I found a small crack with thick black mold in a 1’x3’ area & a little mold on back of drywall 1 ft up thru entire finished basement. I removed all drywall 4 ft up, took out all carpet & trim, bleached foundation, wood framing & floors. I found a few hairline cracks (probably from settling), but no mold near them. There’s some rusty nails in wood, vents are rusting & some of wood is damp & rotting & also near floor above what looks like concrete block turned sideways in the floor. I hit in holes with a screwdriver & its concrete at bottom. I patched up cracks with masonry cement, coated foundation with masonry sealant & coated wood with mold-resistant paint. I was told to build up around foundation with a lot of dirt & put rubber sheeting between dirt & foundation. Siding & windows need replacing, but don’t have $ for that right now. Should I do a quick-fix & sell house for what I owe on it or should I just gut & refinish entire basement or just replace drywall 4 ft down?
Be careful about a quick-fix in order to sell…you have to disclose any problems and can be held liable, even sued. Any decent home inspector will find it if it is still a problem. Sounds like you have done good job at removing most of the probelm. But if you want to stay in your house, I would invest in a mold inspector (check any company like this out w/the BBB) prior to replacing the drywall. If it is truely Black Mold, it is nothing to mess with and can cause serious health problems is not completely removed.
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cover it up as much as possible. You just need to get rid of that place.
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You’ve already done a lot of work. If I were in your situation, I’d replace the drywall 4 ft down, and either sell or try some cheaper, easier ways to reduce/eliminate wanter intrusion.
If the land around the foundation slopes towards the house, that is an easy fix if you have room to build up soil so at least 3-4 feet from the house slopes away. French drains may be something to look into — they are not much money, but a lot of work, but you don’t seem to be afraid of work. If your area has seen a downturn in house prices, like most areas, I’d be inclined to keep the house and overcome the obstacles. Especially if you like where you live.
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Be careful about a quick-fix in order to sell…you have to disclose any problems and can be held liable, even sued. Any decent home inspector will find it if it is still a problem. Sounds like you have done good job at removing most of the probelm. But if you want to stay in your house, I would invest in a mold inspector (check any company like this out w/the BBB) prior to replacing the drywall. If it is truely Black Mold, it is nothing to mess with and can cause serious health problems is not completely removed.
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