I have a basement that is in need of some serious help.
The house is rather old and it looks as if the basement has been neglected. I would assume that there is a mold issue there (it certainly smells like it).
I know that I need to find the source of the mold and clean that (the basement looks as if it has been flooded in the past) but another concern I have is the exposed crawl spaces in the basement.
What is the best way to seal that off in order to make sure that no odor is passing through from there?

Insulation, vapor seal, and then build an enclosure to seal it (most likely out of wood)?

Thanks for any hep and sorry for the long post.

 

mcbaldylocks,

A couple of ideas....

Get some plastic pails like one gallon ice cream pails. Fill them about half full with lime (calcium oxide), you can get this at your local lumber yard or hardware store. Place two or three of
them (or more, depending on the size of the area
to be covered) in unobtrusive locations in your basement/crawl space. The lime absorbs the moisture and mildew, etc., along with the associated odors. It works!

A wet, damp, leaky foundation is the ideal environment for mold and mildew growth. Allergy problems can be greatly aggravated by damp conditions in the basement.

Clorox is a good chemical used to kill mold. Or at lease slow its growth. You can scrub the basement with clorox and a brush but be sure to provide adequate ventilation for your eyes and nose (lungs). After you kill the visible mold, you could use block sealer such as (UGL waterproof paint) to seal out moisture (make sure it contains portland cement) and paint the wall and floor surfaces (make sure to add plenty of mold inhibitor to the paint).

After fixing the problem, constant maintenance is a "must" (no pun intended). This may include a dehumidifier in summer and heat in the winter.

Good ventilation is needed, lack of crawl space vents will induce moisture to just sit and then grow mold. Ensure that you have 6 mil plastic down over the crawl space soils. Air flow is crucial to prevent problems.

Hope this helps!

 

Thanks for the help. I'll try it.

 

mcbaldylocks,

You're welcome!

Good Luck!