The importance of dealing with mold as part of your basement finishing project.

Basement finishing makes a lot of sense. For a little bit of work you could add as much as a third more living space to your home. In fact having a basement and not taking advantage of the space seems like a huge waste. There is also another factor to consider; a neglected basement can actually be bad for the rest of your house. It may attract vermin and become a home for mold. If mold is allowed to get out of control it can cause a lot of damage and lead to health problems for the whole family. This is even more reason why you should complete your basement finishing project.

People often use their basement as a place to store their unwanted furniture and other junk. Many of these spaces underground tend to also be damp and poorly ventilated so what you have is the ideal habitat for mold to prosper. Because people tend to avoid the basement, except when adding more junk, this mold can really take hold. Mold can become airborne and begin to affect people’s health. You can also have children playing a game of hide and seek in the basement and coming in contact with toxic mold; this can make them really sick. So this is why your first job will be to deal with this mold before beginning your basement finishing project.

Removing the mold is relatively easy providing it hasn’t gotten out of hand; sometimes you will need to pay for the professionals to come and remove it for you. A bleach and water solution can be used to soak it off. The important thing is that once you have it off you will want to keep it off. In order to do this you will need to put some thought into how your final basement finishing is going to lead to a mold proof room.

Part of your basement finishing project will be to put a floor down if you only have dirt down there; make sure that this will stop all water from rising from beneath. If there is water seeping in from outside you will need to waterproof your walls; you may even need to add some drains outside. If you are having a big problem with condensation then you will probably need to add some type of ventilation device. This may sound like a lot of work, but it will likely save you work in the long run and you will have a nice extra room for your trouble.

About the Author:

Charles Boday is a Certified Mold Inspector and Contractor, graduate from Certified Mold Inspector & Contractors Institute. He has worked with some of the countries top scientists seeking alternative poison-free mold remediation techniques. He has testified as an expert foundation witness and is the Author of the books, The Ultra Dry Basement.