Discovered mold weeks after leak fixed

3 years ago

This room is in the basement. We caught a leak in the pipe behind the double doors in the pic. The plumber guessed that had been going on for probably weeks and we didn’t notice (bc we don’t use this room a lot and it had gotten cluttered with storage.) The leak has been fixed and I emptied everything out from there except one section that I didn’t think was affected. I was wrong! Finally got to that area today and moved the remaining items (boxes with photos and some toys). Mold! Fuzzy white mold on the carpet. Greenish mold on the baseboard. The carpet is a brownish green so it’s hard to tell but I’m convinced there must be mold since the items on the floor were moldy! (I threw bags and bags of stuff out). The carpet IS NOT wet anymore. It’s been dry for weeks now. There is no padding underneath (because we knew water could be a problem in the basement).
Should I:
a) try and clean the mold myself (bleach, Ajax, vacuuming…?)
b) get a professional to look at it (and for sure tell me I have mold bc I do and they want $$ for the job, right?)
c) skip the cleanup and have someone come and rip up and replace the carpet?
HELP!! Thanks.

Featured Answer

morz8 - Washington Coast

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

Not a pro in any sense, but I think if that was my room I'd replace the carpet. It doesn't look like a large room and the 'clean issue' would be important to me.

A lot of people will tell you to use a concrobium cleaner for mold control, but I'd be satisfied with wiping down the baseboard, floor with a bleach and water solution. The area is dry now and hopefully will have no reason to ever return to damp. Put on a mask as you are cleaning just for a bit of insurance. Most of us have masks at our disposal these days.

I'm sorry you had to throw so much away.

Something similar happened at my SILs when they'd been out of town for an extended time. I'd been watching their house, but had no reason to enter that closet....

It was a closet under an upstairs bathroom that had developed a small leak, had kept things damp over time. That particular closet happened to contain her formal clothes, the really good stuff that she wore infrequently but carried heavy price tags.

Just wish I'd had reason to enter the room. Her husband immediately arranged both their contractor and a plumber and began having things put back in order. Their insurance agent chastised him, told him he should have waited until an adjuster could have been there. He asked the agent very simply....Are you married? We are talking about my wife's clothing. There was going to be no waiting LOL.

All is good again, and believe me when they travel now, I poke my head into closets when doing room to room checks on things.

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Comments (10)

Chava Shiel
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you! No the room isn’t terribly large. So I can’t decide if it’s easier/healthier/more cost effective to try and clean it, get it professionally cleaned, or replace the carpet. So I have one vote for replacing the carpet! I’ll see if others respond too. Also need to discuss with my husband
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HALLETT & Co.
3 years ago
I would start with professionally steam cleaning the carpet, the steam will kill any remaining spores. I hate carpet through so if it needs to be replaced I would look at tile…
Chava Shiel
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks - maybe I should consider that!
Kendrah
3 years ago
Rip and remove the carpet. Mold is no joke and can lead to health problems. I too would consider what other kind of flooring to put down. Basements are so prone to leaking that carpet seems impractical unless it is an outdoor rug that you can take outside and hose down. Perhaps you can put some other kind of flooring down that is more appropriate for flood prone areas with an outdoor rug as an accent on top.
Chava Shiel
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks for the insight!
cat_ky
3 years ago
I would rip up the carpet, and thoroughly clean and let it all dry well, after cleaning, and replace the carpet.
Chava Shiel
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you for your comment. That seems to be the consensus- everyone who commented said to get rid of the carpet! So I think we’ll have to put that plan into action ASAP. Thanks for weighing in!
dchall_san_antonio
3 years ago
Since it went so long I think remove and replace is best. Had you thought about it when the leak happened, then use Oxyclean sprayed on, allowed to soak in, and then steam clean. Finally follow up with baking soda dusted on and brushed in.
Chava Shiel
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks for taking the time to reply! It seems my best option is to remove it and replace with something else (not carpet) in case something happens in the future. There are some pipes right there behind the double doors so it’s possible something could happen again. But I’ll keep what you wrote in mind. Thanks!