How to remove black mold concrete and Keep Your Basement Mold-Free

Many homeowners discover they have an uninvited guest shacking in their cellar. Ever seen little white fuzzy stuff on your concrete basement floor?

Mold on concrete can take many forms. Concrete is a porous substance and the basement gets a lot of moisture from the soil below.

Usually, concrete foundations have a barrier against moisture. But, in some cases, the moisture barrier is old or damaged, or is not installed properly.

In arid places like Southern California, Arizona and high altitudes, you can not have a moisture barrier built into your home. Usually do not need them, but if you have a heavy rain or a period of wet weather, is likely to get that ugly mold growing on your concrete floors.

If you have mold growing on basement tiles or under basement carpeting, the cause may be the lower part of cement. No matter what your mold problem, you must remove it from the concrete.

A little bleach and elbow grease

If you have a little 'of mold growing on concrete surfaces, it is fairly easy to clean. For small bits of mold here on out, use a solution of bleach and water. 4 parts water and 1 part bleach is usually the recommended formula. It is also possible to find cleaning products designed specifically for the removal of the mold.

Wipe the mildew with bleach and water until it is gone. Be careful - that bleach is dangerous stuff. Make sure you have a good pair of rubber gloves and be careful that the bleach does not come into contact with anything else.

Seal It Up

If you have more serious problems with mold and a good washing does not get rid of it, you could try to seal the cracks. Chances are, the appearance of mold on your concrete surfaces is a symptom of a more structural problem in your home. There may be cracks in concrete walls or moisture from entering the house.

Go to the hardware store and look for a waterproofing compound made for this specific purpose. If you are at all unsure, talk to the employee and explain the problem. What you want is something specifically designed to seal cracks in concrete walls. The compound will come with detailed instructions on how to use it.

Call The Contractor

If you have water absorbent under your foundation in concrete, you have a much bigger problem. You may need to call a professional.

What you need to do is remove all the floor so that the original concrete is exposed. This is something that you could probably do yourself, but you need to make sure you keep safe. Whenever you are dealing with mold, make sure you have good gloves and a mask, and make sure the mold does not get in other parts of the house. Even if you are working in the basement, make sure you have some ventilation going.

Now, you need a new top layer of concrete poured. Must be at least an inch thick. Make sure that the new cement is mixed with a waterproofing compound that will maintain the low level of humidity.

This is a great job and most of us would have had to call a contractor. Check your local yellow pages .......