Mold Behind Your Walls

11/5/2018 (Permalink)

Mold behind your walls may be a part of nature, however, it’s one natural thing that you never want to see in your home. Even the most minor examples of mold can be visually unappealing and potentially cause issues.

Never Leave Black Mold Unchecked!

Some types of mold, specifically black mold, can be dangerous if left unchecked. In some cases, mold can be easy to identify and take care of, but in many cases, it’s the mold that you can’t see that is the biggest problem.

This is especially the case in flood/water damage scenarios, where water and moisture tend to infiltrate all different parts of a home or building, creating a idea environment for mold to grow.

One common issue people with water damage have to deal with is mold behind their walls. Here are some signs that there may be some mold growing out of sight in your home. 

First Off!

For one thing, even if you can’t actually see the mold behind your walls, there are still some tangible indicators that it cold be present. Some people tend to have allergic reactions to even non-toxic mold.  If you start noticing these symptoms out of the blue, it could be a potential clue, especially if there was recent flooding or heavy rains. In addition, mold, even behind the walls, still leaves a trademark odor.

If you can smell it, but can’t see it, there’s a chance that it may be growing behind the walls!

Have The Eye For Visual Signs

In some cases, there may even be visual signs on the walls itself, if not of the mold, there are clues that you’re at potential risk of mold.

For example, water stains on drywall aren’t 100% indicator that you have mold, but there’s clearly water coming in from some sort of source. With this in mind, chances are that you’re going to get mold in time if you don’t find and address the source. This is part of the reason why many experts recommend doing home examinations during periods of the year where there’s a lot of humidity or rain.

The Screwdriver Test

Other visual indicators of moisture include peeling wallpaper or condensation on the wall or ceiling. Be careful if you think there’s mold under your wallpaper, though. Peeling it off yourself to see may end up exposing you to a cloud of spores.

If you’re willing to do a more intensive test, consider trying to probe the wall in question with a screwdriver. If things are soft or crumbling, you may already have rot taking hold from mold.

How Can You Curb Mold’s Growth?

If you find that there’s mold behind the walls or have a suspicion that this is the case, there are a few things you can do right away to try to at least curb it's growth.

One example of this is using any means necessary to try and tune down the humidity in your home. In general, you want to try to shoot for indoor humidity at 55% or less. There are detectors you can buy to chart this, but if you live in a naturally humid area, you may need to buy dehumidifiers to try and keep the air dry.

Something else worth looking at is potential areas where excess moisture may get into your home. Cracks in the foundation or leaky gutters are common sources for extra moisture that could make the mold behind your walls grow faster.

When you initially discover that there’s mold behind your walls, some of the things we just mentioned are good ways to minimize the initial spread.

These Are More Of A Stopgap Solution Rather Than A Final Fix

Because of the potential danger that unchecked mold can cause, if you see evidence of it behind your walls or anywhere else in your home, make sure you reach out to professionals here at SERVPRO of Oldham/Shelby County. 502.241.6861

 Not only do we believe in doing the most for our customers in the Oldham/Shelby area, but we’re also IICRC-certified.

This means we use the best cleaning and restoration tactics to help target mold and other remnants of water damage, and fix them so you can come back to your home or business with peace of mind.

SERVPRO of Oldham/Shelby County also proudly serves Spencer, Henry and Trimble Counties.