Basement RX

BasementRx provides mold remediation services to our customers. If you have recently had a home inspection and mold was found, BasementRx can help to remediate this problem.

BasementRx's crew sets up a containment around the area of the house with the mold problem. A negative air machine is installed within the containment area to prevent the mold spores from spreading to non mold contaminated areas in the home. Anything that contains mold is removed; sheetrock, carpeting, furniture, etc. All surfaces are vacuumed with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter vacuum. This vacuum removes and traps the mold spores. All remaining surfaces are wiped down with an anti-fungal solution.

The best treatment is prevention, when possible. Moisture control is key. Repair any leaky pluming or other sources of water. Keep indoor humidity to 30-60% to decrease mold growth. Use exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens. Mold is not prejudice; whether your house was built in 1903 or 2003, if you have a moisture problem, you are likely to find mold.

Mold can cause breathing difficulties and fungal infections, especially in people who are prone to allergies or who have asthma.

According to ABC News’ 20/20, “while there’s no evidence toxic mold in the home is deadly—there is increasing debate about how dangerous it might be – and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is funding a study of mold’s health effects."

The No. 1 Enemy of Finished Basements - Moisture

Finished walls and floor covering trap moisture, which accumulates and
causes molds and mildew. The musty odor found in many basements is the telltale sign of molds, which may be growing inside the carpeting or walls, or in upholstered furniture.

As houses age, most basements start seeping water through the concrete or
cracks after a heavy rain or snowmelt. The walls, carpets and furniture get
wet and molds start growing in just several days. Moldy drywall, carpeting
and furnishings have to be discarded.

Why to risk your basement remodeling investment (typically $30,000) and more
importantly, the health of your family? Before finishing the basement, seal
it against moisture!

Basements as a Source of Moisture

Sooner or later, most basements develop water seepage. At first, it is just
intermittent after a heavy storm or snowmelt raises the groundwater level
but over time, the leaks become more and more frequent.

All houses settle and stress cracks may develop in the slabs or the walls.
The floor-to-wall joint opens up and expansion control joints in the floor
crack, as designed. Exterior waterproofing coating deteriorates and the
drainage system may silt up. Hydrostatic pressure then pushes water through
any cracks or right through the concrete.

However, most moisture infiltrates into basements in the form of water
vapor, which is invisible, unlike steam condensing above a pot with boiling
water. Low air pressure inside buildings draws in soil gas with water vapor
from the ground through all openings and pores in the concrete.

Basements are the largest source of moisture in homes and typically, let in
over 15 gallons of moisture each day! That is much more than cooking and
showering combined (3-5 gallons per day).

Concrete is Very Porous

Concrete cures by cement reacting with water (hydration). But concrete mixes
contain much more water than needed, in order to make them easily
³workable.² Almost half of the water is surplus and has to evaporate as
concrete cures. While water pushes through the concrete to the surface, it
leaves behind a network of tiny capillaries (pores), much smaller than a
human hair.

As a result, concrete is more porous than Swiss cheese ­ residential
concrete contains 12 to 20 percent air! Gases and vapor (water molecules)
flow easily through the pores. But liquid water has is tougher ­ the water
molecules are held back in a ³blob² by surface tension until the pore
surface gets wet. Then, liquid water starts seeping through the wet pores in
concrete (capillary seepage). Moreover, the pores draw in water like a
sponge by capillary action ­ water comes up through a concrete slab against
gravity.
 

The BasementRx solution is:

Sealing the Sources of Moisture:

Eliminating internal sources of moisture:
*    vent the clothes dryer to the outside
*    insulate air-conditioning ducts against condensation

Keeping Rainwater away from the Foundation:

*    proper gutters and downspout extensions
*    properly sloped grading around the foundation
*    shallow swales or French drains to steer rainwater away

Sealing All Openings:

*    covering the sump pit airtight
*    taping a plastic sheet to isolate the crawlspace
*    covering airtight the gravel bathroom rough-in
*    installing check valves in floor drains to stop vapor
*    sealing open cores in block walls with expandable foam
*    similarly, sealing hollow lolly (support) columns)

Caulking All Gaps:

*    the floor-to-wall joint
*    expansion control joints (straight cuts in the slab)
*    caulk around all penetrations

 

Sealing Concrete against Water and Vapor

Homeowners often paint walls with a store-bought waterproofing sealer, which
is merely a latex-based paint. Sooner or later, it will crack and peel under
the attack of lime from the concrete (saponification). And it cannot hold
back efflorescence (³whit powder²) or a high negative side water pressure.
More importantly, it is porous and cannot stop water vapor ­ or most of the
moisture seeping through the concrete.

Some cover the concrete with plastic sheets or use plastic covered
insulation "pillows" on the walls. But this traps any moisture coming
through the concrete and is known for causing severe mold and mildew
problems. We strongly recommend against trapping moisture - all moisture
coming through the concrete should be allowed to evaporate.

Floor slabs are usually poured on a plastic sheet ­ a "vapor barrier". But
it gets usually punctured during construction and over the years, it slowly
disintegrates under the attack of lime in the concrete.

To stop water vapor, concrete slabs are sometimes painted with epoxy or
urethane paints, which are impermeable to vapor. They trap all the moisture
for a while, but after several years, the paint starts bubbling or cracking
and loses its purpose.

We strongly recommend sealing the concrete with a top-quality silicate-based
penetrating sealer. It penetrates deep into the pores in concrete, reacts
with lime and alkalis, expands and hardens, which bonds and seals the
concrete permanently!

Seal the Concrete before Finishing the Basement

Concrete is not a rock! It is porous and it ages, becoming more and more porous. Just like wood, it needs a sealer - protection against water and deterioration.

Seal the concrete before finishing the basement, enclosing the walls or covering the slab, or just painting concrete. It is a must-do-it project and avoids putting your basement remodeling investment, as well as your family¹s health, at risk.

For a free, no obligation estimate

Call Sam at
914-806-3222

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