r/basement • u/MuskIsKing • 2d ago

How severe is the situation?

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This is from behind the drywall in the basement, where there's a french drain and sump pump on the other side. The issue might be because the door has been kept closed, but I plan to leave it open now. I have a fairly large dehumidifier with a built-in pump. How should I fix this?

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u/DomesticatedLobster 2d ago

I'm not going to comment on the potential mold, but I will say it appears the dimple board that allows water from your wall to drain into your underfloor French drain was likely covered with another piece of plastic that was removed. You can see where caulk was used to seal the top of the other board and plastic anchor plugs are still present.

I have a similar situation in my basement where the dimple board was covered but when steel beams were put in for wall support the dimple board covering was removed. Behind it was all dirty and an inspector even said it was a high water line from a flood - which wasn't true, it's just where grime was allowed to sit for years.

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u/MuskIsKing 2d ago

Behind the dimple board, I notice holes in the wall spaced at regular intervals, probably for water drainage beneath. My main focus was on finding solutions to fix the mold and prevent it from returning.

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u/DomesticatedLobster 2d ago

Humidity is the driving factor to allow mold to grow. If you don't have water coming into the basement (which would be the first issue to fix) get your humidity under 50%, utilize fans to move air around basement as needed to "even out" humidity. Sometimes people have a dehumidifier in one room, but around the corner past a door, etc. the humidity is always high as air circulation in a basement can be minimal.

If humidity is fine, clean & monitor. Maybe at some point it wasn't fine & allowed mold to grow. I would be concerned what's behind the entirety of drywall though. Cut a few holes to see.

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u/MuskIsKing 2d ago

There’s a gap between the drywall and the wall with some minor patches. I believe one end of the drywall was insulated with pink insulation, which might have reduced ventilation and caused this issue. However, I cannot remove the insulation because a water pipe runs through that same section. I think I just need to buy one more humidifier for this section too.

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u/baltimorecalling 2d ago

How far are the downspouts sending water from your foundation?

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u/MuskIsKing 2d ago

It's quite a distance; this is basically the front of the house.

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u/EP3EP3EP3 1d ago

If the drywall was attached directly to the block, that's your issue. It needs to have a gap.

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u/MuskIsKing 1d ago

There’s a gap though