Mold

[RVer Don]

We lost part of our roof in a recent windstorm. As a result there was some water damage to the popcorn ceiling in one room. It was minimal and resulted in some small stains to the ceiling. I want to put a sealer on the stains and repaint the ceiling. My wife says no we must remove the popcorn and sheetrock in order to avoid having mold.

I think this is overkill but at the same time want to do what is necessary in order to avoid having mold. What's the consensus of the group, repaint, new ceiling or perhaps something in between? Is there a test to determine if there is mold?

Don in Tracy, Calif.

[Paul M. Eldridge]

Hi Don,

Sorry to hear of the damage to your roof and ceiling. Have you closely inspected the attic side of this drywall? Is it and the insulation above it now dry?

If the drywall and insulation are dry to the touch and there's no visible damage, I'd be inclined to leave it in place. If it feels slightly damp, I would pull back the insulation and use a box or table/floor fan to circulate air over the surface and let the insulation dry out before putting it back in place.

According to this author, mould and mould spores are killed at temperatures "well above" 100F; unfortunately, that's not adequately defined for us and whether your attic would get hot enough to do the job is questionable.

This following web resources might be of some help to you:

For a whole lot more on this topic, Google "attic mould".

And if you plan to work in this area, you'll want to wear suitable clothing, rubber gloves, eye protection and a proper dust mask.

Best of luck!

Cheers, Paul

[cshenk]

First off, are either of you terribly sensitive to mold? Some folks are severely so due to medical reasons (medications, health issues etc).

If terribly sensitive to mold (all houses have some) then you *may* need to do this but only if you have actual mold growth (especially the stuff that grows in a fan shape and is black). It is doubtful though you need to go so far as to have to remove the sheetrock and replace. Not if it's no longer getting wet. To aid in drying, you *may* want to replace the insulation in the attic (especially if it's the roll type which is easy to pull out and just roll down new)

Before sealing and replainting, there are products at the local hardware store you just spray on the area you think may need treatment. Be sure to use safety glasses and anything else it says (you'll be spraying above your head and it will get on you a bit so shower right after). Let that dry, then seal and should for most folks, be able to just repaint. If it does not work, you are not out much money but if it doesnt work, I'd say you still have a leak of some sort going on. Until all leaks are fixed, it's useless to do anything else.

[S. Barker]

The main thing you'll want to make sure the insulation above is good and dried out. If everything has dried, then spritzer with bleach and repaint. No need to get crazy.

s

[Pat]

Replace wife?