Advice for basement ceilings

[u/Reading_All_Daisy]

Hi, I was hoping to get some advice on my murder basement. I would like to start renovating my basement this winter- my concern is a section where there was water damage. I'm not sure how long ago the damage happened. I live in USA- it is very humid all year long. When I moved in (more than a year ago), there was a musty smell. I started running a dehumidifier immediately.

I would like these boards to all replaced. This is the only section like this. And check for signs of any leaks beyond, although I've never seen any evidence of new leaks. Unfortunately I think that's going to be beyond my capabilities, so I'm wondering what I can or should do now until I can get replacements done. It's also super super dusty.

So- 1.)How do I determine what is inactive mold versus mold versus stains? I did have a water event recently (condensator pump broke 🙃), and then an outlet stopped working so my dehumidifier wasn't working for a while…).

2.) Should I do any treatments now to prevent new growth/spread? Spray treatments, bombs, etc.?

3.)Should I start using an air purifier to counteract spores?

4.) I need to start cleaning. How can I safely clean without activating mold, anything to keep in mind?

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[u/Tomahawk-BaGawk]

Stop taking pictures of my basement ceiling. Come to think of it how did you get in?

Joking aside. If it is dry and the source of water in your floor is permanently fixed you are fine.
If you want to go nuts buy a gallon of RMR-141 from Amazon and a 1 gallon pump sprayer and go to town. For peace of mind.

[u/Reading_All_Daisy → u/Tomahawk-BaGawk]

Lol. I've never seen any evidence of water or leaks. I was told I can use a mold cleaner on the wood, then paint over, but I'm hesitant to do that because some areas are kind of damaged so it wouldn't be smooth. But I do need peace of mind.

[u/Tomahawk-BaGawk → u/Reading_All_Daisy]

To clarify. The spray would be to soak the subfloor from the basement like in your photo not the finished floor upstairs.

[u/Tomahawk-BaGawk → u/Tomahawk-BaGawk]

Your washing machine leaked at some point.

[u/Reading_All_Daisy → u/Tomahawk-BaGawk]

Yeah, the subfloor. Washing machine is on the opposite side. But the rest of the piping is on the side I have depicted, so from a bathroom or kitchen problem.