreed - thanks for the links. Makes it pretty easy to see what I can do.

 

[acoustimac]

Wesley....Holy Cow! Those pictures should make the OP feel good about his place.

 

[Cyclonepride]

This is very much the case. It's kind of like the Gluten Free hysteria going around. Yeah, mold can be a problem to few, but it's usually very few and the majority of people are living around mold every day and have no idea. If you haven't already noticed symptoms, and discussed them with a doctor, you more than likely don't have a major issue to worry about. A respirator, gloves and plastic bags are probably really all you need.

Agreed.

 

[oldman]

This is very much the case. It's kind of like the Gluten Free hysteria going around. Yeah, mold can be a problem to few, but it's usually very few and the majority of people are living around mold every day and have no idea. If you haven't already noticed symptoms, and discussed them with a doctor, you more than likely don't have a major issue to worry about. A respirator, gloves and plastic bags are probably really all you need.

I considered substituting "all" for "most" but was sure someone would say "Yeah, what about brand-new houses??"

 

[lesliejames]

Molds can be dangerous so they should be removed immediately. Molds can cause serious health diseases. We could not see the mold in our room's wall and its caused allergies to us. Mold can be removed from hard surfaces like hard plastic, glass, metal and counter tops by scrubbing with a soap or detergent.
mold Florida

 

[Omaha Cy]

Tea Tree oil is a natural antiseptic that kills mold. It has a strong "mediciney" odor that's sorta like icy hot muscle rub(or something like that), but I definitely prefer it to the smell of bleach.