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I'm living in a moldy basement - what to expect?

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As others said it's not necessarily mold but you don't want to play around with mold it CAN be dangerous. If moving out is something that's easy to do that's what I'd do. But if it's a real pain then get the landlord to order some tests to find out exactly what you are dealing with. If it's not a dangerous mold or not mold at all you can just use a dehumidifier as others mentioned.
 
We figured out the source, there is some discoloration on the carpet in the corner of the room. My boyfriend also noted that he sometimes noticed that carpet felt slightly damp there but he didn't think much of it because it wasn't always like that.

We'll get the landlord to rip up that corner and see how big the problem is. if it's contained we might be able to stay put ... but that will depend. :/
 
Isn't it pretty obvious that your boyfriend is having an affair with a husk of corn? He's rubbing it in your face by having sex with it all over your shirt and pillows and everything.
 
dardarla said:
We figured out the source, there is some discoloration on the carpet in the corner of the room. My boyfriend also noted that he sometimes noticed that carpet felt slightly damp there but he didn't think much of it because it wasn't always like that.

We'll get the landlord to rip up that corner and see how big the problem is. if it's contained we might be able to stay put ... but that will depend. :/
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That might not be the only spot. Tip of the moldberg.

BTW, if it's there, there's probably a reason for it. Getting rid of it without getting rid of the underlying problem means it will probably come back in a few months.
 
dardarla lives in a basement

dardarla has a boyfriend

Olds has a famous basement

Thus dardarla is old's girlfriend???
 
Putting a mattress on the floor in a basement on carpet isn't a good idea either btw. Get a $20 frame and get it off the ground so it has air circulating under it.
 
randomrogue said:
Putting a mattress on the floor in a basement on carpet isn't a good idea either btw. Get a $20 frame and get it off the ground so it has air circulating under it.
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I always get pissed off when I see college kids sleeping on the floor. Makes me wanna peepee slap them. I usually offer a BB&B coupon and tell the little bastards to buy a fucking frame. Also recommend they fumigate the mattress once a year.
 
Well the landlord came and looked at it yesterday. He said he wants us to check the corner whenever it rains to see if it feels damp, he's not ready to rip it up just yet. We had an unusually rainy summer this year, so he's attributing it to that. I told him I thought there might be mold and he bushed that off. He's gonna look at the outside and see if he can see any damage to the foundation. Not exactly the reaction I was expecting ... But I know where he's coming from, it is a big hassle and he probably doesn't know much about mold. I'll give it some time, get a dehumidifier & air filter for that room.

We are on a 1 year lease, so we can't really leave unless we can prove theres an issue.
 
Wouldn't really worry about the mold too much unless you get sick often. According to the state of kansas extension office, mold is present in pretty much every home in one form or another. Nearly all mold is harmless, only a very small percent is "dangerous" to humans. Damp basements smell moldy because, well, there is mold present, but its not doom and gloom or the end of the world. Like others suggested, pull up the carpet, see what you can see, and get a dehumidifier (although the landlord should be buying the dehumidifier imho).
 
- dehumidifier for sure (the landlord should pick it up)
- What is covering the walls OP? Paneling? Drywall? There may indeed be some seepage coming thru the walls too. You may or may not notice it if there's a space between the cinderblock and wall material tho.

Yeah, mold is USUALLY not dangerous, but at the least it's a big inconvienience for you. Good luck!
 
Dehumidifiers EVERYWHERE. Carpets probably need to be replaced. Padding too. There's mildew-killing paint you can use on the walls, but if it's bad, it's bad, and it's a drywall job.

Replacing a leaky foundation can cost a lot of money.

Water travels down. Never live below anybody if you can help it. I'm certainly never living in a basement again.
 
Dirigible said:
A friend lived in a crappy rent controlled basement apartment in Berkeley twenty+ years ago. There was visible mold three feet up the walls. Now he's a brain surgeon.


So if you stay, you'll probably become a brain surgeon.
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Berkeleyans develop a high mold tolerance, as it is completely unavoidable in this geography and climate.

Must of us dilute those negative effects with high-concentration doses of marijuana.
 
Dirigible said:
A friend lived in a crappy rent controlled basement apartment in Berkeley twenty+ years ago. There was visible mold three feet up the walls. Now he's a brain surgeon.


So if you stay, you'll probably become a brain surgeon.
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Can I eat his brain?
 
My boyfriend poured straight bleach on the offending corner this morning... Not sure if that was really the best idea. He left a fan blowing on it so that it will be dry by the time we get home :/
 
wife and i are looking at houses now, and when we get an offer accepted, we're definitely going to do a mold inspection in the basement. i'm asthmatic and allergic to a lot of stuff, so mold/mildew really bothers me.

mold in a basement will be a deal breaker for me on any house.
 
purbeast0 said:
wife and i are looking at houses now, and when we get an offer accepted, we're definitely going to do a mold inspection in the basement. i'm asthmatic and allergic to a lot of stuff, so mold/mildew really bothers me.

mold in a basement will be a deal breaker for me on any house.
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Agreed.

luckily this isn't our house, so we can just move when the lease is up 🙂
 
dardarla said:
My boyfriend poured straight bleach on the offending corner this morning... Not sure if that was really the best idea. He left a fan blowing on it so that it will be dry by the time we get home :/
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It doesn't matter. If there is constant water entering the basement, mold will come back. There may be a swelling underground water source that causes the basement to be moist & damp.

Frankly, basement apartments are usually (not always) total shit.

You can get a dehumidifier, keep ALL your shit off the carpet/floor (just in case of flooding) - but, you are honestly better off finding another place. There is no point in feeling skeeved out and paranoid about where you live. Go find someplace that is dry and you are comfortable with.
 
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