Roofing, Gutters and Waterproofing - Seeking Mold and Mildew Prevention advice!
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : Seeking Mold and Mildew Prevention advice!
babutrs
01-19-06, 01:11 PM
I had a water leak underneath my hardwood floor house that I recently discovered and fixed. However, the leak was spraying water underneath the flooring of my house causing the hardwood floors to ripplie in the living room, dining room areas and making the entry door and side doors difficult to open and close. I plan to refinish the floors in due course, however, I would like to prevent any mildew and mold growth underneath the flooring and needed advice on which product to use to fix the problem - please advice - thanks...babu
XSleeper
01-19-06, 03:33 PM
There are 3 ways to prevent mold growth. 1). Take away the oxygen. 2). Take away the food source. 3). Take away the moisture.
Since #1 and #2 are not possible, that leaves #3, which IS possible. Mold will generally not grow anywhere the humidity is less than 60%. The best thing you could do is run fans and a dehumidifier constantly to remove moisture and to circulate the air. If the water damage is extensive, you may want to rent a larger industrial dryer/dehumidifier.
Drying the wood with the help of a humidifier and circulating the air until it the wood is completely dry will prevent mold growth.
If you currently do not notice any mold growth, do not take any steps to wash your floors or subflooring. All that would do is add moisture to the floor boards which would be counterproductive.
Since #1 and #2 are not possible, that leaves #3, which IS possible. Mold will generally not grow anywhere the humidity is less than 60%. The best thing you could do is run fans and a dehumidifier constantly to remove moisture and to circulate the air. If the water damage is extensive, you may want to rent a larger industrial dryer/dehumidifier.
Drying the wood with the help of a humidifier and circulating the air until it the wood is completely dry will prevent mold growth.
If you currently do not notice any mold growth, do not take any steps to wash your floors or subflooring. All that would do is add moisture to the floor boards which would be counterproductive.