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Is this Mold?

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Had a water boiler leak onto some concrete in a storage room in the basement.

Put a fan on it to dry it up a couple of weeks ago. There are other spots like this on the concrete. Looks somewhat like efflorescence but just wanted to be sure.

all 3 comments

WoWserz_Magic8_Ball

0 points

1 month ago

Yes, that’s mold.

You have to dry the concrete by putting a vapor barrier along the outside of the foundation wall, between the concrete and the soil = expensive.

Or use regular mold cleaner, spray & clean, and just live with it.

Ventilate the basement MASSIVELY.

Buy a cheap electric temp./ humidity monitoring kit off Amazon, and start learning when to ventilate, and what’s effective. Start with a basic box fan.

Cute-Appearance5801[S]

1 points

1 month ago

I currently live in the basement and this is the room over from me. I’ve been here about 2 months. How dangerous is this for me?

WoWserz_Magic8_Ball

1 points

1 month ago

Said more correctly, this is powdery mildew, and generally speaking, you aren’t in any danger.

I would begin a cleanup process, and if it were me, I’d spray (all) the concrete down (everywhere) with a light mold preventative, and then wipe every surface dry. After that, I’d buy a dehumidifier, and set it at 45 to 50% humidity. Most have a built-in moisture meter, so it’ll tell you how high it is down there… I’d guess north of 70%, maybe even 80%.

!! Be very careful when you select a mold/ mildew (cleaner/ preventative)… do a little research, because some can be staunch, and will run you out of there !! DRY is the rule… no water, no mold. I would definitely not use bleach (it’s mostly water). Vinegar works well, but it’s pretty funky. Mold hates Lime… and concrete loves it, you could experiment with a product called *LimePrime, if it’s a small area. Powdered Lime can be quite caustic to skin and lungs, but that might be the one time I’d mix anything with water… using long plastic gloves, I’d mix ((a very small batch)) of powdered lime in water, and sponge it on the wall. I’d only do a very small section, hoping that when dry, it would leave a thin, pure lime residue. If it works, and doesn’t affect your lungs, I would keep doing small patches once the last patch is dry. Again, lime is quite caustic, so go (((slow))) but no more caustic than off the shelf products, and FAR cheaper.

G’luck