[siffleur]

Hey Guys,

After putting off this project for quite a while I finally got around to starting it this past weekend, out of boredom.

I made a concoction that consisted of: 1 cup Trisodium Phosphate (TSP), 1 cup washing soda, 3 cups bleach to one gallon of water. I wet the walls down with the solution, let it soak for a few minutes, then dipped my stiffle bristle scrub brush in my mix and scrubbed the walls. It cut through most of the black mold like butter but there were some areas that the black didn't come off; I even tried straight bleach on these spots with a stiffle bristle brush and it didn't touch it.

I'm thinking at this point I will get the mold killing primer that Gymschu linked me to, put it on then paint over unless you guys think I need to do something else.

Before and After pics with closeup pic of black still on wall after treatment.

Forst off, there are some great links here for info on treating mold which I have bookmarked myself!

Sounds like you got the lion's share of the work done and that you have cleaned it visibly as much as you can. Since you have said that you have taken care of the exterior water problems, I would make sure that the wall has plenty of time to dry out. Did you rinse it thoroughly to get the TSP off? If not, that could affect whatever primer or paint you put on the wall.

If I were doing this, I would make sure that the walls have been thoroughly rinsed and dried with the help of a dehumidifier (you probably need one of these if you don't already have one) and a fan. After several days or a week or 2, I would spray Concrobium (Home Depot) onto the wall and let dry thoroughly. THe Concrobium will leave a film of material that has a high pH that mold cannot grow on.

Leave the wall sit like this through the next summer and see if any mold comes back. Make sure you run the dehumidifier in the basement during the warm humid months. If no mold shows up by fall, then you might consider priming with the Zinsser Mold Killing Primer, then top coating with paint. The only problem I see with priming and painting over the concrete block is that you will be sealing in moisture if there still is any coming in from the outside. This might cause another possible mold problem because mold needs moisture to grow (55% and up).

siffleur

 

[siffleur]

Yeah I really don't think there is getting anymore of the black off; at least not with what I am using. I took care of the exterior problem years ago when I moved in and haven't seen any water come in since. I did wipe the wall down with fresh water after I had scrubbed it.

I do have a dehumidifier that I run in the summer time. I don't have it running right now because according to my humidity gauge the humidity level is currently at 40%. According to what I read and this I just grabbed off of the internet, my mixture is very similar to Concrobium: "Concrobium Mold Control is a patented solution comprised of purified water, sodium carbonate (washing soda), sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), and trisodium phosphate. Together, this unique, tri-salt (three salts) polymer is intensely alkaline (not acidic), which holds great advantage over mold.'

I would rather not wait until the fall to paint since it's such an eye sore and I'm in the process of redoing the bathroom which had mold and is directly to the right of the pictures I posted.

From what you just posted above, it seems like your wall should be dry enough to go ahead with priming and painting.

siffleur