Leaky Washing Machine Causes Basement Mold in Holmdel, NJ

Challenge

This homeowner in Holmdel, NJ found himself with a severe mold problem in the laundry area near his washing machine. He knew there was a problem because of water-damaged drywall. First, we cut open the drywall in a small area to give us a preliminary idea of what we were dealing with. Unfortunately, there was mold growth galore. We also needed to determine the cause of the mold problem.

It is not enough to just treat the mold. If you don’t resolve the underlying water issue, the mold will return. And it will likely return sooner rather than later. We removed more drywall in order to find out what was the source of the water. Once the area behind the drywall was expanded, the problem was easy to see: The plumbing fitting to the washing machine was leaking! It wasn’t a huge leak, but it was more than enough to ruin a good amount of drywall and insulation.

Solution

As part of our mold treatment, it is not necessary for us to remove building materials that are not water-damaged or have otherwise lost their structural integrity. However, once construction materials are ruined, they need to be removed — and the damaged drywall and insulation had to go.

We then treated the area with our EPA-registered antimicrobial solution called Mold Abatement Polymer Solution 1, or MAPS 1. This product attacks mold on a cellular level and kills it instantly. We then used our mold stain remover, scrubbed away all the excess mold staining, and then applied our patented sealant MAPS 2. This application encapsulates the surface mold is growing on and renders it harmless and non-allergenic. MAPS 2 is also moisture-sensitive and will reactivate whenever it gets wet to prevent future mold growth. 

We turned off the water supply to the washing machine until the fitting could be properly repaired by a licensed plumber. The homeowner was relieved that the problem was discovered. He felt that the problem could have been a lot worse, and he was happy the mold was gone and that the water problem was identified and could easily be fixed.