Treating Mold Inside Walls
Discovering a mold problem inside your home is bad enough; finding the mold inside your walls, however, is a completely different story. Invisible to the naked eye, mold spores inside wall cavities remain dormant until moisture activates their growth. Mold remediation professionals in Nashville would tell you that common sources of moisture include seepage from plumbing pipes routed through the wall, roof leakage, recent flooding, and other incidents of water damage.
A mold infestation inside a wall is not immediately recognizable; it might be too late by the time it comes to your attention. Be on the lookout for signs such as a musty odor that’s persistent in certain areas of your home, and black spots on walls where internal mold growth has penetrated through the drywall.
If you suspect mold inside your walls, you’ll need to cut access holes in the drywall to visually verify the presence of mold. However, doing this might release toxic spores and contaminate your entire home. Moreover, simply applying disinfectants to an active mold problem will not solve the problem since some spores are tough enough to resist these treatments. Any mold growth must be physically removed and properly disposed of. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends working with an experienced mold remediation team to inspect and get rid of your mold problem.
A professional mold remediation team like Rytech Nashville would implement the following procedures:
- Clean the internal wall cavity with a HEPA-filtered vacuum.
- Replace the infected drywall if mold growth is established on the inside surface or if it has penetrated through the material.
- Replace any fiberglass or cellulose insulation inside a contaminated wall cavity.
- Physically remove mold on wooden studs or joists. Wooden surfaces are also sanded down to make sure no residual spores remain.
- Spray the wall cavity with an EPA-recommended microbial disinfectant.
- Apply an encapsulating sealant on surfaces inside the wall. Similar to paint, this coating contains fungicides that kill residual spores, preventing them from coming back.
Rytech Nashville provides effective mold remediation solutions to residents of Middle Tennessee and its surrounding areas. The team’s IICRC-certified technicians will discuss the types of mold found inside your walls and will recommend how to remove the mold and detect the moisture causing it. Schedule an appointment today and see how they can help.
Rytech Nashville has become a leader in the water damage restoration and mold remediation industry. From its humble beginnings in one location, the company has reached exponential growth and currently provides service to 49 major markets across 25 states. Call (615) 751-8445 for more information.