Installing Drywall In Wet Locations

Our basement is finished with paneling on the walls. There is about a 9 foot length that clearly has water damage at the bottom of the paneling. The rest of the area appears to be completely dry. How do I get rid of the mold that I'm sure is underneath, waterproof it so it does not happen again? Would a high quality water vapor barrier shift the water to another area of the house? We are going to install a sump pump this Spring. Also - my basement interior walls have the crystals formed on them. How would I clean them off and then can I use a liquid water vapor barrier to coat the walls or again, am I shifting the problem to another area by doing that? Thanks so much!

Debbie,
Please go read *all* of the articles in these two categories: Drainage and Mold. Wait until you discover how one of my linear french drains is going to take away all of your pain!

I have an old barn (50+yoa) and I love it. It is on a concrete foundation that we put in/under it about 5 years ago. It has big cracks between the old wood. We want to build a room on the inside for a friend to live in so it will be small, but with a bathroom, & kitchenette, bed & LR combo. From the outside I want it to look the same, old wood. But on the inside, a live-in, comfortable, warm, place. How do I do this so when it rains, there will be some type of barrier between the outside wall and the new inside wall? Greenboard that is vapor retarder? I don't have a clue. Please help. We are doing this ourselves! We have done a few do-it-yourself jobs that hasn't fallen down yet so we going to try this one. THANKS, Julie

Julie,
You build this like any house. The interior side of the wall must be protected from all weather.

I am renovating a house that is on the water. Every couple of years storms push in a few inches of water. Once it pushed in about 20 inches. I am looking to put in some kind or wall that is water proof. Or at least the bottom 4 feet of the wall. I want to make it easy to take the walls down after a flood to spray for mold behind the walls and then put them back up. Do you have any ideas or suggestions?

Maclain,
You bet I do. Replace the lower part of the walls with Concrete block and plaster it.

I am busy remodeling my bathroom. All the drywall is removed from the studs. I want to know if I plan on putting ceramic tiles 3' up the wall, if I should put cement board on the hole wall, or just on the part with tiles

We live in a condominium and had water intrusion on an exterior wall of the master bedroom. The association made several attempts to repair the leaks and then replaced the drywall. The water came in again several times and a moisture test reading was 99.9 % satuartion. We believe the problem finally has been resolved. The moisture reading now within acceptable ranges. The association is refusing to do mold testing. Should the drywall be replaced again?

Purchased a Newly constructed home and noticed that there is just plan drywall around the garden tub should i be worried?

Philip,
I would install cement board or a similar material in locations near water. That should be your guideline.

Andrew,
The drywall should be removed if you discover there is mold on the backside.

Rodney,
Yes, I find that unacceptable.

We need to replace the walls in the tub/shower area as the wallboard has disintegrated in spots due to old grout leakage. We don't want tile again, can we install acrylic sheets over the new wallboard - floor to ceiling in the tub/shower area? We plan to keep the tub right where it is. Any thoughts or ideas would be great. We'd like to keep the costs to a minimum if possible, so granite or marble is out of the question.
Thanks!

Lynne,
You can do that, but I would not. I would install the sheets over a 100% waterproof backerboard. Drywall is not waterproof.

I am thinking about using Green board for the wall of a covered, outdoor screened porch. The wall should not see any direct water, only humidity. Do you see any issues with using this product in this application?

I am remodeling an old shed that I plan to use for storing Scuba diving gear. I want to insulate it and I am trying to decide what to use for the interior walls. While the walls will never be exposed to standing water and should not ever be sprayed directly with water, the shed will be used to store things that are wet, and humidity will be very high. Will regular gypsum board be sufficient for this project or should I invest in something more water resistant? I considered using plywood, but I would like to use cheaper material if possible. What do you think is my best option while keeping the budget as low as possible?
Thanks for your help.
Kevin