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HI--All you talented and Handy men out there! II need some HELP!!!!!
I live in a 4-level split home that we (now divorced for 20 years--and living alone) moved into end of 1969.
It was our 1st. home--and my Engineer Hubby chose the location--high above any water problems.
He was also the ultimate builder and handyman--so I am not blaming him now for any
of the issues of moisture/mold in my basement. He did all he could to prevent this--time took care of the rest...
He waterproofed all the cinder block walls in the lower level (his Shop) with water-sealing paint
on the walls and also the floor.
This lower level of my house is 80% underground. So--a lot of moisture issues have reared their heads
as the years ticked by. Some caused bu aging outside drains and gutters.
I have a Patio out back that is roofed over, but the grade level of the patio roof ()3') has not been the best.
A lot of the gutters overflow by now as the ground drainage pipes must be all clogged up
after 43 years. Yet--when I run a hose into one of the gutters--it does, eventually, run out by the curb.
Years ago--my Ex dug drainage pipes underground from all the gutter drains to discharge at the curb.
I do not believe that much of the water that runs down the gutter drain- spouts into the ground pipes
work all that well any more, as I have seen Chipmunks running in and out of them
.
These drainage pipes were the ones with perforations in them (as best I know) and, I am thinking that
they are, by now, clogged with dirt and Chipmunk tunnels and just clogged by time.
These drainage pipes DO run under my Garden beds, so as I dig and plant---much of the soil may get in them.
OK! Back to my mildewed basement walls...
Seems that the worst mold and mildew locations down there are on the corners where the downspouts are.
SO! Lots of the water is not going down the drainage pipes, but just spilling out in the soil and down to
the foundation. That is my assumption--but I am not an engineer or a handy-person.
OR--there may also be a construction dysfunction as the concrete slab the house was built on
has, slightly, sunk--and thus separating from the walls of the house. There IS a serious 1/2" or more crack now between the floor
and the cinder block walls of the lowest level of the house. That is where so much of the mold and YUK is visible.
I KNOW my basement has mold and mildew issues. How? Every time i walk into my home my nose starts running...
I had a Dehumidifier that just died on me. It helped with the moisture..but I do not think it helped much with the cause of the smell.
Today--I was "tearing apart" my Shop level--trying to re-organize things a bit. Clean. Throw out. Donate...Whatever!!!
Mostly--I wanted to get to these moldy areas and spray them with Chlorine and water. That is supposed to kill mold???
Now I have to wait until all that dries out. Will it help any???? I am not sure.
It is not easy--as I am a old Senior (75) and i do not have the energy or the $$$ to hire anyone to do what SHOULD be done.
I KNOW what they would tell me needs to be done if i called in a professional...
They would dig up the perimeter of my basement and install a French Drain--at the cost of a few $1000.
I cannot afford that. Looking for a more inexpensive solution.
My question here is--What else could I do to treat all the moisture that is there--or from it coming in????
Would Concrete crack-filler work? Stuff these cracks full of concrete?
I just sprayed all the walls and the floor/wall open cracks with a serious water/Chlorine solution...
Here are some pictures--as if you needed them by now! Can you suggest a less expensive alternative
to this problem? What else could I do?
The walls look dark because I DUD just spray them with the Chlorine/water solution.
Thank you all--Gita
Click an image for an enlarged view.
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