ᐅ Moisture and Mold in the Basement

Created on: 14 Jul 2015 22:39
T
Timmi1608
T
Timmi1608
14 Jul 2015 22:39
Hello everyone,

About a week ago, during the recent heatwave, the hose connected to our outdoor faucet came off. Unfortunately, the faucet was not turned off, and water flowed directly into the ground below. We only noticed this when we returned home from our trip. The water ran for a maximum of 5 hours (that was how long we were away), but it could have been less.

We immediately inspected the house and found that the stone floor in the basement (unfinished floor) was mostly damp. It has now started to develop mold (including in the cracks between the stones). No other damage was noticeable. The walls in the affected room still feel dry.

Our question now is, what should we do? Can a dehumidifier help in this situation? Could this possibly be covered by the building insurance? What steps can be taken to address the mold?

A friend who is an architect advised us to simply leave the window open and wait for the moisture to dry out. However, I’m not sure if this is the right approach, especially since mold is already beginning to form.

I would really appreciate your advice!

Best regards
B
Bauexperte
15 Jul 2015 00:16
Good evening,
Timmi1608 schrieb:

A friend who is an architect advised us to simply leave the window open and wait until the moisture has gone. However, I’m no longer sure if that’s the right solution, especially since mold has already started to form.
I would also consider that the most practical solution.

If the moisture can escape through ventilation, the mold will eventually stop, and you can then remove any traces from the walls using products available from specialty stores.

Regards, Bauexperte
S
Sebastian79
15 Jul 2015 08:31
Getting rid of moisture in summer by leaving windows open? Bad idea...

I would use a construction dryer or something similar.
B
Bauexperte
15 Jul 2015 09:46
Lexmaul79 schrieb:

Moisture in Summer
Summer ...?

Regards, Bauexperte
S
Sebastian79
15 Jul 2015 09:47
Yes, well – this strange period is called summer. It is supposed to come back briefly on Friday, anyway 😉
T
Timmi1608
17 Jul 2015 12:26
Summer is back now and, at least in the south, is expected to stay for about a week.

In any case, I rented a dehumidifier and placed it in the basement. The device extracts about one household bucket of water from the floor each day. I hope the bricks will dry soon.

Many thanks for all your tips!