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Started By
Message
More house drama. Found mold behind baseboard in basement.
Posted on 7/8/25 at 7:38 am
Posted on 7/8/25 at 7:38 am
So yall have followed some of the drama with our “new” house. Well we are ready to paint that downstairs room where I built that new wall. The baseboard down there is very plain so I was planning to rip it off and replace it since I’m about to install more for the new wall anyway.
Rip it off and about 75%+ of the room is completely black under there with mold and the gyp board is incredibly brittle at the bottom. Often ripping off very easily when I took the baseboard off. Sucks, right? Clearly there’s some kind of water intrusion and it’s been causing all of this. We did have a mold test done in the basement which was negative so I have to think it was pretty well contained at least before.
Well when I started examining the baseboard I ripped out, I can see plenty of it has manufacturing dates from 2024. So if it was in the factory in 2024, I know the homeowners installed it within the last year and surely had to have been aware of the issue. However, they never disclosed mold or water intrusion as a latent defect when they sold.
My understanding is this could be potentially illegal/fraudulent of them to cover up the issue right before they try and sell. I contacted my realtor and he did suggest to take anything further to a real estate attorney.
Just curious the boards thoughts on the issue and if that is worth it. It’s a basement room we don’t plan to use super often. The drywall above the baseboard is fine. Wondering if I should just cut it out and replace, blast it with vinegar and bleach and all that and then dress it back up. Again, getting into gutting the whole room professionally basically isn’t an option.
That room has experienced minor water intrusion when the sump pump was failing but we got that figured out almost immediately. It stands to reason whatever issue we inherited with the sump pump was ongoing at the time of purchase.
Rip it off and about 75%+ of the room is completely black under there with mold and the gyp board is incredibly brittle at the bottom. Often ripping off very easily when I took the baseboard off. Sucks, right? Clearly there’s some kind of water intrusion and it’s been causing all of this. We did have a mold test done in the basement which was negative so I have to think it was pretty well contained at least before.
Well when I started examining the baseboard I ripped out, I can see plenty of it has manufacturing dates from 2024. So if it was in the factory in 2024, I know the homeowners installed it within the last year and surely had to have been aware of the issue. However, they never disclosed mold or water intrusion as a latent defect when they sold.
My understanding is this could be potentially illegal/fraudulent of them to cover up the issue right before they try and sell. I contacted my realtor and he did suggest to take anything further to a real estate attorney.
Just curious the boards thoughts on the issue and if that is worth it. It’s a basement room we don’t plan to use super often. The drywall above the baseboard is fine. Wondering if I should just cut it out and replace, blast it with vinegar and bleach and all that and then dress it back up. Again, getting into gutting the whole room professionally basically isn’t an option.
That room has experienced minor water intrusion when the sump pump was failing but we got that figured out almost immediately. It stands to reason whatever issue we inherited with the sump pump was ongoing at the time of purchase.
10
Posted on 7/8/25 at 8:16 am to jlovel7
Use Concrobium Mold Control, not bleach. I sold a ton of it in the days after the 2016 flood.
Bleach can damage wood and drywall. Concrobium kills and prevents mold, doesn't damage wood or drywall, and leaves an anti-microbial shield to prevent new mold growth as long as the moisture source is eliminated and proper humidity is achieved.
Bleach can damage wood and drywall. Concrobium kills and prevents mold, doesn't damage wood or drywall, and leaves an anti-microbial shield to prevent new mold growth as long as the moisture source is eliminated and proper humidity is achieved.
Posted on 7/8/25 at 8:28 am to jlovel7
I’m no lawyer but I would be pissed. I feel like that’s a pretty good case to sue, I would take lots of pictures while you got the board off.
Posted on 7/8/25 at 8:38 am to jlovel7
quote:
The drywall above the baseboard is fine.
I would definitely moisture meter the whole wall(s) to be sure. If you don’t have one, they are cheap and available.
Personally, I’d cut out the affected sheetrock and leave it open for several weeks, frequently checking for any water before attempting repair.
Once you are ready to repair, I’d slap a section of poplar in there instead of new sheetrock, it will be much easier and give you a nice base for baseboard nailing. These are in thin strips at Lowe’s and can match your wall thickness (typically)
Posted on 7/8/25 at 9:18 am to jlovel7
I'd get a mold remediation company out there first. You don't know how far up the drywall it goes inside the walls.
Posted on 7/8/25 at 9:31 am to jlovel7
I'd rethink finishing the walls unless it is something I can easily remove. Maybe a screw on wainscot for the lower third of the wall anyway so you can easily remove to clean/inspect occasionally. Did you use any insulation in the wall you built? I would only use closed cell foam.
Posted on 7/8/25 at 10:08 am to jlovel7
quote:
I'd get a mold remediation company out there first
That's probably the last thing I'd do especially if money is tight. Many mold remediation companies I've dealt with look to maximize their profits. They put the area under negative air and bring in HEPA filtration units running 24/7 until they are completed. Then all of their team members, who are glorified laborers, will be dressed in PPE and demo whatever they're told. They'll then try and charge you to encapsulate the wall cavity. They thrive on people's fear of mold and take advantage of it at every opportunity. Sometimes this is necessary but many times it is overkill. BTW, most insurance policies don't cover just mold.
Like another poster mentioned, you can buy a cheap moisture meter and check all of the walls. If the moisture is elevated (above 18-20%) you can remove a small vertical drywall strip (like 3"x4') above the base in an inconspicuous area like an interior closet wall. You should be able to see if there is mold on the drywall you removed and the adjacent wall. If it's just behind the base trim, and you're confident that you've solved the water issue, I'd remove the contaminated drywall, spray an antimicrobial (not bleach), and install a filler piece of either cement board or mold resistant drywall, I'd avoid using anything organic. Then install a taller base to cover the repair. You can even buy a PVC base trim. If the mold extends up greater than a few inches, I'd look at putting in the removable wainscot panels for future issues.
If you find the mold is worse than you think, I'd seal off the exposed areas where you removed the base and call a hygienist to take samples. He can then give you a protocol to follow for the demo/remediation.
Posted on 7/8/25 at 10:49 am to Cage Fighter Trainee
Good advice. Purchased a moisture meter.
Thankfully we do actually have chair rail holding halfway up the wall so it makes for a clean break point if I have the cut the drywall up to there.
I have not cleaned anything yet until I talk to a lawyer. I was going to spray with vinegar as that seems to be well recommended. I haven’t been able to get ahold of a real estate attorney yet.
I’m afraid if I clean all the mold and we need to litigate that’s removal of potential evidence. Maybe I’m being too stubborn about that.
Thankfully we do actually have chair rail holding halfway up the wall so it makes for a clean break point if I have the cut the drywall up to there.
I have not cleaned anything yet until I talk to a lawyer. I was going to spray with vinegar as that seems to be well recommended. I haven’t been able to get ahold of a real estate attorney yet.
I’m afraid if I clean all the mold and we need to litigate that’s removal of potential evidence. Maybe I’m being too stubborn about that.
Posted on 7/8/25 at 10:54 am to jlovel7
Moisture is the conduit for mold to grow. If everything is dry and the walls are still in tact, then the mold is contained for the most part. You can leave it like that until you things settled.
If there are elevated moisture levels, you can add a dehumidifier to stabilize the environment and keep things from getting worse. Don't put fans/air movers in the area.
If there are elevated moisture levels, you can add a dehumidifier to stabilize the environment and keep things from getting worse. Don't put fans/air movers in the area.
Posted on 7/8/25 at 11:13 am to Cage Fighter Trainee
quote:
Moisture is the conduit for mold to grow. If everything is dry and the walls are still in tact, then the mold is contained for the most part. You can leave it like that until you things settled. If there are elevated moisture levels, you can add a dehumidifier to stabilize the environment and keep things from getting worse. Don't put fans/air movers in the area.
Just bought a dehumidifier via prime. Unfortunately won’t be here till next week. The basement without it is about 60-65% humid.
Posted on 7/8/25 at 11:39 am to Cage Fighter Trainee
quote:
Moisture is the conduit for mold to grow. If everything is dry and the walls are still in tact, then the mold is contained for the most part. You can leave it like that until you things settled. If there are elevated moisture levels, you can add a dehumidifier to stabilize the environment and keep things from getting worse. Don't put fans/air movers in the area.
Alright I have nuked it with vinegar. Did a quick wipe and it’s amazing how much of the stuff just fell right off. I am gonna go back in an hour with water and a rag to do more cleanup.
The drywall at the ground definitely looks rotted. I can’t tell if they have a 4” strip that is special stuff because it seems to be breaking away easily and cleanly right at the baseboard. Looks like I will need to replace at least the bottom few inches. I will wait on the moisture meter to see.
This post was edited on 7/8/25 at 11:40 am
Posted on 7/8/25 at 12:03 pm to jlovel7
quote:
The drywall at the ground definitely looks rotted.
Is the drywall installed with the bottom in contact with the concrete floor? There needs to be a 3/8-1/2" gap to prevent moisture wicking from the concrete to drywall.
Posted on 7/8/25 at 1:16 pm to weadjust
quote:
The drywall at the ground definitely looks rotted. Is the drywall installed with the bottom in contact with the concrete floor? There needs to be a 3/8-1/2" gap to prevent moisture wicking from the concrete to drywall.
In quite a few areas yeah.
At this point it seems inevitable we will be ripping out at least a few inches of drywall and then replacing it with the appropriate gap, something bacteria resistant, and then putting a non organic baseboard back over it.
Posted on 7/8/25 at 1:52 pm to jlovel7
quote:
hat room has experienced minor water intrusion when the sump pump was failing but we got that figured out almost immediately.
I'm far from an expert but an attorney for the sellers would say this is the reason for the current mold and you would be out attorney's fees.
They'd likely say that you didn't dry the area thoroughly enough and that caused the mold.
Posted on 7/8/25 at 2:24 pm to bbvdd
quote:
I'm far from an expert but an attorney for the sellers would say this is the reason for the current mold and you would be out attorney's fees. They'd likely say that you didn't dry the area thoroughly enough and that caused the mold.
My wife and I discussed this. The area where we noticed water intrusion is the absolute cleanest. It’s also the area that was repaired based on where we found newer baseboard. So that tells me that it was the worst offender (water shows up there first) and they did a quick patch before selling. If the amount of mold we are seeing is from the incident we suffered, I’d expect the mold to be pretty equal and of course the area we actually found the water in to actually be as moldy as the rest. There’s a very clear delineation from their patch job. I did reach out to them to ask if there had been any ongoing issues in that corner and that we found new work that wasn’t reported and they responded saying they have no knowledge of any of it.
This post was edited on 7/8/25 at 2:25 pm
Posted on 7/8/25 at 3:05 pm to jlovel7
quote:
There’s a very clear delineation from their patch job. I did reach out to them to ask if there had been any ongoing issues in that corner and that we found new work that wasn’t reported and they responded saying they have no knowledge of any of it.
you might go back to them and tell them that the boards you pulled off show 2024 manufacture date and you next step will be with an attorney.
They may change their mind about their lie.
Posted on 7/8/25 at 6:06 pm to jlovel7
You have to be itching to know how bad it is under the drywall, right?
Posted on 7/8/25 at 6:56 pm to LSUfan20005
quote:
You have to be itching to know how bad it is under the drywall, right?
no I am terrified. Waiting for the moisture meter to come in before I start ripping it all out. 
Posted on 7/9/25 at 7:07 pm to jlovel7
quote:
I contacted my realtor and he did suggest to take anything further to a real estate attorney.
Is the burden of proof on the previous owner to prove they didn’t know? Or on the home buyer to prove they did?
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