AboutDavid Deal Expertise Indoor air quality, mold, compliance questions as well. Also, expert on lead, asbestos, radon, and most any other environmental/industrial hygiene issues.
Expert: David Deal Date: 3/4/2008 Subject: moister/mold problems
Question Hi. We purchased an older home that has turned out to be a water/mold nightmare! The basement floods terrible due to a storm ditch across the road that constantly overflows and flows like a river onto our property. We have had the fire dept. here twice this month with 3-4 feet of water!
Anyway, the basement is always wet (not damp - wet). We have installed a sump pump and I am waiting for a 75 pint dehumidifier that I ordered online. We have condensation and mold in all of our windows as well as on our back entry way walls and bathroom walls and ceiling. Condensation will run down the kitchen walls if we use our dishwasher or even wash the dishes in the sink with hot water. I have been wiping the mold with a bleach/water solution, we are tearing out the bathroom walls and replacing with tile in the spring. We cannot fix the basement in the near future, but since I have a child with severe asthma the mold really concerns me. Besides the sump pump and dehumidifier in the basement is there anything else I can do to help control the moisture? Should I have a second dehumidifier for the house as well as the basement? Until we can afford to have our property graded or whatever it will take I really need some good advise on how to aggressively keep the health risks as low as possible (short of tearing the place down!)
Oh yeah...it can get down to 20 below 0 here so keeping windows open is not an option.
I look forward to hearing some advice! Thank you!
Heather
Answer OUCH! OK, first, check with the owner of the storm ditch to see if they can improve it. You may have to contact county or city officials since they may be responsible.
Create a barrier wall using landscape stones shaped like bullets to flow water away from thehome. Also, add soil to the grade slopes away as well.
Plant water suckign plants such as weeping willows or gladiolas. Contact your landscape store for help.
you may consider sealing off the basement and venting it outside, Making it sort of a crawlspace.
You wont need dehumidifier then in the basement.
Yes, dehumidifier upstairs will help. I suggest digital ones with drainage so you dont have to empty buckets. I wouldnt get really large ones, instead same money just get more units. The digital ones only have to run when needed.
One last point, if your child has severe asthma, check with your medical professional as to the fitness for that home for your family. You may really need to move on.
