Musty smells are usually due to mold and mildew which will normally be present whenever there is prolonged moisture. Until the moisture is eliminated, the mold will keep returning. It can, however, be kept at bay by wiping the wall with bleach. Lemon-scented bleach is less offensive, but you should have good ventilation, open all windows and doors in the basement and use rubber gloves. I have found it easy to apply with a sponge. This will effectively kill the mold for a long period, but you must get rid of the source of moisture to fix the problem.

If you have problems with musty smells they’re covered in Section Q of The Home Waterproofers Manual – Home Waterproofing A to Z. Remember, in the waterproofing business it’s “buyer beware”. Most salesmen get a percentage of the sale and don’t consider it their job to save you money. They charge as much as they can. If they see a problem that can be fixed at low-cost, they won’t mention it, but will only talk about “preventing serious damage” and try to scare you into signing a big contract.

You can save thousands of dollars and many headaches by learning what is going on first. Often what looks like an expensive and serious problem may not be. Once the problem is explained, solving it is just common sense. I’ve used the knowledge I’ve put in The Home Waterproofers Manual – Home Waterproofing A to Z every day to fix water problems. It will work for you too.

But remember, when dealing with salesmen, in the waterproofing business it’s “buyer beware”. Most get a percentage of the sale and don’t consider it their job to save you money. They charge as much as they can. If they see a problem that can be fixed at low cost, or one that has a simple solution, they won’t mention it, but will only talk about “preventing serious damage” and try to scare you into signing a big contract.