Commonly installed vapor barriers often cause mold infestations. The real functional reason for most of these installations is to channel water down the inside of the wall into an evacuation system below. The asthetical reason in the use of colored vapor barriers is to cover an old wall.

Given the right conditions, any wall product can cause the creation of a dew point where water vapor will condense.

Like many of the Philadelphia area, this basement was constructed of Wissahickon Schist Stone. The stone walls seep naturally and this is almost a given with this construction. Often, basement waterproofing companies will install a vapor barrier system onto these walls to channel water into the interior drainage system. On many occasions, we have been called to address the resulting mold growth that often thrives behind these vapor barrier systems.

The idea for the barrier system started decades ago as an answer to the weeping walls and to compliment the interior waterproofing system. The mold problems start however, when the vapor barrier sheet, usually made of plastic, acts to hold moisture against the stones so that natural drying cannot occur. The barrier sheet will act to produce the dew point that when it is cooler than the wall, water vapor traveling through the stone wall will condense into liquid moisture.

Mold spores that were never before addressed spring into life behind these barrier systems. The mold grows to a point where the smell and ill effects of the toxins begin to overtake the inhabitants of the home. Usually the barrier system is hiding the problem from sight, but in some cases clear plastic was used and the mold growth is clearly visible behind the barrier system.

This basement in Philadelphia had heavy mold growth behind the plastic barrier. It was clearly evident that the mold removal would be a challenge as some of it was wet and some of it was dry. In the dry state, mold spores spread like wildfire and with personal belongings on site, a plan had to be followed so as to not spread the mold.

This basement was cleaned of all mold and staining with a lifetime guarantee of no-return of the mold.