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Or click here to for info on how to deal with mold trapped inside walls. 

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It is not a good idea to attempt to clean, bleach, paint over, or treat mold on the surface of a wall. It is not a good idea to treat mold that is trapped inside walls. Any experienced mold inspection consultant will tell you that moisture inside walls, behind baseboards, and behind cabinets does not evaporate readily, thus mold can sometimes grow more profusely hidden inside such wet areas than it does on the surface that dries more readily. Thus even if you are able to successfully kill or remove mold on the surface of a wall that does nothing to combat the mold that is sometimes growing more profusely inside that wall.

Bleaching, painting, cleaning, or even treating moldy walls with an EPA approved fungicides allows a very good opportunity for possible mold and moisture trapped in the wall voids to cause future problems. When wall surfaces are cleaned of visible mold, mold growing inside the wall voids and under the drywall paper and paint breaks through and starts the problem all over again a month or so after cleaning.


Using ozone does not work, I conducted a mold inspection in West Palm Beach or Boca Raton where Ozone was used in a condo, and another inspection of a historic office building in Key West, this was a very old nice two story brick building. In each case the ozone did nothing to kill the mold, it was still doing just fine after expensive ozone treatments. Ozone is not easy on the human lungs and can cause corrosion on metal and degradation to rubber. I conducted an inspection for a client in Weston or Dania or some town and Broward county, not sure exactly where. What I remember for sure is that they asked about ozone treatment and I told them to have the mold remediated by a certified mold remediator. Two years later the clients called about having mold testing conducted on their mothers residence in Deerfield Beach, before they hung up they informed me that they went with the ozone treatment of their house and it did not kill the mold but it caused damage to wire insulation or rubber gaskets, and caused brass door knobs to corrode and turn black.   


In addition mold inside walls or behind cabinets can create mold odors, while spores often remain trapped, odors can escape from inside walls. These mold by-products have been linked to allergy, and asthma like health problems. As a result spores may not show up on a mold inspection if the mold is trapped inside a wall, however the odors may still result in health complaints.


Even after wet drywall dries, previous moisture penetration often causes the gypsum in drywall to loose some structural strength, also mold eats drywall paper that helps hold drywall gypsum together. Thus the drywall is often compromised after it gets wet.
Drywall on ceilings may be at risk of falling down.


Often a water damaged wall may not visually appear to be moldy on the outer surfaces, and even a mold inspection of the interior of the wall may show very little or no mold growth, this does not mean you do not have a problem.
During inner wall mold testing spores may be elevated inside a wall, spore levels may be several hundred or even several thousand spores per cubic meter higher in a wall than outside that wall, and higher than outdoor levels. However visible mold may not be present inside that wall. Thus even when mold is at the microscopic level and not visible inside a it may still have a mold problem.


For the above reasons it is typically best to first have the moisture or humidity problem repaired, then have a professional remediator remove mold in accordance with nationally recognized standards.

 

About At A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc.
Our certified mold inspector and indoor air quality testing specalists provides inspections for home owners, renters, and commercial building managers with mold, chemical or musty odors, allergens, moisture or humidity problems and other building related defects and IAQ issues. We provide services for all towns in, near, and around West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Coral Springs, Plantation, Weston, Ft Lauderdale, Aventura, Hallandale, Hollywood, Miami, and Coral Gables, Fl. In Dade, Palm Beach, and Broward Counties.