After finding out I had termites I also found mold in my basement! A
section of my basement is above ground and insulated by the builder
with fiberglass and the vapor barrier on the inside of the basement. I
live in IL so its very hot and humid during the summer. So I'm now in
the process of getting rid of the insulation and cleaning up the mold
with vinegar.

I picked up a dehumidifier but can't decide on what to replace the
insulation with. The spray in foam I think would be to expensive for
calling someone out. Would going with the 2 inch rigid foam board be
ok? I guess the stuff also has to be covered with drywall for fire
code. Was hoping to leave it exposed for easier termite and mold
inspection in the future. Then again I'm guessing the drywall could
further help with insulation.

I've asked in a few places and not getting any responses. What are the
alternatives to stuffing mold food in the walls?

thank you

Spork wrote:
After finding out I had termites I also found mold in my basement! A
section of my basement is above ground and insulated by the builder
with fiberglass and the vapor barrier on the inside of the basement. I
live in IL so its very hot and humid during the summer. So I'm now in
the process of getting rid of the insulation and cleaning up the mold
with vinegar.

I picked up a dehumidifier but can't decide on what to replace the
insulation with. The spray in foam I think would be to expensive for
calling someone out. Would going with the 2 inch rigid foam board be
ok? I guess the stuff also has to be covered with drywall for fire
code. Was hoping to leave it exposed for easier termite and mold
inspection in the future. Then again I'm guessing the drywall could
further help with insulation.

I've asked in a few places and not getting any responses. What are the
alternatives to stuffing mold food in the walls?

thank you
Hi,
Your first priority is controlling humidity.
Air circulation(venting) is big part of it.

On Jun 29, 8:20*pm, Tony Hwang wrote:


Hi,
Your first priority is controlling humidity.
Air circulation(venting) is big part of it.

I bought a dehumidifier and plan to open the full size windows that we
have in the basement more often.
Would opening the windows possibly let more humid air in from outside
making it worse?

Spork wrote:
On Jun 29, 8:20 pm, Tony wrote:


Hi,
Your first priority is controlling humidity.
Air circulation(venting) is big part of it.

I bought a dehumidifier and plan to open the full size windows that we
have in the basement more often.
Would opening the windows possibly let more humid air in from outside
making it worse?
Hi,
Humid air is heavy. If your house has central a/c, it'll help lower
humidity inside house and circulates air as well. Mold is bad news even
can be health hazard. Usually bleach is used to clean and kill it.
Until you are sure humidity problem is solved and mold is taken care of,
better hold off on insulation.

Spork wrote:
After finding out I had termites I also found mold in my basement! A
section of my basement is above ground and insulated by the builder
with fiberglass and the vapor barrier on the inside of the basement. I
live in IL so its very hot and humid during the summer. So I'm now in
the process of getting rid of the insulation and cleaning up the mold
with vinegar.

I picked up a dehumidifier but can't decide on what to replace the
insulation with. The spray in foam I think would be to expensive for
calling someone out. Would going with the 2 inch rigid foam board be
ok? I guess the stuff also has to be covered with drywall for fire
code. Was hoping to leave it exposed for easier termite and mold
inspection in the future. Then again I'm guessing the drywall could
further help with insulation.


1. Drywall IS for fire suppression, but I can't imagine how it would be any
use in a basement. The dirt on the other side won't burn.

2. Drywall has virtually no insulating properties (R-value = 0.45).

On Jun 29, 7:50*pm, Spork wrote:
After finding out I had termites I also found mold in my basement! A
section of my basement is *above ground and insulated by the builder
with fiberglass and the vapor barrier on the inside of the basement. I
live in IL so its very hot and humid during the summer. So I'm now in
the process of getting rid of the insulation and cleaning up the mold
with vinegar.

I picked up a dehumidifier but can't decide on what to replace the
insulation with. The spray in foam I think would be to expensive for
calling someone out. Would going with the 2 inch rigid foam board be
ok? I guess the stuff also has to be covered with drywall for fire
code. Was hoping to leave it exposed for easier termite and mold
inspection in the future. Then again I'm guessing the drywall could
further help with insulation.

I've asked in a few places and not getting any responses. What are the
alternatives to stuffing mold food in the walls?

thank you

Walls that get damp or leak cant be sealed shut, as you see you get
mold. buy a moisture meter to determine where walls are damp, if you
cant stop it or get it below 15% you cant use fiberglass and drywall,
I gave up and just used foamboard screwed in so I can remove areas and
check for mold. Spray down the walls with a garden sprayer with bleach
to kill whats growing and keep the humididty at about 65% or less with
the dehumidifier. If you rush to redo it without knowinging whats
really happening it will mold all over again. Many old houses cant be
drywalled and insulated with fiberglass as the walls never dry out in
summers rains.

On Jun 29, 9:25*pm, "HeyBub" wrote:
Spork wrote:
After finding out I had termites I also found mold in my basement! A
section of my basement is *above ground and insulated by the builder
with fiberglass and the vapor barrier on the inside of the basement. I
live in IL so its very hot and humid during the summer. So I'm now in
the process of getting rid of the insulation and cleaning up the mold
with vinegar.

I picked up a dehumidifier but can't decide on what to replace the
insulation with. The spray in foam I think would be to expensive for
calling someone out. Would going with the 2 inch rigid foam board be
ok? I guess the stuff also has to be covered with drywall for fire
code. Was hoping to leave it exposed for easier termite and mold
inspection in the future. Then again I'm guessing the drywall could
further help with insulation.

1. Drywall IS for fire suppression, but I can't imagine how it would be any
use in a basement. The dirt on the other side won't burn.

2. Drywall has virtually no insulating properties (R-value = 0.45).- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

20 sheets would insulate, its bullet proof too.

On Jun 30, 1:50*am, Spork wrote:
After finding out I had termites I also found mold in my basement! A
section of my basement is *above ground and insulated by the builder
with fiberglass and the vapor barrier on the inside of the basement. I
live in IL so its very hot and humid during the summer. So I'm now in
the process of getting rid of the insulation and cleaning up the mold
with vinegar.

I picked up a dehumidifier but can't decide on what to replace the
insulation with. The spray in foam I think would be to expensive for
calling someone out. Would going with the 2 inch rigid foam board be
ok? I guess the stuff also has to be covered with drywall for fire
code. Was hoping to leave it exposed for easier termite and mold
inspection in the future. Then again I'm guessing the drywall could
further help with insulation.

I've asked in a few places and not getting any responses. What are the
alternatives to stuffing mold food in the walls?

thank you

Mould grows where it's damp and there are several reasons for
dampness. Water penetration from outside and condensation.
Condensations seems the likely one on your case but check that the
damp barrier is intact. They are very poor in American buildings.
Condensation occurs when warm moist air comes in contact with a cold
surface, Ideally your basement should have had insulation (ridgid
board type) applied to the outside of your basement. Clearly the
cheapskates haven't done this.
You will need to kill the mould first. There are special chemical to
do this. Bleach kills mould but evaporates & the mould comes back. The
chemical is more long lasting.
You can apply treated timber battens to your walls and ridgid CLOSED
CELL insulating board beween them. Your insulating board should be
fixed to the basement wall with fixing foam and every little joint
filled with foam too.
Then you need a VAPOUR BARRIER (plastic sheet) which stops the warm
moist air from contacting the cold basement wall. Staple it onto the
battens & tape over it
There must be no air leaks, not even a little one. There is special
tape available for this purpose. If you have the smallest air leak
you are lost. You can then put on your drywall.
The paint finiish should be non porous too.
A de-humidifier is a big help but its pointless running it if any air
comes in from the outside. Some AC plants have a de-humidifing cycle,
check yours to see if it has it.

On Jun 30, 1:30*am, harry wrote:
On Jun 30, 1:50*am, Spork wrote:





After finding out I had termites I also found mold in my basement! A
section of my basement is *above ground and insulated by the builder
with fiberglass and the vapor barrier on the inside of the basement. I
live in IL so its very hot and humid during the summer. So I'm now in
the process of getting rid of the insulation and cleaning up the mold
with vinegar.

I picked up a dehumidifier but can't decide on what to replace the
insulation with. The spray in foam I think would be to expensive for
calling someone out. Would going with the 2 inch rigid foam board be
ok? I guess the stuff also has to be covered with drywall for fire
code. Was hoping to leave it exposed for easier termite and mold
inspection in the future. Then again I'm guessing the drywall could
further help with insulation.

I've asked in a few places and not getting any responses. What are the
alternatives to stuffing mold food in the walls?

thank you

Mould *grows where it's damp and there are several reasons for
dampness. Water penetration from outside and condensation.
Condensations seems the likely one on your case but check that the
damp barrier is intact. They are very poor in American buildings.
Condensation occurs when warm moist air comes in contact with a cold
surface, Ideally your basement should have had insulation (ridgid
board type) applied to the outside of your basement. *Clearly the
cheapskates haven't done this.
You will need to kill the mould first. There are special chemical to
do this. Bleach kills mould but evaporates & the mould comes back. The
chemical is more long lasting.
You can apply treated timber battens to your walls and ridgid CLOSED
CELL insulating *board beween them. Your insulating board should be
fixed to the basement wall with fixing foam and every little joint
filled with foam too.
Then you need a VAPOUR BARRIER (plastic sheet) which stops the warm
moist air from contacting the cold basement wall. Staple it onto the
battens & tape over it
*There must be no air leaks, not even a little one. There is special
tape available for this purpose. *If you have the smallest air leak
you are lost. You can then put on your drywall.
The paint finiish should be non porous too.
A de-humidifier is a big help but its pointless running it if any air
comes in from the outside. *Some AC plants have a de-humidifing cycle,
check yours to see if it has it.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Bleach kills mold dead as dead is. Mold only comes back if the
excessive conditions that caused it are not fixed.

1. Drywall IS for fire suppression, but I can't imagine how it would be any
use in a basement. The dirt on the other side won't burn.

The dirt won't burn but if a fire starts in the basement the foam
insulation would burn, hence the need for drywall.

Spork,

The first step is to determine where the moisture is coming from. It
could be from the outside and you need to do something with drainage
(landscaping, gutters, etc.) or wall repair. It could be an interior
problem with cold water pipes sweating and general humidity. Insulate
the cold water supply pipes with foam sleeves. It's most likely a
combination of the two.

Check with your local building code authority to see what they
recommend. Some cities have that information on-line. In my part of
Minnesota they now require two vapor barriers; one between the
exterior wall and the interior insulation (just up past the ground
line) and another one between the insulation and the full finished
interior wall. Space is left at the top to avoid the moisture
sandwich. This is a recent change from just an interior vapor barrier
(the Canadians have been doing it with two for years).

Watered down bleach will do a fine job killing the mold and it won't
come back if you solve the original problem. Foam boards properly
sealed with caulk and the small cans of foam should do the trick, but
then you do need drywall as the foam burns easily. Don't leave the
windows open if you're running the dehumidifier. If you can air
condition the space properly, you don't need the dehumidifier.

Good luck.

dss

Shaun Eli wrote:
1. Drywall IS for fire suppression, but I can't imagine how it would
be any use in a basement. The dirt on the other side won't burn.

The dirt won't burn but if a fire starts in the basement the foam
insulation would burn, hence the need for drywall.

Good point, but it depends on the foam. For example, polystyrene (packing
peanuts) doesn't burn. It will char and melt, but won't support combustion.

I would suspect the type of foam used for insulation is of the non-flammable
variety.

On Jun 30, 11:42*am, "HeyBub" wrote:
Shaun Eli wrote:
1. Drywall IS for fire suppression, but I can't imagine how it would
be any use in a basement. The dirt on the other side won't burn.

The dirt won't burn but if a fire starts in the basement the foam
insulation would burn, hence the need for drywall.

Good point, but it depends on the foam. For example, polystyrene (packing
peanuts) doesn't burn. It will char and melt, but won't support combustion.

On Tue, 29 Jun 2010 23:30:01 -0700 (PDT), harry
wrote:

On Jun 30, 1:50Â*am, Spork wrote:
After finding out I had termites I also found mold in my basement! A
section of my basement is Â*above ground and insulated by the builder
with fiberglass and the vapor barrier on the inside of the basement. I
live in IL so its very hot and humid during the summer. So I'm now in
the process of getting rid of the insulation and cleaning up the mold
with vinegar.

I picked up a dehumidifier but can't decide on what to replace the
insulation with. The spray in foam I think would be to expensive for
calling someone out. Would going with the 2 inch rigid foam board be
ok? I guess the stuff also has to be covered with drywall for fire
code. Was hoping to leave it exposed for easier termite and mold
inspection in the future. Then again I'm guessing the drywall could
further help with insulation.

I've asked in a few places and not getting any responses. What are the
alternatives to stuffing mold food in the walls?

The jury is still out on vapour barriers in basements.
Assuming the walls are not LEAKING, and the moisture is coming from
the air inside, insulate with rock-wool, with no vapour barrier, or
better yet put a layer of Styrofoam SM or other similar rigid board
insulation on first, with the joints taped, and open at the top - with
rock-wool next in a free-standing 2X4 wall. Covered with paperless
wall-board makes a good job. That's how a basement renovation
contractor recommended doing my daughter's basement last year.

thank you

Mould grows where it's damp and there are several reasons for
dampness. Water penetration from outside and condensation.
Condensations seems the likely one on your case but check that the
damp barrier is intact. They are very poor in American buildings.
Condensation occurs when warm moist air comes in contact with a cold
surface, Ideally your basement should have had insulation (ridgid
board type) applied to the outside of your basement. Clearly the
cheapskates haven't done this.
You will need to kill the mould first. There are special chemical to
do this. Bleach kills mould but evaporates & the mould comes back. The
chemical is more long lasting.
You can apply treated timber battens to your walls and ridgid CLOSED
CELL insulating board beween them. Your insulating board should be
fixed to the basement wall with fixing foam and every little joint
filled with foam too.
Then you need a VAPOUR BARRIER (plastic sheet) which stops the warm
moist air from contacting the cold basement wall. Staple it onto the
battens & tape over it
There must be no air leaks, not even a little one. There is special
tape available for this purpose. If you have the smallest air leak
you are lost. You can then put on your drywall.
The paint finiish should be non porous too.
A de-humidifier is a big help but its pointless running it if any air
comes in from the outside. Some AC plants have a de-humidifing cycle,
check yours to see if it has it.

On Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:42:15 -0500, "HeyBub"
wrote:

Shaun Eli wrote:
1. Drywall IS for fire suppression, but I can't imagine how it would
be any use in a basement. The dirt on the other side won't burn.

The dirt won't burn but if a fire starts in the basement the foam
insulation would burn, hence the need for drywall.

Good point, but it depends on the foam. For example, polystyrene (packing
peanuts) doesn't burn. It will char and melt, but won't support combustion.

But it WILL produce poisonous gas if held to a flame. Styrene in
particular MUST be covered with a flame barrier by law, and for good
reason.

I would suspect the type of foam used for insulation is of the non-flammable
variety.

And your suspicion would be wrong, and dangerous.

On Jun 30, 6:51*pm, wrote:
On Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:42:15 -0500, "HeyBub"
wrote:

Shaun Eli wrote:
1. Drywall IS for fire suppression, but I can't imagine how it would
be any use in a basement. The dirt on the other side won't burn.

The dirt won't burn but if a fire starts in the basement the foam
insulation would burn, hence the need for drywall.

Good point, but it depends on the foam. For example, polystyrene (packing
peanuts) doesn't burn. It will char and melt, but won't support combustion.

But it WILL produce poisonous gas if held to a flame. Styrene in
particular MUST be covered with a flame barrier by law, and for good
reason.

I would suspect the type of foam used for insulation is of the non-flammable
variety.

And your suspicion would be wrong, and dangerous.

Cyanide gas is produced, I would try to avoid generating it.

thanks everyone for the help. My basement is partially above ground so
it has studs and osb as part of it after about 3 feet of foundation.
This is where I found the mold growing after peeling back the
insulation. I've taken care of the dampness with the dehumidifier and
cleaning up the mold. I was looking for something more mold resistant
than fiberglass to replace it with. I already know foam is the best
option for directly against the foundation. Looks like I will be
using it for the studded areas also. Will have to cover with drywall
then to make it safe.


http://www.roxul.com/home

This stuff looks promising as well. Works similar to the foam and fire
resistant/bug resistant.

paint walls with drylock paint, add extra mold killer paint additive
for extra precaution.

If you were starting from scratch:

Mastic or other water/damp proofing membrane on concrete
Rigid foam installed on concrete. Taped joints.
1" dead air
Stud wall with gyp. NO vapor barrier.

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DanG
Keep the whole world singing . . .


"Spork" wrote in message
...
thanks everyone for the help. My basement is partially above
ground so
it has studs and osb as part of it after about 3 feet of
foundation.
This is where I found the mold growing after peeling back the
insulation. I've taken care of the dampness with the
dehumidifier and
cleaning up the mold. I was looking for something more mold
resistant
than fiberglass to replace it with. I already know foam is the
best
option for directly against the foundation. Looks like I will
be
using it for the studded areas also. Will have to cover with
drywall
then to make it safe.


http://www.roxul.com/home

This stuff looks promising as well. Works similar to the foam
and fire
resistant/bug resistant.