Mold behind drywall

[tenplay]

We recently had a water leak, that has since been repaired. The carpet layer made a hole in the wall when using some kind of carpet stretcher that he braced against the wall. He pointed out some blackish mold behind the drywall and suggested that we have that section of the wall replaced. Not only will it be costly but it will be difficult to match the paint and texture of the repaired section with the rest of the wall. Is it possible that the mold will disappear with time since the leak has been fixed? It would be much easier to patch the hole than replace a large section of the wall. Thanks for any advice.

[Speedy Jim]

The correct answer is: It depends.

There are many kinds of mold/mildew, some are quite toxic, especially to infants. Generally you can't tell just by looking at it.

You don't know the extent of the growth in the wall; it may be a lot more widespread than you think.

Will it just go away? No. Molds live practically forever. If the humidity is very low, it may not grow much. But if it gets some moisture, it could bloom rapidly.

I'm not telling you that you *have* a problem; I'm saying you can't really know for sure. Do some GOOGLE search for mold, health, sick building, mold remediation,

Most homeowners policies don't cover mold damage anymore, but it's worth looking into. Jim

[AJScott]

If you don't cut out more of the drywall and look at the pieces, how do you expect to know exactly how far your mold problem extends behind the wall?

Without being Chickemn Little about things, mold is still and all some quietly nasty stuff that doesn't just go away on its own if you ignore it. All in all, it matters to nobody here what you do to cheap your way out of it if that's what you've made up your mind to do. It's not us that's going to be breathing it.

AJS

[cornytheclown]

If you do something about this you are better off to do the investigation, demolition and clean up on your own. Dont call in the mold remediation experts as they will charge you an arm and a leg and possibly a lung. Mold remediation for a time was a gold mine, not sure if it is now...but many in the biz charged outrageous prices and used unscrupulous sales tactics involving resale of the home and other scares to convince customers to shell out the big bucks.

Demolish, clean up with bleach, and then call in the drywall guys.

[Tom]

Find a Plumber, Electrician or whatever who has a camera that is designed to be inserted in a wall to locate plumbing, wiring, etc. They're kind of pricey but I would assume there might be someone who has one in your locale. I would be hesitant to get your insurance company involved...not only do most not cover mold damage anymore, but putting them on notice that mold exists could get your insurance policy cancelled and make your house not insurable by any other company.

[AJScott]

This be true. Mold remediation experts are really only neccesary for really major problems, not for the stuff most of us run into related to old spot leakage. Just get rid of the bad stuff, bleach the area down, and replace with new drywall once you've licked the moisture problem that caused the mold.

AJS

[PJx]

I'd drill several small holes in the wall and fog with a bleach solution.

[tenplay]

Are you saying that this might be enough to take care of the mold without replacing the drywall? Thanks.

[AJScott]

Wow. Ever consider becoming a slumlord?

AJS

[Mike Hide]

I guess millions must have died over the years, before the effects of the killer mold was discovered that is .....mjh

[Brad]

No, he's just saying that he's an idiot.

[PJx]

Yes, that is true. You might leave the holes open for a few weeks and repeat the fogging, but it will definitely kill MOST of the mold. Also spray the bleach solution everywhere that you think the dampness might have occured. Be careful as it will fade colors of just about anything it hits.

The mold will not come back if you keep the moisture down. In my part of the country that means running the AC on the warm days.

In the old days, we had the same mold that you hear about today, but we treated it with bleach and it went away and everyone was healthy and their savings intact.. Now, the mention of mold can make many charlatans rich and the homeowners very very poor. I'd estimate the crooks/charlatans would easily get 15 grand for curing your one room, but I could be on the low side when you add in the cost of moving to a hotel for a couple of months.

Oh, let me add this. When you get through having your house done, you need to remove all the mold from your back yard and then your hiking trail down by the river and alongside the highway.

PJ