Mold in unfinished basement

12 years ago

I am buying a new house with an unfinished basement. I do not close for another 30 days. I have been meeting with general contractors to discuss finishing the basement once I close. Of the 5 general contractors that came out to offer bids, only 1 suspected that the filmy substance coming from the sides and undersides of the floor joists suspected mold. The substance looked more like cob webs. It is not the black mold I continue read about. The builder is having it remediated and buying a dehumidifier, and I have an independent mold inspection before closing.

However, I'm worried. What is the effect on resale? I'm terrified to consider finishing the basement anytime soon, now. Also, the yard has only been rough graded. I've also asked for underground downspouts to be put in to help push water away from the house....

Should I consider backing out of this house? The idea of mold, which now has to be disclosed carries a heavy stigma that will deter future buyers and significantly impair resale value down the road...

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated...

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Comments (4)

apple_pie_order
12 years ago
Get it tested ASAP. No point in putting it off.
User
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
I am not a mold expert.

My mom had mold in her basement. Over the years she did many things to try to eliminate it. Grading, drain tile, different drainage arrangements, Some things worked for a while but the mold always came back eventually. Towards the end someone talked her into finishing the basement (it had always been unfinished). What a disaster. The mold was hidden behind the drywall then, and one day...bam! Or "bloom" I guess is more accurate - mold everywhere almost overnight. We had to tear the whole thing out and re-remediate. The whole cost of finishing the basement was a loss.

When we sold the house the basement was clean, dry, and mold free. But I have no doubt that eventually water will seep in again as it always had in the past. I don't know if the fact there had been mold disclosed impacted the purchase price. We got market value for the house.

I am not saying to back away from your purchase.

You need to learn a lot more about your individual situation before you move forward.
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PRO
LineBox Studio
12 years ago
Get it tested. They also have a dry chemical spray they can se to get rid of it. Also get a professional to test / tell you the source
PRO
GN Builders L.L.C
12 years ago
See what independent mold inspection report says. If builder did remediation, everything should be ok. See what caused the mold to appear in the first place and find a solution to prevent this from happening in the future.
It could be a simple ventilation issue, it could be a gutters issue so you extend the gutters), it could be exterior grading.i,e. settled back-fill around the foundation, back pitched grading, etc ( all you have to do is add some dirt around perimeter), If you in the region with high water table, you might have to install under slab drain system tied into a sump pump and if that is required you can negotiate to receive a credit because that can run a few grand depending on the basement size... Other then that, as gutters or grading goes, that minor issues.

Good luck I hope it helps!