Last Spring, I showed a home where I literally stepped inside and ran out again coughing and warned the buyer to not go inside. Looking through the open door we could see every surface covered with mold so thick it looked like moss. It took several hours for me to get the smell off me. The highest and best use of that home is to burn it down! Certainly, that was the worst I hope to ever see, but having said that I see mold and mildew all the time in nearly every home I show. As you may know I’ve had a chronic seepage issue in my basement and as a result the area near the leaking looks a little like a science project. Today for this article I’ve decided to tackle it. I first cleared everything away from the walls I will be treating. I need to remove all surface mildew and mold. I use a very concentrated cleaner, in this case a product called Dirtex. The directions call for 2 tablespoons to one gallon, I think more is better. I always use chemical gloves, a stiff bristled brush, and eye protection. If you are using this near anything other than concrete be sure to use a non- permeable drop cloth as this product will eat finish. I will flick the liquid onto the walls with my brush and then scrub like heck, I always make a big mess. Once I’m satisfied with this part, I rinse off the surface with clean warm water and sponge. I can still see signs of mold deeper in the texture of the basement wall. For this I use bleach, water, and a spray bottle. I mix one part of bleach to 3 parts water. I spray the walls till they are wet and leave the bleach to dry on the wall without removing it or rinsing it off. Now I set a fan and let it run till all moisture is gone and the surface is dry to the touch. What I’ve done is to treat the mold on the entire surface. This next application is meant to soak deeper into the basement wall and treat mold spores. I remove the bleach from the spray bottle, rinse the bottle well and add un-diluted white vinegar. NEVER MIX BLEACH AND VINEGAR TOGETHER, talk about a science project. I spray the wall till very wet and again let the fan dry it off. Once the surface is dry, I can spot paint to protect from surface penetration of new mold spores. It is important to use concrete paint. Concrete needs to “breath” and most paints will seal the surface causing problems later. The surface I treated was a total of 25 feet long and only two courses of concrete block high. The project was done 5 months ago and it looks as though it was done yesterday. The entire project took 2 hours not including the dry time with the fan. Overall, I would say it turned out pretty well! I provide these articles in the hope of helping you understand your home better and to do so with a little humor. Most people, including many agents, don’t know this information so please pass this along to your friends, family and neighbors. If they happen to ask who you recommend as a Realtor, don’t feel the need to beg them to call me…give me their name and number and I’ll do that!
Please stay well! Sincerely, Steve Freeman Comments are closed.
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