High Humidity in Basement Triggers Mold Growth in Matawan, NJ

Challenge

Two new homeowners recently purchased a home with a fully finished basement in Matawan, NJ. As soon as temperatures warmed over the summer months, they started having humidity issues in their basement. Hoping to alleviate the problem they went out a purchased a standard dehumidifier from a big box store to reduce the indoor humidity levels. Unfortunately, these homeowners found out the hard way, these store-bought machines simply aren’t designed and built to work in those areas of the home like basements and crawl spaces and it didn't take long for the chronically high humidity levels in the basement to trigger mold growth.

The only good news was that there wasn’t too much-ruined furniture. Since the homeowners recently moved in, they only had one piece of furniture in the basement that had been removed before we arrived. The furniture had trapped moisture on the carpet underneath as well as where it was touching the wall trim — and mold formed on both the carpeting and along the baseboard molding. 

Solution

First, we equipped our personal protective equipment (PPE) and then treated the mold with an antimicrobial application called MAPS 1, which stands for Mold Abatement Polymer Solutions. MAPS 1 is an EPA registered product that attacks mold on a cellular level and immediately kills it. Next, we used our mold stain remover and scrubbed away all the mold growth throughout the crawl space.

Next, we applied our patented sealant called MAPS 2. MAPS 2 is a moisture-sensitive application that encapsulates the surface mold is growing on and renders it harmless, inert, and non-allergenic.

One of the best features of MAPS 2 is that it will reactivate whenever it gets wet to prevent future mold growth. To address the high humidity levels in the crawl space, we installed a Sani-Dry Sedona commercial grade dehumidifier. These dehumidifiers cost less to run than other dehumidifiers, cover over 3000 square feet, are energy efficient, and will properly control the humidity levels in the crawl space. Since this was a finished basement, we installed the dehumidifier with a ducting kit so that it could be hidden, but still do its job keeping down humidity levels. Now, with the mold treated and the dehumidification system in place, these homeowners will be able to enjoy their basement and the rest of their new home.