Remodeling Your Basement? Learn How To Keep The Mold Away

If you need more living space inside your house, remodeling your basement is a great way to do it. Since you'll be putting all new construction material in your basement, you'll need to take steps that will keep mold away. Excessive mold caused by hidden leaks can cause your new investment to become damaged. These tips will help avoid costly mold removal in your basement.

Use Basement Waterproofing

You do not need to have standing water in your basement for mold to form. It often happens because water is leaking behind your walls. All it takes is minor seepage to cause problems with mold in a place you cannot see.

Consider having a waterproofing professional treat the walls of your basement before you do your renovations. The goal will be to install a protective barrier around your basement's interior walls that will prevent water from potentially seeping inside through cracks and causing mold. You can go even further and have the outside of your home excavated to install a waterproof barrier on the foundation's exterior, which will be more effective.

In addition, you should be taking steps to slope water far away from the house to prevent it from pooling up against your foundation. This means diverting water from your roof by installing extensions on your downspouts that take the water several feet away.

Use Plaster Instead of Drywall

If water does get into your foundation walls, water will easily absorb into the drywall and cause mold to form inside it. This will not happen if you use plaster for your walls, which water will not damage as easily.

You can also use materials made with sawn lumber, which mold will have a difficult time penetrating. Avoid using construction materials made with gypsum, which absorb water easily.

Use A Dehumidifier

Every home will have harmless traces of mold inside of it, with the basement being a place that there is typically more of it. You can make the conditions for mold growth less ideal by removing the moisture in the air by using a dehumidifier. In addition to keeping moisture away that can cause mold to form, a dehumidifier can improve your health since traces of mold can cause illnesses and allergies.

If you discover that you do have mold in your home's basement, you'll need professional help to get rid of it. Contact a local mold removal company like Dove Services Inc that can find it and eliminate it.


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