You killed the yellow mold!

February 21, 2011 4:38 PM

My new house appears to be taking "it never rains but it pours" just a wee bit too seriously. Runoff from lots of melting snow + ancient sump pump = kaput sump pump and flooded basement. And, of course, mold. Because there's too much for me to handle, plus drywall that clearly needs to be yanked, I'm starting to ask for estimates from pros. But what should I ask them? Major red flags (hard sells, etc.)? Any advice appreciated.
posted by thomas j wise to home & garden (3 answers total)

Call your insurance company. They can help with professionals who deal with flooding and molds. If you don't file a claim, they can still refer you to someone (usually not cheap). Mold is not something to mess around with. It can at least be a basis for figuring out what to do.
posted by annsunny at 8:08 PM on February 21, 2011

I would ask how they will isolate the room from other parts of the house while the remediaton is being done. They should use a fan exhausting out a window or the like to create a negative pressure in the area being worked on.

And what will they use to kill the mold. Bleach is in fact not the best solution, borates with detergent being more effective.

If your HVAC system is in the basement you could have mold spores on the fan housing and heat exchager, that should be checked out.

With spring rains on the way, you might want to wait to replace drywall that's been removed to be sure there's no other water infiltration.

Going forward you'll need to keep the relative humidity below 50 percent to keep any mold in check. A basement that requires a sump pump will need a dehumidifier to achieve that for sure.
posted by PaulBGoode at 10:40 PM on February 21, 2011

Who will determine if the mold is truly gone? There should be an independent tester paid by you, not affiliated with them, who comes in at the end to confirm your mold is gone.

There are certification regimes for mold remediation & testers, make sure your contractors demonstrate they've got current qualifications.
posted by Heart_on_Sleeve at 6:52 AM on February 22, 2011