Finally figured out why my basement kept smelling musty after 3 years

I tried every dehumidifier and air freshener in the book but nothing fixed that damp smell until I noticed a tiny crack in the foundation near the back corner. Sealed it up with some hydraulic cement I picked up at Home Depot for like $12 and now the air actually feels fresh down there. Anyone else find a cheap fix for a problem they assumed would cost hundreds?

2 comments

2 Comments

wood.lisa17d ago

Three years of mold growing in that crack is probably in your walls now.

mason.margaret16d ago

Yeah I saw a report on the news a few months back about black mold in rental units, and it can get into the drywall pretty fast if you don't catch it early. @wood.lisa is right, if it's been sitting there for three years that mold has probably spread way past that crack into the wall cavity and maybe even the studs behind it. You can't just patch over that kind of problem, it needs to be cut out and replaced by someone who knows what they're doing. I had a friend who tried to paint over mold in her bathroom and ended up with it coming through the new paint within a year. Honestly if you're renting, the landlord should be on the hook for this, not you trying to scrub it down.