Basements!!!!!!!! Help?

Question

We live in a 100 year old house .. I don't know how old the basement is. But we a sisturn... Any ways.. The basement is dry expect when the frost gose out...but the walls are crumbly too.. This year we put kills on the wall. And moister lock on the floor. To try to kill the smell . The basement smells worse then a basement... Iam physically alergic to what ever is going on in the basement.. My mother is the only that can go down there. It smells mildewy and wet and the smell can come up to the top of the house.. All I know its not swer.. Cus we just had new septic tank in... Iam worried about winter tho when the windows are shut... If you have any suggestions on how to fix this problem I would grealy appreciate it there is no windows but it is not a shout basement there is air movement.. HELP

Answer 1

It seems like the basement needs a radical professional cleaning. In addition, you should have a foundation expert inspect the foundation for cracks and leaks. On top of this, you should get some dehumidifiers down there, since obviously the wetness in the air is promoting the growth of mold and mildew. Another thing is that any wood might need replacing, since mildew and constant humidity can eventually rot treated wood, which could cause not only structural but also air-quality problems. You should also get a termite inspection. Yet another thing is to have a professional inspect the cistern. The water in there could be fetid and rife with bacteria.

There could be a whole host of difficulties in your basement. You are probably going to need some professional assistance.

Answer 2

A quick and dirty solution would entail covering your walls and floor with a thickest mil plastic sold at a home center. The plastic should run from the basement floor to the joists supporting the first floor subflooring. Attach the plastic to the joists using 3m's spray adhesive also sold at the home center. Duct tape the top of the plastic as added holding security. Cover the floor of the basement with plastic (if basement seldom used) and overlap all seams by 4". Seal all seams with the spray adhesive. Bring the plastic on the floor up onto the walls 6"-8" and adhere the seam using the spray adhesive. At the end you should have a basement with the walls and floor 'encapsulated', contained & covered with plastic. Clean and disinfect the ceiling joist and subfloor with a blean and detergent solution and allow it to dry completely. Use a couple of fans and a dehumidifier to speed and insure complete drying of the wooden framing members. Once they are cleaned and dried you can use the KILZ product on the ceiling joist and subfloor. Wear a good quality respirator and ventilation while you clean and KILZ. Extinguish any standing pilot lights(gas water tank and gas furnace) as the fumes from the KILZ when concentrated can flash and cause a fire.

Answer 3

It's damp down there and you're getting mold and mildew. Same thing is going on in my basement, though not as bad as in yours. You're probably allergic to the mold. A lot of people are. What needs to be done is to get and keep the basement dry. Keep the humidity down. You could try dehumidifiers, but if it's a large basement that may be difficult. You could try heating the basement. Anything to get the moisture out of the air. Once it's dried out someone (probably not you since you're allergic) should go clean the mold/mildew up. Bleach water usually takes care of that. This can be a tough problem to fix, I wish you luck.

Answer 4

You need to talk to someone about taking out the moisture. It's obviously still there and moisture lock isn't going to take the problem away. If there's mold or mildew down there, it can cause a horrible smell and it won't go away with a simple sealing job. Have you tried spraying bleach water on everything? It's not a real solution but may help a little once it dries up. You need to call a professional, like a home inspector, who can give you the whole story about what is wrong and how to fix it.

Answer 5

You're going to need to treat the mildew and also get the basement better ventilated. Perhaps you can hook it up to an air duct or central air. Otherwise, the mildew, once removed, will come back!