Are you saying that I do not need a vapor barrier on top of the insulation? Even with the stud wall already you can still do it in a way where you are better off than most basements. To sum up, mold on wood studs is dangerous and should be removed before it turns disastrous for you and your property. Use an air purifier in the room to keep the air clean and fresh. Despite the fact that interior vapour barriers in below grade wall assemblies are commonplace, frustrated building scientists insist that installing them is the worst thing you could possibly do down there. Good luck! Or would I be far better off just to get a spray foam guy in to spray directly on the concrete? Without a poly barrier the moisture shoud be able to dry to the interior, unless there is something else really wrong going on here. Notice the difference between the studs against the foundation and the studs that formed an interior division wall; the vapour barrier did not protect the exterior wall from damage and mold growth. Adding another vapor barrier wouldn’t be a problem for that reason, but also because there is nothing in a floor that can rot. This non-structural lumber is ideal for landscaping, raised garden beds, flower and herb planters, benches, picnic tables, and agricultural and marine uses. Can you tell me how you did it and how it turned out? Treating wood that has been water sealed will be ineffective. That isn't a big surprise since MDF is a heavily processed wood product very susceptible to moisture damage, so it can be a bit of a canary in the coal mine in terms of basement moisture damage since it will show damage quicker than solid wood and most other process wood finishing materials. Factory applied technology. Does Simple Green Kill Mold: Facts and Myths. Most older basements have very limited head room and owners are often reluctant to lower it even more by adding insulation to the floor. Bluwood resists rot and termite damage, so in a damp climate or a basement, Bluwood is the way to go. The basement insulation solutions proposed here are for those that have no exterior protection. In winter the room is a bit cool, but I attribute that to the carpet on slab with no other insulation. by "on top" of the framing do you mean you were instructed to put wood framed walls directly against the concrete, then rigid insulation boards afterwards? However, remember to wring the extra water from whatever material you are using to scrub off mold, otherwise, it will allow the wood to absorb the moisture. Application to open studs and framing is less efficient than application in a controlled OEM environment. Have long wanted to at least finish the walls to make it a bit more livable (maybe leave the ceiling joists as is) but have always been worried about mold. What would you suggest to do? If you don't have a vapour barrier below the slab (which was not a practice done in 1944) then the concrete will constantly be wicking moisture from the groudn below. But I'm no expert, it is just what a contractor told me. Do not let the moisture stay on the surface for long periods. A lot of times building inspectors will call you out on not having a 6 mil poly vapour barrier, this is a way to keep them happy but not rot your walls. How to Remove Mold from Tile Grout: Best... How to Prevent Mold in Closet: Causes and... How to Clean Mold from Windows Including Glass,... How to Tell if Mold has been Painted Over? No negative structural effects. Rinse the surface with clean water and the process will be done. Here is a technical guide & design guide for construction of a sla…, We spend an average of 90% of our time indoors, where air is usually 3 to 4 times more polluted than outside air. According to the EPA, indoor relative humidity (RH) in homes should be kept below 60 percent - ideally between 30 percent and 50 percent, In addition to preventing mold forming, maintaining the correct humidity levels may also have a bonus effect - discouraging pests such as cockroaches, silverfish (bristletails) and dust mites from populating the man-cave! Also, you can easily remove it yourself without having to call the professionals. In addition to this, there are also those households who are not aware of mold growing on the surface. Bleach and mold exposure are harsh on the skin and overall health. My wife is reacting to whatever is on the walls. I am redoing the space and am wondering if I should take the walls down and replace with EPS/mineral wool/drywall as per the article; or just put the drywall up on the existing 2x2 studs? There are not a lot of reported cases of this, but when it goes wrong it goes very wrong. I would recommend starting with Joe Lstiburek, the most recognized name in building science. I'm looking to lay carpet down on the slab without radiant heat below it and am concerned about both moisture and the low ambient floor temperature. And the flooring in the rest of the basement is also a concern. Also I am now about to start the rest of the basement, should I continue this way? Moisture can build up inside the wall assembly and cause mold behind the drywall if you have an impermeable vapour barrier there. For reasons beyond just performance, we prefer mineral wool or EPS over XPS. Is it overkill? Would sheets of EPS covered with, say, plywood, then whatever your chosen floor surface is work? These reported cases are rare, but if you are at all concerned, there are alternatives to spray foam for insulating basements listed below that work well in the battle against moldy basements. For this reason, we like to explore less harmful alternatives whenever possible - though *January 2018 update: new blowing agents for spray foam virtually eliminate green house gases, read more here. Poor quality studs are more prone to developing molds because they are not resilient enough to fight moisture and humidity levels in the air. Experts stress the immediate removal mold because it looks bad but due to the fact that it is made up of countless toxic chemicals and gases. However, it has been known to shrink after application, leaving air gaps and a lack of thermal protection. The dehumidifiers are a great idea, I would say keep doing that even after you make repairs, or at least keep an eye on the humidity levels and try to keep it below 50 RH. Install the Studs. STAY UP-TO-DATE. Thanks for your help. Poly vapor barriers on the interior surface of a basement wall are not at all a good idea, it will trap the moisture. I think you have some of your wall components mixed up here, vapour barriers ARE intended to stop vapour, I've never heard that contested before. If you have a layer of poly and then 2 inches of EPS foam, I wouldn't be too concerned about the plywood as I think you have separated it well from any chance of moisture assuming the following : If it's a new basement you are building, then presumably you have the opportunity to take some additional steps towards protecting it, meaning - proper exterior water protection, drainage, a weeping tile that can drain bulk water away from the foundation, and a sump pump. If left unchecked, mold eventually can cause structural damage to building materials and can cause health problems - that's why we don't want mold in our basements! The ONLY mold resistant sound reducing panel with EZ-SNAP® technology QuietRock® ES Mold Resistant is the first and only easy score and snap, mold resistant sound damping drywall available. However, I was wondering if this technique can still be used if a waterproof membrane was installed on the exterior of the foundation wall. We obviously wouldn't be able to add 2" rigid insulation directly against the concrete now. Put 2" foam boards down. That's great news that the walls were dry. I don't want to use treated wood as batten due to I know how it curls when drying. For mold to form, or 'if' it were to form, that would likely mean there is a lot of moisture coming through from the wall assembly, and it was not being properly managed by ventilation equipment and dehumidifiers. I'm not sure which page you saw but we have a few other pages that I will link here so you can read a bit more indepth, feel free to write back with more specific details as to what you were instructed to do and we will happily offer our two cents. But do check the condition of the wall, if there is any cracking already you may be best to consult an engineer before creating a new condition for the wall like letting it freeze. BestPLUS Plastic Lumber is made in the USA with up to 97% recycled materials. My concern is insulating the floor. Since it's produced with a proprietary blend of plastics, the material is waterproof and suitable for any application where water resistance is critical. Screw both sheets together and have carpet installed on top? But I do wonder if you won't find it a bit spongy if you have a plywood subfloor laying directly on a couple of inches of foam. Specified correctly for basement Radon Mitigation, this will also act as a radon gas barrier to protect indoor air quality, and it will satisfy building inspectors who are not accustomed to seeing a wall without a vapour barrier and may not allow you to continue. Below grade, it is that big porous sponge called concrete that is sucking up water from the wet ground. This was a typical basement wall assembly, with a stud wall directly against the foundation followed by fiberglass insulation and a vapour barrier. Along with removing contaminants from the air, there are health consequences from having either too much or too little moisture in our homes. Put 23/32 plywood down. A huge number of households experience the issue of mold on wood studs. We must be misunderstanding something. If so then I would say they are an expert in making mold grow perhaps. We are in Southern Ontario, so winters are generally cold. Again, I'm not suggesting you lift your existing floor, but this would be a little upgrade that may extend the life, and it means you aren't switching building materials and causing a change in floor level. I recently built a 5th bedroom in the basement, and discovered that behind the wallboard, there was no insulation at all, just bare concrete. It would be much appreciated. Apart from that, it poses a serious threat to human health so neglect can turn out to be lethal. The blu lumber is treated with some kind of chemical that is supposed to make it termite and mold proof. Outside upgrades are the ideal correction given the way basement walls were left exposed in the past; however, unless you have serious structural problems or plan to excavate for other reasons, that can be an enormous extra cost for an interior renovation project. An error occurred. I have this in my house and was looking at how to frame and insulate with this system in place. only install studs & leave it like that? I feel bad for not getting back to you sooner, drop me a line if you like and maybe we can chat, your wife's reaction to air quality ups the stakes a bit so I want to make sure to steer you right. Hello. People exposed to mold experience a range of health symptoms which can sometimes be fatal. Thanks, I am having a new home built with 9' poured walls. FrameGuard wood is available in framing and truss lumber, plywood, OSB, and SIPs, as well as other engineered wood products. I do commend you for not believing everything you read on the web, especially when something contradicts a practice that is ingrained in us, like putting poly on basement walls. If you've got a crawls space with damp, mold, odor & cold issues, here's how to insula…, Condensation on windows is a pain in winter and runs down the wall can mean hidden issues in our homes - What causes fogged up windows, how big a problem is it…, A slab-on-grade home or building is more affordable, more comfortable and more Eco-friendly. One more question. Although many people successfully find a procedure on how to treat mold on wood studs, there is still a fraction who is clueless about the complete guide. By removing the concrete floor and maybe some of the dirt below it, you have room to insulate properly. If it's just surface mold or mildew, it will clean off. to 97 mils (12 gauge.). Old-Growth Cypress – The old-growth version of this resistant wood has so much more heartwood than its new or second-growth cousins that it is harder and has much greater resistance to rot and insects. Question once you 've read it over low-rise construction mold resistant 2x4 studs wood,,. 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