"Do it Yourself" Wet Basement and Mold Tips from My Mr. Basement in Greater Baltimore & Washington D.C.
Do you have a wet basement emergency or looking to prevent one? If so we have some great tips to help you! While not all basement projects are for the do-it-yourselfers, some problems can be prevented or remedied by you!
Our project managers are always available to answer any questions or problems you might be facing with free, no-pressure appointments.
With over 24 years of basement and crawl space experience in Greater Baltimore and Washington D.C., our goal is to give you a drier, cleaner, healthier, economical, more energy efficient home.
Simple Preventative Measures
- Correct drainage
- Ensure roof water disperses properly
- Run discharge lines to storm sewer (code in many areas)
- No negative grades (aka the ground shouldn't slope towards your home!)
- Openings for water intrusion
- Window wells should be sealed and free of debris like leaves, trash and sticks
- Door 'trench' floor drains should flow freely
- About the sump pump
- Should have the correct pumping capacity for your home
- Should be checked by our service department once per year - we service all brands of waterproofing
- Sump pit should have a secure cover to keep out kids, their toys and pets
- Install a dependable battery back-up for the sump pump
- All brands are NOT equal
- Our UltraSumps have a state of the art charging system + high pumping capacity
- Don't waste money on consumer grade dehumidifiers
- Typical dehumidifiers are too expensive
- Energy efficiency is sub-standard
- Use My Mr. Basement's Santa Fe professional grade dehumidifier and air filtration miracle machine
- 4 times the water removal of consumer grade dehumidifiers
- Filters your home's air
- Can connect to your home's HVAC system
- It's like a dehumidifier on steroids
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Basement Flooding
- Call your insurance company - there will probably be a deductible
- Use a reputable company which has trained, experienced emergency services techs ready
- If there is a pipe break, turn off water supply (if possible)
- If sewage is involved call us asap, do not try to clean it yourself
- Dry out basement within 48 hours to reduce the risk of mold
- Extract (remove) water
- Remove contaminated contents
- Place air movers in affected areas
- Don't return contents until they are verified mold free
- Test air if there is a musty smell
- Mold Concerns
- Can cause many allergy problems
- Respiratory disorders
- Cancer
- Very destructive to the contents and structural integrity of your home
- Bleach does not kill mold
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Mold
- Mold grows when 3 factors combine
- Water (or excessive moisture)
- Organic material (clothes, drywall, wood - even paint) is present
- Mold spores (usually always present)
- If you suspect a mold problem the first step is an inspection from a reputable company
- Mold clean-up
- Mold sampling
- Perform preclean-up testing
- Again, perform after clean-up testing
- Helpful mold tips
- If area is less than 10 square feet (length times width), you might be able to clean it yourself
- If area is larger than 10 square feet, call us
- Don't use bleach! It's 99% water, loses potency from the moment it's manufactured, and may make things worse! Bleach often removes the color of the mold, but doesn't always kill the spores.
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Household Notes
- Digitally back-up important documents and photos, keep a copy off-site
- Call us if sewage is involved
- Wear protective clothing
- Waiting makes it worse
- Check your insurance policy for flood coverage before you have a problem
- Again, don't use bleach on mold
- Know when to call the pros!
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