Mold. It’s the word that no homeowner wants to hear. Once it takes hold, mold can spread all over your finished basement without warning.
Mold does not just grow on the surface of walls. Mold can run deep within the wall systems that enclose your finished basement, which is why it is imperative you take the proper precautions against mold, from the time you start remodeling your basement to years after the project is complete.
There are several key ways that you can keep mold from growing in your basement and we are going to look at some of these preventative measures.
1. Sealing your basement from the elements
The harsher the weather is, the more of a chance the elements can break down your home’s protective barriers, allowing mold to form in your basement. Before any aspect of your basement remodeling project takes place you need to make sure that your basement is properly sealed off. Areas like doors and windows need to be properly installed, then sealed and caulked to make sure no moisture from the outside can creep into your house.
2. Eliminate any mold on foundation walls before the frame-up stage
Unfinished basements are cold, damp dungeons that create a perfect environment for growing mold. If you have any mold on your basement foundation walls then you need to get rid of it before the basement remodeling process starts.
Wiping down mold infested areas with bleach is a great way to kill mold spores. After you get rid of as much mold as possible with bleach, it is then a good idea to paint over the area with a mold resistant primer.
3. Use quality mold preventative materials
The materials produced today are much better at fighting mold and mildew than 30 years ago. We always use Gold Bond XP drywall on all exterior walls in bathrooms and wet bars. Gold Bond XP provides a safe, mold free environment because of its special, non-toxic, Greenguard and Sporeguard certified chemical content. Gold Bond XP drywall is conditionally warranted not to grow mold or mildew for 25 years. We recommend you use a mold-fighting drywall in any area of your basement that is subject to moisture.
Mold can be a serious problem so making sure you prevent it at every stage of your basement remodeling project is imperative. If you need help replacing areas of your finished basement that have been damaged by mold then call Marvelous Basements today and let the experts show you how St. Louis basement remodeling is done.