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My moms house has been leaking water in the basement for years. I fixed all the leaks but I'm wondering if there's a way of checking for mold it smells damp and I just want to make sure without calling in somebody?

2007-09-25 05:30:42 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden Do It Yourself (DIY)

3 answers

If you can smell it or see dark mold on damp areas you have it. If you see something that might be mold, touch a Q-tip with Clorox on it to the dark area. If it bleaches white it was moldy.

Try putting a dehumidifier down in the basement or try keeping the windows open with a fan running.

2007-09-25 05:45:04 · answer #1 · answered by Rich Z 7 · 0 0

Congrats on having fixed all the leaks...
Now the repair work REALLY begins...

I'll bet you have a LOT of hidden mildew.
Look at all the ceiling, walls and floor areas BELOW the leaks.
You should see some interesting black mildew on your sheet rock.
You should see white mildew on the rugs.
You should be able to feel water in the rugs.
It should smell really strong in the areas where the damage is.

If you see mildew, you know where to do repairs. If you have mildew on the sheet rock, you need to remove it and get rid of the mildew, then have the room sheet rocked again and repainted.

If you smell mildew but don't see it, after this length of time, it would be safer to pick a likely spot and remove a section of sheet rock so you can see inside the walls. I find it hard to imagine that you won't see visible mildew when you go looking, however. But you can cut the section out and check before calling anyone in for repairs.

If you find mildew, you could consider if you want to remove sheet rock and get rid of the mildew before you call in a professional.


The 2x4 beams will have absorbed water and may have severe dry rot. You may have to remove and replace some 2x4's and repair some if they are seriously dry rotted. If there's dampness, you have to dry the beams out. Mildew will usually make the wood black. Once you dry the wood out, you can spray it with a clorox / water solution to kill the mildew and ensure it won't return. This also helps get rid of the odor.

The rugs and padding below the leaks should have absorbed a lot of water by now and become severely mildewed. This destroys padding. If the padding and rug have gotten wet, replace the padding. Good quality rug can be recovered with treatment with mildew spray after you dry it out.

2007-09-25 06:22:47 · answer #2 · answered by Nedra E 7 · 0 0

The best way to check is to purchase a mold test kit. A quick internet search came back with many options. The issue with a visual search is that the mold may be inside the walls where you can't see it.

2007-09-28 04:59:02 · answer #3 · answered by dlc3007 3 · 0 0

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