Checking For Mold Inside Walls

Closely inspect nearby vents roof flashing decks window wells and anywhere wood is rotting.

Checking for mold inside walls.

It s very common when you have mold on your walls to also find mold inside the walls. If mold is growing on an exterior wall or ceiling first look for a leak in the wall or roof as a test for mold. The entire testing process will take a few days and if the test you perform determines that mold spores are present in the air you can send the testing materials to a lab that will perform. These include flooding water leaks damp basements hvac duct systems or shower or cooking steam.

While home mold testing kits are simple to use they only capture samples in the air and on exposed surfaces. If you don t remove the mold inside walls as well there s no point removing the mold on the outside of the walls since the mold inside the walls will just continue. Another indicator of mold growth is discoloration which can occur even if you have repainted your home s walls. Discoloration can also happen in the event that damage has been done from within.

Check for surface discoloration such as yellowing material rounded brown spots or black often furry looking discolorations that indicate mold and mildew growths. Check your home for sources of excessive moisture. The diy mold testing process. It s the last thing you need in your home.

To check inside your walls for mold you ll need to carefully cut out six inch squares of drywall remove the cut out squares and use a long handled mirror and flashlight to look inside for mold. Mold can appear in many shades from black to white to brown to gray to green. How to detect mold in walls cleaning mold on visible surfaces may not be easy especially if it s a major infestation but it is very much possible even without the help of mold remediation experts. Look for uninsulated exterior windows and walls including uninsulated closets along exterior walls where mold can grow when you run your heating in the winter.

Measure from the moldy area to a reference point like a door then find the spot on the other side of the wall or ceiling. This is because the mold will still be visible on the wall s surface. Look at the wall surface carefully. Black mold the words alone are enough to make you cringe.

They aren t intended to detect mold inside walls but they can provide a starting point for diy mold removal. It is recommended that you check in several places since you might miss small amounts of mold if you only look inside the wall in one spot. A top of the line home mold testing kit should include. Any mold can cause problems for people.