HELP! How do you fix mold damage?

[molarband]

I found this house in a great neighborhood that needs rehab and is being sold for very cheap.  



The problem is that there appears to be mold damage in the basement recreation room on the wood panels.  Is there a way to permanently fix this problem?  

I heard you can clean the mold with bleach.  I was also thinking of replacing the carpet with tile floors to prevent accumulation of mold.  Also replace the rotten wood walls with beadboard.  

Would a sump pump prevent the mold from coming back?  Any other ideas?

[propertymanager]

I recently attended a class on mold.  The experts say that the proper way to remove mold from drywall or paneling is to remove the panels and replace them with new ones.  If you decide to clean up the mold instead of removing the panels, they suggested using dish washing detergent because dish washing detergent actually removes more of the mold "root" than bleach.  The experts said that cleaning the mold is only a temporary solution and that it will eventually reappear.  Finally, whatever you do, you've got to get rid of the moisture if you want to keep the mold away.  This can be acomplished with de-humidifiers, sump pumps, an air conditioner, or whatever else it takes to get rid of the moisture.

The EPA has a website that lists the steps to remediate mold.  (Try a Google search)

Good Luck

[Dan732]

Is this a wet basement? Because if it is, these basements usaully are not finished and therefore a possible solution is to remove the finished basement enitrely.

[meggietucker]

get a de humidifier ,, that will help ,,, leave it on during humid weather,,,

[kdhastedt]

A dehumidifier will only help if the proximate cause of the mold is excess moisture in the air.  If the mold is caused by a leak, the leak needs to be abated first, then the mold cleanup accomplished.  This happens a lot under sinks and in the access areas for tubs/showers.

I used to work for a carpenter.  We were working on a house that the owner said was musty smelling.  We located where we believed that that strongest smell was and cut a small hole in the sheetrock.  The last person to work on the house had installed new insulation and put the barrier on the wrong side...when the house "tried to breath" the vapor barrier prevented moisture escape and mold formed...anything can happen!

Keith