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Message |
    
AngelaK
Citizen
Username: Angelak
Post Number: 19
Registered: 7-2006
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 11:13 pm: | 
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Actually, it's not in bad shape. A couple of minor leaks after heavy rain which will hopefully be remediated when I get the roof and gutters/downspouts repaired.
There is a bit of mold in the basement, but nothing too scary looking. But the basement is smelly, and it smells up the kitchen too (basement door is off the kitchen). I'd like to dry it out before I get the gutters done and kill the mold to hopefully get rid of the smell.
Somewhere on MOL I read about not using bleach to clean up mold and also that special face masks should be used. Would anyone have any further insight into how I can de-stinkify the basement? |
phyllis
Citizen
Username: Phyllis
Post Number: 544
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 11:27 pm: |
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Do you have a dehumidifier? They do a great job at getting the smell out and keep more mold from growing. You can buy one at Sears or Karl's, I'd imagine. |
AngelaK
Citizen
Username: Angelak
Post Number: 20
Registered: 7-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 12:01 am: |
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I haven't invested in a dehumidifier yet. I was waiting until after the leaks are controlled before spending the money. The model I like is a Whirlpool for a couple hundred bucks. The way money has been flowing out of my pocket lately, I was trying to hold off making the investment (you know you're in trouble when you are on a first-name basis with the people at Home Depot. I just drive by that place, and I swear my bank account decreases automatically) until I was sure it was necessary. Maybe there is no help for it, tho; I hate that smell. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 15028
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 12:08 am: |
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Which Home Despot? The one on Springfield Ave is the pits. If you can tolerate the extra driving, try Lowes on Morris Ave in Union. Really good people there, and it's well organized and displayed.
If you manage your money well, you might be able to take advantage of some good credit deals. When we moved in, we bought a clothes washer at Sears. They gave us a new Mastercard with no payments due and no interest for 12 months. I took advantage of that and divided the cost into 12 voluntary payments. In a year, it was paid for, and I didn't pay a penny of interest.
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fabulouswalls
Citizen
Username: Fabulouswalls
Post Number: 136
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 8:20 am: |
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I have the same problem in my basement. The dehumidifier is the best thing to use. It keeps the basement dry and the smells will disappear. You should try installing it so you can hook up a hose that will drain the water to a sump or into a sink. This way you can be sure that it will keep running when it needs to. Otherwise it will stop automatically when it is full of water. If your basement is damp at all it will fill up every day for weeks before the basement dries out. This is especially true in the summer when it is always humid. You might even consider buying two if you get a good deal. |
Soparents
Supporter
Username: Soparents
Post Number: 2106
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 8:26 am: |
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Angela - would you like to borrow one of my dehumidifiers? If it helps, then i'm more than happy to bring one to you.
SOP |
AngelaK
Citizen
Username: Angelak
Post Number: 21
Registered: 7-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 8:44 am: |
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It looks like the dehumidifier is the answer. SOP, many thanks for the offer. I think I'll just buy one, tho. The Lowe's that Tom mentioned seems to have the model I want and I've been wanted to check that store out anyway.
Just as an aside, does anyone else have the same computer and dryer problems depicted in the attached photos?
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emmie
Supporter
Username: Emmie
Post Number: 770
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 10:37 am: |
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Hey Angela,
Did you steal my cat, misty? Looks just like her! Cute Picture. |
LilLB
Citizen
Username: Lillb
Post Number: 2040
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 10:37 am: |
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Yup...same problem with the PC. And these two are much bigger now...in fact one is blocking the keys right now....
 |
emmie
Supporter
Username: Emmie
Post Number: 771
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 10:41 am: |
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My other cat that is, not the one here. BTW, where are the "edit" icons? I don't have any showing. |
LilLB
Citizen
Username: Lillb
Post Number: 2042
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 10:43 am: |
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emmie - scroll off to the right if you can - the pictures widen the screen. |
AngelaK
Citizen
Username: Angelak
Post Number: 22
Registered: 7-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 8:51 pm: |
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Emmie, both your cats are cuties as well, especially if misty looks just like Tiger (dryer cat). "Butt on the keyboard cat" is Zoey. I'm glad I'm not alone, LiLB, in the quest to access my keyboard with both hands! |
Former Cowgirl
Citizen
Username: Formercowgirl
Post Number: 146
Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Monday, July 17, 2006 - 8:00 am: |
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I'm currently pricing out dehumidifiers and want to know the difference between the kind you buy at sears and "commercial" strength. I'm also trying to get rid of small amounts of mold and terrible humidity and smell in basement. |
michelezembow
Citizen
Username: Michelezembow
Post Number: 219
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 8:27 am: |
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Re the hose into sump mentioned by fabulouswalls--is that just a standard piece of hose like that used in the garden or a special type (different diameter, etc.)? I can't find such a hose around the house, if my dehumidifier even came with one, and I really want to stop having to empty it every day. THANKS!} |
Shanabana
Citizen
Username: Shanabana
Post Number: 806
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Friday, July 21, 2006 - 1:50 pm: |
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My basement stinks because of the humidity, water and CAT POOP. AAAAAAGGGGHHHHHH!
(It's ok. I'm deaing with the situation. Just a little crazy right now...)
A dehumidifier! Now why didn't I think of that? Is the water stinky that comes out? |
mjc
Citizen
Username: Mjc
Post Number: 1247
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Friday, July 21, 2006 - 1:55 pm: |
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The water that comes out is very clean, actually more or less distilled, I think. |
Jersey_Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 1469
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, July 22, 2006 - 4:21 pm: |
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Can you drink it? Maybe run the hose into some large jugs.
And people say I'm dumb.
J.B. |
Jay060
Citizen
Username: Jay060
Post Number: 153
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, July 23, 2006 - 11:52 pm: |
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I want to connect a garden hose to my dehumidifier (it comes with an attachement to do so). However, I have no place to dump the water to. If the dehumidifier is on the floor, how high can I place the hose to drain the water? At what point will the weight of the water be greater than the pressure pushing it out...and then back up and flood? |
mbb
Citizen
Username: Mbb
Post Number: 22
Registered: 4-2006
| | Posted on Monday, July 24, 2006 - 11:48 am: |
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Jay060,
As long as the point the garden hose attaches to the dehumidifier bucket lies above any of the hose, the water will flow down and out through the hose. If you have a sink in your basement, put the dehumidifier on a surface the level of the top of the sink and let the hose empty into the sink.
Another way to empty the dehumidifier is through a hole on an exterior wall of the basement. Put the dehumidier on an elevated surface like a small table (you can use an inexpensive plastic side table from an outdoor furniture place), drill a hole on an exterior wall below the table level but above ground, and thread the hose through the hole. Just make sure the hole is just large enough to let the hose through, and use a good hose. You may need some patching cement on the wall around the hose to make sure nothing can crawl in through the hole.
I found that running a dehumidifier in a humid/wet day dries the basement well. It does leave however a not-so-pleasant smell in the air. The best way to get rid of the smell is through ventilation on drier days. I have an air exchange unit in one of my basement windows. A window fan, or just keeping a window open, might work as well. Of course you don't want to run the dehumidifier when you have a window open.
good luck! |
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